The Frankfurt Galaxy of the European League of Football (ELF) have snagged the top receiver in the ELF and Newberry College (NCAA, DII) alumnus Markell Castle for the 2024 season.
Castle is coming off a phenomenal season with the Munich Ravens where he led the league in receiving yardage by a wide margin hauling in 97 passes for 1,580 yards and 17 touchdowns. He was a key to the Ravens offense which finished second overall in total yards (5,469) and second in passing yardage (3,462). The 28 year old York, South Carolina native arrived in the ELF in 2023 from the Italian Football League where he played for the Milano Seamen. In just eight games in 2022, the 5 ‘10″, 180-pound receiver put up 1,073 yards and scored 17 touchdowns on just 45 receptions, scoring a touchdown on nearly every other reception. He had spent two seasons in the German Football League prior to that, first with the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes in 2019 and then with the pass-happy Cologne Crocodiles in 2021. In those two seasons, he amassed 124 receptions, 1,973 yards and 25 touchdowns leading him to be one of the most highly regarded receivers in Europe. Team success and personal accolades followed as Cologne made the GFL playoffs and Castle was named a GFL All-Star.
Raised and schooled in South Carolina, Castle attended Newberry College between 2015–2018. Over the course of his four-year career Castle reeled in 162 receptions for 2,484 yards and 24 touchdowns. His ability as an explosive playmaker led to multiple awards and a host of all-team selections including All-Super Region 2, All-SAC and All-ESAC.
Castle will be reunited with his quarterback from the Milano Seamen as Luke Zahradka will be behind center for a Galaxy team clearly determined to return to the European League of Football title game. Frankfurt, who won the inaugural ELF Championship Game in 2021 and reached the semifinals this past season, have also announced another key signing on offense in massive Danish offensive lineman Steven Nielsen,