Arizona Rattlers

Ma’kel Calhoun joins the Arizona Rattlers for his first season in the IFL in 2025.

In his professional career, Calhoun played his first IFL season with the Vegas Knight Hawks in 2024, earning All-Rookie Team and Second Team All-IFL honors. He led the league with seven sacks, ranked second on his team with 65.5 tackles, and was named Defensive Player of the Week twice. He also recorded 13 tackles for loss and had multiple pass breakups.

The linebacker had a successful college career at Southern Illinois University, where he earned all-conference honors and developed into a key defensive player.

During his high school at Pinellas Park in Florida, Calhoun was named Defensive MVP in the All-Pinellas County All-Star game, led his team with 18 sacks in one season, and made 111 tackles as a senior. He also competed in basketball and track.