The D.C. Defenders signed defensive back Isaiah Johnson and released wide receiver Javon Antonio on Tuesday, according to the UFL Transactions page.
Isaiah Johnson is six foot two and weighs 208 pounds. The 30-year-old from Bryan, Texas, was drafted by the Defenders in the 2026 UFL Draft. Johnson did not play for the Defenders in 2026.
The Oakland Raiders drafted Johnson in the fourth round (129th pick) of the 2019 NFL Draft. He played two seasons with the Raiders with 15 tackles (8 solos, 7 assists), and five pass breakups in 19 games. In 2021, he made two tackles in two preseason games. The Raiders released him on August 31, 2021.
Over the next two seasons, Johnson would spend time on the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Arizona Cardinals practice squads. The D.C. Defenders signed Johnson on April 4, 2023. In 2023, he made six tackles (3 solos, 3 assists) in two games.
In 2024, he made 28 tackles (24 solos, 4 assists), two tackles for loss, one sack, three pass breakups, and one forced fumble in eight games. The D.C. Defenders re-signed Johnson on January 8, 2025. He attended training camp and was released on March 20, 2025.
Collegiately, Johnson played five seasons at Houston (2014-18) as a wide receiver and defensive back with 21 catches for 208 yards, 115 tackles (88 solos, 27 assists), two tackles for loss, four interceptions for 94 yards, and 18 pass breakups in 45 games for the Cougars.
Javon Antonio is six foot four and weighs 225 pounds. The 27-year-old from LaPlace, Louisiana, was drafted by the D.C. Defenders in the 2026 UFL Draft. He attended training camp, and the team released him on March 19, 2026. The Defenders re-signed him on April 6, 2026. In 2026, he made three catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns in five games.
Antonio went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft. The D.C. Defenders signed Antonio on March 8, 2025. In 2025, he made 18 catches for 212 yards in nine games. He did not play in the postseason when the Defenders won the UFL Championship over the Michigan Panthers.
Collegiately, Antonio played two seasons at Hinds Community College (2018-19) with 44 catches for 621 yards and four touchdowns in 19 games for the Eagles. Next, he transferred to Northwestern State (2020-22) with 95 catches for 1,205 yards, 10 touchdowns, and one tackle (1 solo) in 18 games for the Demons. He was named Second Team All-Southland Conference in 2022.
Then, he transferred to Colorado in 2023 with 17 catches for 209 yards, two touchdowns, and one tackle (1 solo) in 10 games for the Buffaloes.
