Nashville Kats Notebook: Training Camp

The Nashville Kats of Arena Football One have officially reported to training camp ahead of the 2025 season! Under the regime of newly hired Nashville Kats Head Coach Darren Arbet, the team is laser-focused and ready to roll. Nashville will kick off their 2025 season next week as they play a Week 0 matchup against the Corpus Christi Tritons.

In speaking with Coach Arbet on Thursday, he highlighted plenty of intriguing players who have stood out to him so far in camp. Upwards of 30 players were invited to Kats camp ahead of the season opener. Coach Arbet gave a short, but crucial overview of his current roster, saying “Everyone is here and they’re in great shape. They came ready to play.”

Two new signal-callers have arrived in Nashville, Kory Curtis and Jake Dunniway. Curtis spent time with the Seattle Seahawks last preseason, while Dunniway previously spent time in the CFL with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2024. The battle for the coveted QB1 spot will be fierce in camp. In asking Coach Arbet about how each of these quarterbacks have looked, he mentioned “Gosh, they’ve looked great. Both can throw the ball well. The great thing is, they also hang out after practice.  And that’s been great for the team.”

The Kats have plenty of experience in the trenches on both sides of the ball in camp.  Particularly on defense, the projected defensive line rotation features excellent depth and veteran experience. Headlined by the likes of Defensive Linemen Roderick Perry, Justin Alexandre, and Ezra Thibodeaux, Nashville boasts a tenacious unit looking to get after opposing quarterbacks. Arbet echoed that sentiment about his loaded D-Line when asked about who has stood out to him at the position. “Roderick Perry, he’s really good. Justin Alexandre, Ezra Thibodeaux, Johnny Hudson, and Justin Foster. They all look really good.”

Lastly, Coach Arbet gave a few more players who he has had his eye on as camp has gotten underway. “Calvin Fance is a heck of a player. At receiver, Isaiah McKoy, Jordan Gandy, Tre Long, and Rob Jones. They all can play.” Coach Arbet went on to name a trio of Offensive Linemen that Kats fans should be excited about this season. “We have a very strong O-Line in Zeke Thomas, Kyle Davis, and Brey Walker. [They] all can play too.”

Catch all of Arena Football One's 2025 action streaming on EvergreenNOW!