The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders 2026 roster is officially set, and this year’s squad comes with more comeback stories than usual. DCC announced its lineup on July 16 — eight rookies joining 28 returning veterans — and buried in that announcement is a genuinely good storyline: three of this year’s new members were cut from the team in a previous audition cycle before finally earning their stars.
Who Made the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders 2026 Roster
The eight rookies include Amiyah Naulls, Haley Bogdon, Lexi Smith, and Aubrey Rogers, all of whom are making their DCC debuts this season. Naulls arrives with serious dance pedigree — she helped lead her Cal State Fullerton pom team to its first-ever national championship as team captain. Bogdon, meanwhile, barely has to relocate; the Arkansas alum is from Frisco, just north of Dallas.
But the rookies drawing the most attention are the comeback stories. Emily Awbrey, Brianne Lindenau, and Savannah Dastrup were all cut during last year’s audition cycle — and this year, they’re on the squad. DCC director Kelli Finglass had actually called Awbrey “wildly talented” during her Season 3 audition on Netflix’s America’s Sweethearts, telling her point-blank, “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t come back.” She did, and it paid off.
That kind of narrative arc is exactly why this franchise’s cheer program has become a genuine pop-culture story, not just a sideline fixture. It’s the same underlying appeal that’s made America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders one of Netflix’s more unexpected hits over three seasons now.
Why Applications Jumped 55% This Year
Here’s a number worth sitting with: DCC received 55% more applications in 2026 than in 2025. That’s not a small bump — it’s a sign the Netflix effect is still accelerating, not fading. Three seasons in, the show hasn’t just built an audience; it’s actively reshaping who wants to try out for the squad and why.
That surge in interest also raises the stakes for every rookie who did make it. Getting a spot on a 36-person squad is harder than ever when the applicant pool keeps growing, which makes stories like Awbrey’s, Lindenau’s, and Dastrup’s comebacks land even harder.
Who’s Not Coming Back
Not every storyline this offseason is about who made it. Fan-favorite Reece Weaver announced her retirement from DCC in June, ahead of the roster reveal. She told Bustle it wasn’t about ability — “I’m totally capable of doing another season, but it really was more of a heart decision” — and that she felt called to step away. Weaver’s exit is a reminder that turnover on this squad isn’t only about who gets cut; sometimes it’s simply time for veterans to move on.
What’s Next for DCC in 2026
Beyond the regular NFL season, this year’s squad has an unusually high-profile assignment: select DCC members are set to perform in connection with the 2026 FIFA World Cup, adding an international audience to a group that’s already become one of the most-watched cheer programs in sports. Combine that with a football season that’s already shaping up as a notably calm one — one of the Cowboys’ quietest offseasons in years on the roster and coaching side — and DCC may end up generating as many headlines in 2026 as the team itself.
Training camp opens July 28 in Oxnard, and by the time the Cowboys kick off their regular season at AT&T Stadium, this new-look DCC squad will be performing in front of a national audience that’s bigger than ever, thanks in large part to a Netflix show that keeps finding new fans every summer.
