The Ottawa Redblacks have released veteran linebacker Ayinde ‘Ace’ Eley.
The 26-year-old native of Silver Spring, Md. signed with the Redblacks in February following his release from the B.C. Lions. Eley was the team’s nominee for Most Outstanding Rookie in 2024 after notching 60 defensive tackles, six special teams tackles, and one forced fumble in Vancouver.
The six-foot-three, 233-pound defender spent most of this season on the practice roster with Ottawa, though he dressed for five regular-season games and made two starts, recording 13 defensive tackles, one special teams tackle, and one interception.
The Redblacks have also released American quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams, American receiver Sam Schnee, and American defensive lineman Ramon Puryear.
Williams joined the team’s practice roster earlier this month and didn’t see any game action. The 25-year-old finished his collegiate career at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) in 2024 where he threw for 1,941 yards, 19 touchdowns, and five interceptions and carried the ball 161 times for 851 yards and nine scores.
The six-foot-one, 205-pound native of Atlanta, Ga. started his collegiate career at Campbell University, an FCS program located in Buies Creek, N.C., where he played from 2019 to 2023. He threw for 8,200 yards, 58 touchdowns, and 26 interceptions with the Fighting Camels and rushed for 1,590 yards and 23 scores.
Schnee spent most of the year on Ottawa’s practice roster, while Puryear was a recent addition. Neither player saw regular-season action.
The Ottawa Redblacks (4-10) will host the Saskatchewan Roughriders (10-4) at TD Place Stadium on Friday, October 3 with kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m. EDT. The Riders are coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Edmonton Elks, while the Redblacks were on a bye.
The weather forecast in Ottawa calls for a high of 21 degrees with a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on 620 CKRM in Regina and TSN 1200 in Ottawa.
