XFL Week 1 Power Rankings: D.C. Defenders enter 2023 as the team to beat, Arlington Renegades No. 2

Get ready for more football, ladies and gentlemen. 

After a two-year hiatus, the XFL is back and ready to entertain football fans who aren’t ready to head into the offseason. The XFL will kick things off with four games this weekend — just six days after Super Bowl LVII — and will conclude the 2023 season with a championship game on May 13. 

Of course, no football league can exist without Power Rankings, so we’ve compiled one just in time for the start of the XFL season. We’ll update our Power Rankings each week while keeping fans up to date on the teams and players who are on the rise. 

Here’s our first of many XFL Power Rankings for the 2023 season, as we try to sort things out before these teams have played a single game. Let’s see how accurate these rankings are when an XFL champion is crowned three months from now. 

1. D.C. Defenders 

The Defenders already have a philosophy despite not having yet played a game. Offensive coordinator Fred Kaiss will employ a spread out, college style offense. It appears that D.C. has the players to execute the attack. The Defenders have several capable quarterbacks, led by former USFL standout Jordan Ta’amu. They have a wealth of talent in the backfield that includes former New Orleans Saint Abram Smith — a physical, straight ahead back who averaged over 6 yards-per-carry during his college career at Baylor. 

Defensively, the Defenders will likely mimic the attitude of Gregg Williams, a tough-minded coach whose resume includes being the defensive coordinator of the Super Bowl-winning Saints squad. 

2. Arlington Renegades 

Continuity among the coaching staff is among the Renegades’ strengths. Flanked alongside head coach Bob Stoops is former OU and Iowa colleague Jonathan Hayes, who will share offensive coordinator duties with Chuck Long. Arlington’s staff also includes Tim Lewis, a former NFL defensive back who has had a wealth of coaching experience across several leagues. 

The Renegades are pretty good on the field, too. Leading the way are former USFL teammates Kyle Sloter and Sal Canella. A classic pocket passer, Sloter played well last year in leading the USFL’s Breakers to the playoffs. Canella was unstoppable in the Breakers’ playoff loss to the eventual USFL champion Stallions, catching 12 passes for 154 yards.