Nashville Kats: Arena Crown 2025 Team Preview

Arena Football One fans are gearing up for Arena Crown 2025, which takes place this Saturday in Albany, NY. MVP Arena will be the host site for the final game of the league year between the top two teams in AF1’s inaugural playoffs. The undefeated Albany Firebirds will face the feisty Nashville Kats at 1:00 PM EST, streaming exclusively on VICE TV. 

Nashville Kats fans showed up all season long to watch their team. All three phases executed spectacular moments and jaw-dropping plays. Nashville’s offense finished fourth in average yards per game with 538.3, while the defense ranked first in interceptions during the regular season. Get to know each player connected with this historic AF1 franchise ahead of the biggest game of the 2025 AF1 season!

offense

QUARTERBACK

As we begin with the offense, the Kats rely on accurate, quick throws to set things up downfield. Starting Quarterback Tyler Kulka provides efficiency and decisiveness with every throw he makes. The six-foot-one, 220-pound gunslinger played his college ball at Lawrence Technical University in Michigan. During the regular season, Kulka emerged as one of the premier passers in the league. Kulka finished with 1,722 passing yards, 31 passing touchdowns, and just two interceptions. The Michigan native finished third in passing yards per game while ranking fourth in Touchdown passes and passing yards. His two interceptions rank first among all passers with at least 30 pass attempts in the regular season. After an 0-2 start to the 2025 season, Nashville needed a reset at signal-caller. The Kats signed Kulka, and the rest is history. The Kats finished the regular season with a 6-4 record, giving them the two seed heading into the AF1 playoffs. The Week 12 Real American Beer MVP of the Week led Nashville to Arena Crown 2025 after a 250-yard, five-touchdown performance against the visiting Southwest Kansas Storm.

With Kulka leading the charge at quarterback, Nashville’s backup is an Arena Football veteran. Dalton Oliver has helped Kulka and the Kats offense in every way imaginable in 2025. Just like Kulka, Oliver signed amid the Kats’ sluggish 0-2 start. Oliver played for Nashville in 2024 and is a fan favorite among Kats fans. Oliver often wears a coaching headset on the sidelines during games, listening to play calls and helping his squad in-game. The unselfishness shown by the veteran this year has not gone unnoticed. Bringing in two new gunslingers after training camp and into the start of the regular season seemed like a risk. General Manager and Head Coach Darren Arbet welcomed the risk, and it has paid off tenfold for his team.

FULLBACK

Fullback Calvin Fance may not turn heads with blazing speed, but his reliability down the stretch has been key in Nashville’s playoff run. Appearing in seven regular season games for the Kats, Fan tallied 41 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Perhaps equally important to his rushing accolades has been Fance’s willingness as both a blocker and a core special teams player. The six-foot-two rusher from Angelo State added two rushing touchdowns to his 2025 season in the win over Southwest Kansas this past weekend.

WIDE RECEIVER

Nashville’s receiving core has a case to make as the best in the league from top to bottom. Wideout Jordon Gandy leads the way statistically for this squad with 54 receptions, 609 receiving yards, and four receiving touchdowns in the regular season. Nashville’s number one target finished fifth in receptions and ninth in receiving yards among all players in AF1 in the regular season. Gandy, who attended Murray State collegiately, has played in every game this season for the Kats. Gandy tallied 62 receiving yards and a score in the 48-43 playoff victory this past weekend. 

Next, Robert Jones Jr. has added big-play ability in a multitude of ways for Nashville in 2025. Appearing in just six regular season games for the Kats, Jones Jr. finished with 35 receptions, 381 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns. The University of Central Florida alum added 23 carries for 84 yards and four scores on the ground in the regular season. The Week 3 Real American Beer MVP provided excellent receiving and rushing capabilities for Nashville this season. A key contributor on special teams, Jones also added 245 kick return yards this season. Coach Arbet spoke highly of Jones Jr. this season saying, “He’s a leader in everything we do.” Jones Jr. contributed 54 receiving yards and 42 return yards in Nashville’s playoff victory this past Sunday.

Wide Receiver Nih-Jer Jackson has made his case for “best late-season acquisition” in Arena Football One. Signed on May 23rd, Jackson has led Nashville in touchdown receptions since joining the team. An Arena veteran with previous ties to Coach Arbet, the six-foot-three, 190-pound speedster has made an immediate impact for the Kats. Jackson’s 73.8 receiving yards per game put him in the top five in the league in that category. The former Southeastern Louisiana prospect led Nashville with 131 receiving yards and two touchdowns this past weekend.

Pass-catchers Antwane Grant and Milton Williams III comprise this elite group of receivers for the Kats. Grant has been a reliable target since joining the Kats in Week 1. Grant ranks in the top three among the team in receiving yards and touchdowns. Williams III has been a consistent threat downfield since signing with Nashville on April 16th. This group of wideouts has played an unselfish brand of football all year long. Taking what the defense gives them and making big plays when called upon has helped Nashville’s offense in 2025.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Nashville’s offensive line has been one of the best in the league this season. Led by six-foot-eight behemoth Bray Walker and athletic big man Payton Muljo, this unit has protected their quarterback game in and game out. Walker is a Texas State University alum who had a stint with the Kansas City Chiefs last year. One of the premier offensive linemen in Arena Football One, Walker has been the best protector on the team this year. Muljo, who signed with Nashville on April 25th, came on strong in the second half of the season. With Walker and Muljo as the bookends, Center Derrick Zeigler played consistent snaps for Nashville in 2025. Backups Kyle Davis and Zechariah Thomas provided excellent depth and started games when they needed to. With an average weight of over 320 pounds, Nashville’s trenches are loaded with talent looking to pave lanes and eat up blocks. Nashville graded out as one of the best units in the league, allowing just 12 sacks in the regular season.

defense

DEFENSIVE LINE

Roderick Perry II is the designated Nose Tackle for the Kats. A massive human being at six-foot-one, 300-plus pounds, Perry II is in the middle of everything Nashville does defensively. The former South Carolina State and Illinois playmaker spent time in multiple NFL and UFL camps before settling into the Arena game. Perry II tallied nine tackles for loss and eight sacks, good for best on the team, in the 2025 AF1 regular season. Look for Perry II to be a difference-maker in the trenches for the Kats on Saturday afternoon. While the injury bug hit Nashville, particularly on the defensive line, a late signee has made his presence felt for the Kats. Former CFL and XFL Defensive End JaQuan Artis has been relentless in his pass-rush efforts since joining the team on May 23rd. Artis finished the regular season with 12 tackles, five tackles for loss, and two sacks in just four games. Artis registered the only sack for Nashville in the win over Southwest Kansas this past weekend. Armonti Carey has played valuable minutes for the Kats’ defensive line this season and brings close to a decade of professional football experience to the team.

LINEBACKER

Sha’ki Holiness controls the second level for the Kats. Number 0 finished the 2025 regular season with 12 tackles, four tackles for loss, and two sacks. Defensive Back DJ Maxwell Jr. played some Linebacker for Nashville down the stretch when needed. The former Emporia State University prospect finished the regular season with 23 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and two interceptions.  

DEFENSIVE BACK

A star-studded secondary is led by Arena Football One’s regular season leader in interceptions, Shaun Lewis. Lewis finished the year with 25 total tackles, 11 passes defensed, and ten picks. Lewis, a University of Houston alum, was the only player in AF1 to reach double-digit interceptions this year. The Week 13 Defensive Player of the Week will be ready to go against a tough Albany receiving core. Lewis was the leading tackler in the playoff victory this pas weekend. He will be flanked by another ballhawk in Isaiah McFarland. After spending the first month of the season with Corpus Christi, McFarland joined Nashville’s loaded secondary. McFarland finished his 2025 campaign with 25 total tackles, two tackles for loss, seven passes defensed, and nine interceptions. This dynamic duo has been tough to beat since joining forces in May.

Next, Defensive Back Amos Coleman III has been the heart and soul of this Nashville Kats defense all year. A crafty, scrappy player who flies around the football, Coleman III led the team in tackles in the regular season. In just eight games played, he finished with 37 total tackles, seven passes defensed, and one interception. Those 37 tackles were good for fifth-most in the league amongst all defenders in 2025. Coleman III played a crucial role on special teams for the Kats this season. 

Byron Edwards II was another in-season acquisition that paid dividends for Nashville this season. Though injuries limited the former Texas Southern prospect to just five games, he finished with 20 total tackles, six passes defensed, and two interceptions. Rounding out this impressive group is Kenny Veal. Much like Edwards II, injuries forced Veal to play in only seven regular season games. He finished the year with 25 total tackles and two interceptions. Veal tallied three passes defensed in the win over the Storm this past Sunday. The above-mentioned Maxwell Jr. saw time in both the second and third levels for Nashville and was a key playmaker wherever he lined up in 2025.

special teams

KICKER

Kicker Gunnar Raborn has been a steady force on special teams since his arrival on April 16th. Raborn connected on his only field goal in 2025. He also ranked second in successful deuces with 11 despite playing in only six regular season matchups. In this past weekend’s victory over the Storm, the former University of Alabama and McNeese State player tallied five successful PATs and one deuce. Look for Raborn to be a factor on special teams this Saturday.

coaching staff

HEAD COACH

This Nashville squad will be led by Hall of Fame Coach Darren Arbet. A storied career as a football coach, Arbet is a four-time Arena Football champion and has won the Coach of the Year Award twice. One of three finalists for the 2025 AF1 Coach of the Year, Arbet has done a tremendous job this season. Arbet was the eighth and final head coach to be announced in the inaugural Arena Football One season. In his role as General Manager, he quickly assembled a talented roster that was hungry for a championship. Much like the other seven franchises in AF1, the regular season was grueling. Following an 0-2 start, Arbet began to make sweeping changes to his roster. Those changes led the Kats to a 6-2 record the rest of the way, propelling them to the two seed in the playoffs. Now they are just one win away from a championship with an Arena Crown 2025 victory. Arbet will have his team ready to play in Albany this Saturday.

OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Anthony Payton leads the charge offensively for the Kats. Payton has coached in various programs at both the high school and Arena Football levels since 2003. A former Arena Football player in his own right in the early 2000s, Payton operates Nashville’s offense with peak efficiency. Switching to the defense, they are led by Terry Foster. Foster, who also serves as the team’s Assistant Director of Player Personnel, has been coaching in the Arena Football world for a long time. Much like Payton, Foster played professional Arena Football before he made the transition into coaching. Foster led a Nashville defense that finished second in points allowed in the regular season. Foster has been named one of three finalists for Assistant Coach of the Year in 2025.

ASSISTANT COACHES

Offensive Line / Defensive Line Coach Kerry Locklin could make his case for some AF1 hardware in 2025. A former NFL Draft pick back in 1982, Locklin has played and coached at the highest levels in professional football. Locklin has coached in the NFL, CFL, and the college ranks throughout his 30-plus years of coaching. Locklin and Coach Arbet were colleagues in 2012 and have built a tremendous group of players in the trenches for the Kats this season. Rounding out the list of coaches in Wide Receivers Coach Terrance Quattlebaum. Quattlebaum shares a common theme with the rest of Nashville’s coaching staff. A former Arena Football receiver and linebacker, he turned to coaching after his playing career was over. Quattlebaum has been coaching for over a decade on both sides of the ball. Nashville’s wideouts are in good hands with the likes of Quattlebaum.

key contributors on ir

The Kats have a few players on injured reserve who deserve some spotlight, as they have played a key role in getting the team to Arena Crown 2025. As we look at the offensive players, Fullback Carlton Brown and Wide Receiver DJ Thorpe were cogs in the Kats’ offensive machine this season. Brown finished the year with six rushing touchdowns in six regular season games. Those six touchdowns on the ground put Brown in the top five in rushing scores in 2025. DJ Thorpe played a role as both a receiver and a kick returner for the Kats this year. Thorpe finished with four receiving touchdowns while adding 117 kick return yards in just four games.

As we examine the defenders on injured reserve, we have to discuss Defensive Linemen Justin Alexandre and Ezrah Thibodeaux. Alexandre played in eight regular season games and was a dominant pass-rusher for Nashville. He finished his regular season with 21 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and six sacks. Thibodeaux was limited to only four games in which he totaled five tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, one fumble recovery, and one pass breakup.

Every player and coach will need to come prepared and be ready for an outstanding Albany Firebirds team this Saturday. With Arena Crown 2025 at stake, the Nashville Kats understand the importance of executing their gameplan. Coverage of Arena Crown 2025 begins at 1:00PM EST streaming exclusively on VICE TV!