Former Colorado Buffaloes Wide Receiver Wins UFL Championship With DC Defenders

Big-bodied former Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Javon Antonio became a UFL champion this weekend.

Although he didn't record any catches, Antonio's DC Defenders defeated the Michigan Panthers in the second-ever UFL Championship Game on Saturday, 58-34. The USFL and XFL merged prior to the 2024 season.

Antonio, a former junior college player, spent one injury-plagued season at Colorado in 2023. While catching passes from quarterback Shedeur Sanders, he finished with 17 receptions for 209 yards and two touchdowns. His 81-yard, one-touchdown performance against the Arizona State Sun Devils helped the Buffs win their fourth and final game of the year.

Oct 7, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Javon Antonio (4) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The 6-foot-2, 217-pound wide receiver finished his first year in the UFL with 18 catches for 212 receiving yards, including a season-high 36 against the Birmingham Stallions in March.

The Defenders faced a pair of other former Buffs in their two postseason games. Former Colorado linebacker Carson Wells and the St. Louis Battlehawks fell to DC in the XFL Conference Championship Game, and former Buffs wide receiver Devin Ross closed his fourth season with the Panthers. Wells recorded two tackles and a pass breakup against the Defenders while Ross had three catches for 41 yards.

During a regular season game against the Houston Roughnecks, Antonio was visited by Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens and former Colorado teammates Jimmy Horn Jr. and Xavier Weaver. Owens, a longtime friend of Colorado coach Deion Sanders, spoke with Fox Sports' Jenny Taft about getting to know Antonio while he was in Boulder.

"Javon Antonio, I got a chance to meet with him and spent a lot of time with him at the University of Colorado," Owens said. "Obviously, he's getting his chance and an opportunity right here to get to the next level. Not the path that he wanted, but I told him just keep fighting, just keep working hard and put the film and put everything on the tape where it needs to be."

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Terrell Owens, Coach Mo, Jimmy Horn Jr., Zay Weaver all showed up to show love to formerCU teammate Javon Antonio (@7asavage)

#ForeverBuffs 🦬 pic.twitter.com/OwMGTJpKPP
— Ossacin’s Ducktail (@OssacinDucktail) May 26, 2025

With the support of Owens and his former teammates, Antonio is looking to prove worthy of an NFL opportunity. He enjoyed a strong fall camp at CU in 2023 and although he didn't put up gaudy numbers that year, his size and speed give him great NFL upside.

Wells and Ross both landed NFL opportunities out of college before landing in the spring professional football league, owned partially by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

A few other former Buffs from last season's team may be looking at the UFL if they can't land an NFL opportunity ahead of the 2025 season. Those looking for a professional contract include linebacker LaVonta Bentley, defensive linemen Shane Cokes and Chidozie Nwankwo, safeties Travis Jay and Herman Smith III, offensive linemen Justin Mayers and Kardell Thomas and wide receiver Will Sheppard. Many of those eight received OTA and minicamp invites, however.