Arena Football One's Week 8 Power Rankings

We have reached the unofficial halfway point of the 2025 Arena Football One regular season. Eight weeks of action have resulted in over 1,800 total points scored and relentless, heart-pumping action for fans across the country. Each team in the league is beginning to carve out their destiny as the season continues. Week 8 has three exciting games on the slate streaming on EvergreenNOW! and ViceTV. Where does your favorite AF1 team rank this week? Let’s find out!

n/a - corpus christi tritons

Arena Football One has concluded that Corpus Christi will not be included in our Power Rankings for Week 8. With questions around Corpus Christi's roster construction, it is hard to give them an accurate rank. They get an incomplete grade for this week.

7 - (1-5) oregon lightning

We begin our Week 8 Power Rankings with the Oregon Lightning. Oregon suffered its fifth loss of the season this past Friday as the Washington Wolfpack took home a 41-30 victory. Quarterback Dalton Cole had his worst game of the season against the Wolfpack. Even though it was a tough night for the lefty, Cole has been a top-tier player in the league. Cole ranks in the top five in almost all offensive categories including: passing yards, passing touchdowns, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns. Wideouts Kris Lewis and Marquis Sampson have been on the receiving end of many of those passes from Cole. Though the statistics have been eye-popping, Oregon’s offensive line grades out as the worst in the league. Furthermore, the Lightning have now lost three games in a row and have failed to score more than 35 points in each game. As we flip to the defense, Head Coach Chuck Jones needs to sure-up his unit moving forward. Defensive Lineman Amani Peoples has been outstanding to begin the year. Despite that, Oregon has allowed 311 total points on the year. That total ranks last in AF1. As the only team with one win or fewer, Oregon sits in the seventh spot in our rankings this week. The Lightning will get another chance to earn their second win this season as they play Washington in Week 8.

6. (2-4) washington wolfpack

The number six spot is occupied by the Washington Wolfpack. After a thrilling 41-30 victory on the road against the Oregon Lightning this past weekend, Washington earned their second win on the year. A quarterback change welcomed the return of signal-caller Adam Kruse. After being placed on Injured Reserve back in March, Kruse led the Wolfpack to victory in Week 7. Kruse is responsible for both of Washington’s wins in 2025. Wide Receiver DeShon Williams has been a man on a mission for the Wolfpack. He ranks in the top five in receptions and touchdowns amongst all pass-catchers in the league. Washington’s defense played a fundamentally sound game as well. Led by Defensive Back Caleb Brown and Linebacker Chei Hill, the Wolfpack are in a prime position to make waves in Arena Football One. Entering Week 8 action, Washington ranks last in total points scored and last in points allowed. With a 2-4 record, Head Coach J.R. Wells and company need to clean up issues on defense and continue to improve on offense. They sit ahead of Oregon based on the Week 7 win and their complete body of work at this point in the season. Can the Wolfpack earn their third win of the year this weekend? Tune in to ViceTV as they will face Oregon this Saturday night.

5. (2-3) billings outlaws

Another two-win team lands at number five in our Power Rankings this week. After starting the season at 2-0, the Billings Outlaws have lost three straight games. A change at quarterback proved futile, as veteran gunslinger Danny Southwick failed to move the needle in Billings’ 43-37 loss to the Salina Liberty in Week 7. Quarterback Braden Wingle had struggled in previous weeks and that necessitated a change for the Outlaws. Wingle had been one of the better quarterbacks in the league during the first few weeks of the season before the switch. For Head Coach Cedric Walker, it will be back to the drawing board for his squad. Offensively, the team has averaged just under 23 points per game in their three losses on the year. Despite that, wideout Jevin Frett has been a steady contributor to the franchise. Frett had been the team’s leading receiver before being placed on injured reserve earlier this week. Billings has found success in the trenches with the likes of Jamezz Kimbrough, Tyrone Sampson Jr., and Steven Stella paving the way. Defensively, Billings has been gashed by both Albany and Salina to the tune of 144 points allowed in their last three games. Walker and his staff need to get back to their winning ways to avoid slipping any further down the rankings. Billings ranks ahead of Oregon and Washington based on better play overall on both sides of the ball this season. The Outlaws will play the Southwest Kansas Storm in Week 8 and look to snap their losing streak.

4. (2-4) salina liberty

Continuing along with our Week 8 rankings, we arrived at a team that has won two games in a row. The surging Salina Liberty look like a completely different team compared to two weeks ago. After starting the season 0-4, Salina has turned their season around. With a huge win in Week 7 against the Billings Outlaws, the Liberty are in the thick of the playoff hunt. Led by Running back Tracy Brooks, who rushed for four touchdowns in the win, this team has transformed before our very eyes. Pass catchers Malik Honeycutt and Edward Smith Jr. have been an unstoppable duo all season long. A big reason for the team's recent success has been its ability to get after the quarterback. Salina has a plethora of options in its pass-rush arsenal. Defenders Travis Taylor and Kerry Starks are part of a group that ranks in the upper half of the league entering Week 8 action. Another big reason for the recent success of this team has been protecting the football. They rank ahead of the Outlaws based on their head-to-head win and have played better than Washington and Oregon at this point in 2025. Look for Head Coach Heron O’Neal’s team to dash into Albany, NY as they look for their third win in a row against the blazing-hot Firebirds.

3. (3-2) nashville kats

As we enter our top three teams in Arena Football One, the Nashville Kats are in the conversation for the hottest team in the league. Nashville won its third straight game with a 41-37 win over the Southwest Kansas Storm in Week 7.  After settling on Quarterback Tyler Kulka in Week 4, the Kats have piled on the wins. Kulka has completed nearly 68% of his passes since joining Nashville. Fullback Carlton Brown has provided steady offense on the ground, accumulating seven touchdowns this season. Wide Receivers Robert Jones Jr. and Antwane Grant have been great at creating offense for the Kats, too. Jones Jr. ranks second in total touchdowns scored entering Week 8. Armed with the league’s best offensive line, allowing just six sacks in five games, Nashville has been exceptionally stout in the trenches. Behind the likes of Bray Walker and Kyle Davis, this team has been impressive on the ground and through the air. Nashville’s defensive line has dominated at the point of attack. Thanks to behemoth Defensive Tackles Roderick Perry II and Justin Alexandre, the back end has feasted. Shaun Lewis, Amos Coleman III, and Byron Edwards II have combined for seven interceptions and 15 passes defensed on the year. The Kats have also reportedly signed AF1’s league leader in interceptions in Isaiah McFarland. Hall of Fame Head Coach Darren Arbet has this Nashville team playing its best football of the year. The Kats will be off in Week 8 with a monster Week 9 game looming against the best team in the league. 

2. (4-3) southwest kansas storm

Our Week 8 Power Rankings move along as we shift our attention to a four-win team in the Southwest Kansas Storm. Week after week, this team continues to be amongst the contenders for the most complete team in the league. In Week 7, a back-and-forth, playoff-feel, type of game saw the Storm come up short against the Nashville Kats. Southwest Kansas continues to trot out its MVP-level Quarterback Jalen Morton. Morton ranks first in the league in total offense with 1,511 yards through seven games played. Wide Receivers Demarius Washington, Shiloh Flanagan, and Charles Hall IV have been weapons at Morton’s disposal all season long. Behind one of the league’s best offensive lines, Morton and company have had great success to begin the year. Flipping over the other side of the ball, Defensive Back Michael Lawson has been a Defensive Player of the Year candidate since Week 0. He leads the league in tackles with 42 and is a disruptor in the secondary for Southwest Kansas. Head Coach Gary Thomas and his staff have done an excellent job evaluating talent. With that being said, this Storm team needs to keep winning games to ensure they make the playoffs. Southwest Kansas ranks ahead of the other teams below them based on the number of wins and better production in all three phases of the game. The Storm look to earn their fifth win of the year this weekend as they host the Billings Outlaws in what should be a fascinating matchup.

1. (6-0) albany firebirds

A perfect 6-0 record has the Albany Firebirds as the number one team in the league to begin 2025. Quarterback Sam Castronova has been the league MVP through seven weeks, leading AF1 in passing touchdowns (24) and total touchdowns (27) so far. Leading the way at receiver is Duane Brown. Brown has been Albany’s WR1 to start the season, racking up 15 receiving touchdowns to begin the year. Wideouts Darien Townsend and Isiah Scott have added 12 receiving touchdowns to Albany’s tally this year. Fullback/Linebacker Trevon Shorts has done a masterful job at picking up first downs and scoring when his number has been called, too. On defense, a rock-solid defensive line has helped to establish the tone for this Firebirds team. Led by Defensive Linemen Ezekiel Rose and Linebacker Dejon Walden, Albany has made short work of opposing offenses in 2025. Walden leads the league in sacks with seven, while Rose has been the best defensive tackle league-wide to begin the year. Lastly, Kicker Henry Nell’s emergence within Arena Football has been incredible to watch. Nell leads Arena Football One in all kicking categories including field goals made (2), extra points made (33), and Deuces (11) midway through the season. Nell is a weapon for the Firebirds, and it gives this team an edge over the competition in AF1. Albany will clash with the resilient Salina Liberty in Week 8 in what should be a great game!