TKFL Week 1 Power Rankings

The 2025 season of the Turkish American Football League (TKFL) has started, bringing new excitement and competition to the field. Week 1 had strong performances, smart plays, and gave us a first look at which teams might stand out this year. Here's how the teams rank after the first week:

by: Rafet Gökçe and Emirkan Cinkilic

1st. ITU Hornets (1-0), 21-7 Koç Rams

ITU Hornets is an American football team competing in the Turkish American Football League. They won the University League Championship in 2014 and 2015. This season, they had a strong start by defeating the reigning champions, Rams. (Emirkan CINKILIC)

Huge opening week win against the reigning champions Koç Rams. The Hornets looked solid both on defense and offense. Ömer Faruk Görür (QB #15) lead the well balanced offense which had explosive plays with both rushing and passing. Crucial defensive stops and turnovers sealed the game in favor of the Hornets in a dominant fashion. One of the main actors for the defense was Türkşad Öztürk (DE #51). (Rafet Gökçe)

2nd. Istanbul Bisons (1-0), 14-7 Izmir Halcyons

Istanbul Bisons is an American football team founded in 2023 in Istanbul. The team is known for its strong defense lineup. They started this season with a victory, making a strong beginning. (Emirkan CINKILIC)

Bisons came out on top in the defensive battle versus last year's vice-champion, Izmir Halcyons. Without the help of their starting quarterback, the Bisons offense relied on their running attack. While also letting up a single touchdown their defense showed that defense can also win games. (Rafet Gökçe)

3rd. Koç Rams (0-1), 7-21 ITU Hornets

Koç Rams is a professional American football team based in Istanbul. Founded in 2004, the team was promoted to the Turkish American Football League in 2013 and won its first championship in 2016 by defeating Boğaziçi Sultans 21-14. They had a rough start to this season with a 21-7 loss to the HORNETS.

Championships: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024.(Emirkan CINKILIC)

The back-to-back champions had a rough start for the season. Losing players to other rival teams in Istanbul appears to have created a problem within the team. Struggles in both offense and defense caused this week one loss.  Even with the great effort of Aytaç Mercan (RB #36) in the run game wasn’t enough to turn the tides. But the season has just begun, they must find a way to react and adapt. (Rafet Gökçe)

4th. METU Falcons (1-0), 25-0 IU Bulls

METU Falcons is the American football team of Middle East Technical University, competing in the Turkish American Football League. Founded in 1996, the team began by participating in intercollegiate competitions. Frequently seen in the playoffs, the Falcons finished as runners-up in 2018-2019. They started this season strong with a win over the BULLS. (Emirkan CINKILIC)

The Falcons started the season with 25 unanswered points. The Bulls had some shortcomings on their roster and the Falcons didn’t miss the chance. After a tough first half they sealed the game in the second half. Arda Bekaroğlu (QB #12) and Mert Özgürlük (WR #17) lead the offense on this important win. The defense was dominant and didn't even let a first down until the second half. We will see how things unfold for the Falcons as they will face tougher opponents in the upcoming weeks. (Rafet Gökçe)

5th. Izmir Halcyons (0-1), 7-14 Istanbul Bisons

Izmir Halcyons is an American football team based in Izmir, founded in 2010. Competing in the Turkish American Football League and the University League, the team is known for its strong defense and offensive strategies. They organize events to discover young talent and contribute to the development of American football in Turkey. They started this season with a 14-7 loss. (Emirkan CINKILIC)

Izmir’s only team in the Turkish Division I didn’t get what they wanted from the season opener. Defense was solid and had many stops but the team had some trouble on offense. Big plays from Ege Berk İnanç (WR #7) in the fourth quarter, got the game to be decided on the goalline, but they came up short for the score. They may surprise everybody if they can find the rhythm on offense. (Rafet Gökçe)

6th. Gazi Warriors (1-0), 16-13 Hacettepe Red Deers

Gazi Warriors is the American football team of Gazi University. Founded by students in 1996, the team competes in both the Turkish American Football League and the University League. In the 2010–11 season, they became champions by defeating Boğaziçi Sultans 41-38 after six overtimes. The following year, they won the championship again by beating Hacettepe RED DEERS 46-12. They started this season strong with a win in their first game. (Emirkan CINKILIC)

A thrilling win against their rival in the capital city of Ankara. The Warriors didn’t miss the chance to score after what would be called a big coaching mistake. Red Deers turn the ball over with less than one minute remaining with an intentional safety. After the safety punt, the Warriors offense started from the 50 yard line. Following a huge passing play which put them inside the five yard line,  it was no big deal to get inside the goal line. (Rafet Gökçe)

7th. Hacettepe Red Deers (0-1), 13-16 Gazi Warriors

Red Deers is the American football team of Hacettepe University, founded in 1993. As the second American football team in Turkey, Red Deers won the championship in their founding year. They have 11 championships in the University League and 2 in the professional league. They set records with a 72-game unbeaten streak and a 136-0 victory. They started this season with a narrow loss. (Emirkan CINKILIC)

Tough loss for the newcomers as they faced the rival Warriors. Big mistake as they could have kept the ball and let their defense decide the game. They had some good run plays and their defense allowed only one touchdown until the last minute. They will try to make up for this game but the loss might hurt in the upcoming weeks. (Rafet Gökçe)

8th. IU Bulls (0-1), 0-25 METU Falcons

Istanbul Bulls is an Istanbul-based American football team that was founded in 2007 and competes in the Turkish American Football League. Known for its strong defense and attacking strategy, the team has won many college league championships and stood out for its youth development programs. Istanbul Bulls continues to contribute to the development of American football in Turkey. They started this season with a defeat. (Emirkan CINKILIC)

Lack of some of the star players in the first week is a big issue for the Bulls. They couldn’t find the rhythm on offense and the defense couldn’t stop the Falcons offense. Time will tell if the Bulls climb up the ladder with their main roster or not. (Rafet Gökçe)

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As the TKFL 2025 season unfolds, teams will continue to adjust and strategize, making each week unpredictable and thrilling. Stay tuned for more updates and analyses as we follow the journey to the championship.​