The D.C. Defenders have signed former Birmingham Stallions tailback Zaquandre White, the league announced. This news comes just less than a week after it was reported that 2023 All-XFL tailback Abram Smith will miss the entirety of the 2024 season with a torn ACL sustained during training camp.
During the 2023 USFL season, White appeared in five games with the Stallions as a backup to C.J. Marable. He recorded 29 carries for 128 yards and two touchdowns on the ground while totaling 10 receptions for 81 yards and one touchdown through the air.
Over the summer, the Pittsburgh Steelers brought White in for a workout—but he never signed. Aside from the Stallions, White’s only professional experience consists of his stint with the Miami Dolphins, who signed him as an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina in 2022.D
White recorded 104 carries for 642 yards and two touchdowns in two seasons during his collegiate career with the Gamecocks. He added 21 receptions for 198 yards and three touchdowns. He had previously been at Florida State, where he played linebacker during his sophomore season.
Without Smith as their workhorse, the Defenders will likely operate with a committee backfield for the 2024 season. White can be in the mix along with Cam’Ron Harris, Pooka Williams, and Darius Hagans for D.C..
With Smith out of the picture, the active Defenders tailbacks lack professional experience. As mentioned, White served as a backup in the USFL last season, while Harris and Williams served in depth/special teams roles with D.C. after joining the team midway through the 2023 XFL regular season. Meanwhile, this is Hagans’ first time in spring football.
With the addition of White, the Defenders currently hold four running backs on their roster. We will see if that changes come this weekend, with each UFL team cutting down from 58 players to 50.
