APRIL 17, 2026
By Will Stuntz

The 2026 DC Breeze roster will see a combination of new and familiar faces. In an offseason of significant turnover for the Breeze, the organization has looked far and wide to supplement the loss of franchise icons Rowan McDonnell and Tyler Monroe, among others.

Nine new players join the Breeze for 2026 - two free agents and seven Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA) rookies some of whom will step into major roles on the two primary lines. They’ll join a squad that continues to face fierce competition in the most successful and competitive division in the league featuring several title contenders yet again. 

Many stalwarts return to DC, too, for another push for Championship Weekend, under first-year head coach Xavier Maxstadt.

The Free Agents

Sean Mott #81
Mott is entering his 11th professional season, and his first with DC. The left-handed cutter has spent the first decade of his exemplary career as a thorn in the Breeze’s side with Philadelphia. In those 10 seasons, Mott has proven to be one of the top cutters in the league. He has racked up 420 assists and 202 goals over 119 regular-season matches and one playoff appearance. Throughout Mott's last five seasons, he has completed no less than 93% of his attempts and has thrown for over 2,700 yards each year. 

“He’s able to cut pretty well, he’s a good playmaker in the air,” Maxstadt said. “And he’s an incredible thrower”. 

Aside from the on-field ability, Mott’s 10 years of pro play outside of DC bring a new perspective for the organization. Since Mott joined Truck Stop last club season, signing Mott was a priority for the organization heading into the year.

“The biggest thing he gives is his experience,” Maxstadt said. “I’m excited about him; he’s going to be big for us.”

Billy O’Bryan #22
O’Bryan serves as another addition with veteran experience. He started his professional career with the Jacksonville Cannons in 2016 before the franchise moved to Tampa Bay. After not playing in 2017, O’Bryan spent his next four seasons with Tampa Bay until the franchise ultimately ceased operations in 2022. 

Following his time with the Cannons, O’Bryan spent the 2023 and 2024 UFA seasons with Atlanta. In his seven years of professional experience, O’Bryan has played in 65 regular season games. In that time, he has completed 1433 throws on 90.7% while dishing out 115 assists and scoring 69 goals. He has also seen two postseason games in his career, both in his tenure with Atlanta. In those appearances, O’Bryan completed 100% of his throws.

The Rookies

Wiebe van den Brink
Entering his first UFA season, van den Brink is one of the most highly-touted members of the 2026 rookie class. The Dutch defenseman has made a name for himself with a plethora of acrobatic defensive plays, inspiring at least one commentator to dub him “The Flying Dutchman.” Van den Brink’s experience includes time with Grut and Utregse Frisbee Organisatie (UFO), two of the top club programs in the Netherlands. He also spent time with the Netherlands U24 mixed national team, where he tallied 21 assists and six goals in nine games during their 2025 campaign.

One attribute sticks out when it comes to van den Brink: his athleticism. 

“He brings a lot of athleticism and playmaking ability,” Maxstadt said. “He’s really fast… so I’m excited to see how he does on the bigger field in the UFA.”

Lev Blumenfeld #7
Another rookie joining the Breeze this season is Lev Blumenfeld. Originally from White Plains, N.Y., he is currently a junior at the University of Maryland where he studies bioengineering and competes alongside his Breeze teammates Miles Grovic and Isaac Lee for the Space Bastards.

Raymond Lu #16
The rookie handler is joining the UFA after an impressive collegiate and club career in the midwest with Michigan MagnUM and Chicago Machine. Lu was named to the D-1 All-America Second Team in 2021. He is currently studying to get his doctorate in engineering at the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering.

Gabe Dowd #21
A native of Washington, D.C., Dowd is studying aerospace engineering at University of Michigan where he also plays with MagnUM. He has experience playing club with Virginia Vault and Mango Tree out of Ann Arbor, Mich. 

Couper Kerns #27
Oklahoma Christian University’s Couper Kerns will join the Breeze for his debut UFA season (he was rostered by the Dallas Legion in 2023 but didn't appear in any games.) The local product began playing ultimate in Arlington as a part of YULA before joining one of the top D-III college programs in the country. The defenseman finished as the second runner-up in Ultiworld’s D-III Defensive Player of the Year race in 2024.

Tyler Husband #33
Husband currently attends the University of Virginia, where he plays with Night Train, a team that has produced multiple Breeze stars over the years. The cutter also competes with Virginia Vault.

Joshua Lightner #10
Another product of Arlington, Va., Lightner started his ultimate career at HB Woodlawn and is currently a junior at George Mason University where he competes with the Meteors. In 2024, Lightner was one of 212 youth players invited to the 2025 U-24 National Team Tryouts out for Team USA.

The Returners

AJ Merriman #5
Merriman returns to DC for his seventh professional season, all of which he has spent with the Breeze. Merriman exploded into UFA stardom in his second season with the Breeze in 2021 when he was awarded multiple league honors, including the UFA’s first-ever Defensive Player of the Year award. That season, he also earned a spot on the All-UFA First Team and was given the league's Most Improved Player award. Merriman has remained a productive defenseman for DC and garnered leadership as a captain. In his six UFA seasons, Merriman has averaged 13.33 blocks per year between the regular and postseason, including a 20-block season in 2021 and can become the Breeze's franchise in leader in blocks with five blocks in 2026. 

Christian Boxley #31
Boxley has spent his entire professional career with the Breeze, dating back to 2018, but has only played in four seasons. Despite playing in a limited number of games in certain seasons due to US National Team obligations, the DC hybrid’s production has been outstanding. In just 32 regular-season games, Boxley has thrown 44 assists and brought down 98 goals. He has also been an efficient thrower, completing 95.85% of his attempts. This level of performance has translated well to the postseason for Boxley; in his six playoff games, he’s amassed 10 assists and 19 goals while holding a postseason completion percentage of 99.27%. 

Cole Jurek #13
Jurek is another key hybrid that is returning to play in DC in 2026. Jurek joined the Breeze in 2023, and 2026 will mark his fourth season in DC and seventh in the UFA. Prior to joining the Breeze, Jurek spent three seasons with Minnesota from 2018 to 2021. In 2024, he was selected as part of the All-UFA Second Team. In his time in the UFA, Jurek has competed in 52 regular-season games and garnered 80 assists and 115 goals with a completion percentage of 95.99% to go along. He’s also familiar with postseason play. In eight postseason appearances, four with DC and four with Minnesota, Jurek has thrown nine assists, hauled in seven goals, and maintained his throwing efficiency, completing 94.95% of his attempts.

Miles Grovic #37
The fourth-year cutter out of Maryland will be a captain of the Breeze for the first time this year. Over the past two seasons, Grovic has established himself as an elite defender in the UFA. Each contest, the budding talent draws one of the toughest matchups on the field. 

Over his three season, Grovic has averaged a 97.87% completion rate and also posted a 100% completion rate in both 2023 and 2024. Through his 20 games with the Breeze, Grovic has accumulated 1,688 receiving yards and picked up 24 goals and 18 blocks along the way. He also competed with the Team USA U-24 Open team in 2025.

Isaac Lee #99
Another product of Washington, D.C.-area youth ultimate, Isaac Lee enters his fifth season with the Breeze in 2026. Across 25 career games, Lee has collected seven assists, five goals, and eight blocks as a contributor on the D-Line. He also competed with the Team USA U-24 Open team in 2025.

Coby Loveranes #26
Loveranes enters his sophomore season with the Breeze after a breakout campaign in 2025, in which he slotted into the O-Line and collected 14 goals and three blocks in six games played. The Breeze will likely look to their most athletic players to make major contributions in 2026, which could mean an increased workload for Loveranes, who ran competitively for four years in high school and won three state championships and countless district and regional awards before finding his love for ultimate at Virginia Tech University.

Jeff Wodatch #45
Wodatch is the longest-tenured Breeze player on the roster and has been playing ultimate for more than two decades, dating back to his collegiate career at Bucknell. Wodatch rejoins the Breeze for his 10th season with the franchise after joining in 2016. He started his professional career in 2013 with the DC Current, a Major League Ultimate team, winning a championship in 2014. During his tenure with the Breeze, Wodatch has competed in 90 regular-season contests and 14 in the postseason. In his 104 outings with the Breeze, he’s thrown 176 assists, caught 210 goals, and recorded 43 blocks. 

Micah Wagner #17
Wagner returns this summer for his sophomore season. Despite playing a limited number of games for the Breeze last season, Wagner found a way to contribute. In just four UFA games last season, he found the endzone five times and blocked six pass attempts. In 2024, Wagner was a member of the United States U-20 national team, earning himself a gold medal. 

Remaining Roster
Xavier Schafer #0
Graham Turner #2
Aidan Downey #3
Charlie McCutcheon #4
Zachary Burpee #6
Ben Greenberg #9
Luke Rehfess #11
Kevin Healey #18
Brandon Lamberty #19
Theo Shapinsky #23
Jacques Nissen #24
Marcus Lee #28
Andrew Roy #32
Tanner Gesell #42
Gus Norrbom #54
Jasper Tom #57
Frederick Farah #73
Leo Pierson #78