The D.C. Defenders re-signed defensive tackle Niles Scott and claimed defensive end Kyle Phillips from the Birmingham Stallions on Thursday according to the UFL Transactions page.
Niles Scott is six foot one and weighs 326 pounds. The 29-year-old from Elkton, Maryland, made 29 tackles (13 solo, 16 assists), and two tackles for loss in 10 games for the D.C. Defenders in 2024. The Defenders re-signed him on October 3, 2024, and released him on February 14, 2025.
Scott signed with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent on April 30, 2018. The 49ers released him on September 6, 2018. He played one season with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2018 making four tackles (4 solos) in six games.
Scott also spent time with the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, and Miami Dolphins. The D.C. Defenders drafted Scott in the first round (5th pick) in Phase 3 of the 2023 XFL Draft. He did not play for the Defenders in 2023.
Collegiately, Scott played four seasons at Frostburg State University (2014-17) making 150 tackles (61 solos, 89 assists), 43 tackles for loss, 25.5 sacks, one pass breakup, one forced fumble, three fumble recoveries, and one blocked kick in 43 games for the Bobcats. He was named Second Team All-NJAC in 2016, and First Team All-NJAC in 2017.
Kyle Phillips is six foot four and weighs 277 pounds. The 27-year-old from Nashville, Tennessee, signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent on May 10, 2019. He played three seasons in New York making 65 tackles (34 solos, 31 assists), 12 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and one pass breakup in 29 games, of which eight were starts.
The New Orleans Saints signed Phillips on July 31, 2023. In 2023, he made four tackles (2 solos, 2 assists) and one pass breakup in two preseason games. In the regular season, Phillips made three tackles (2 solos, 1 assist) in five games. He became a free agent after the 2023 season. The Birmingham Stallions signed Phillips on December 6, 2024, and released him on March 20, 2025.
Collegiately, Phillips played four seasons at Tennessee (2015-18) making 114 tackles (59 solos, 55 assists), 16 tackles for loss, eight sacks, one interception for 27 yards, one touchdown, 9 pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one blocked punt in 42 games for the Volunteers. He was a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award and the Campbell Trophy in 2018.
