The Edmonton Elks made eight roster moves on Friday, including a one-year extension for Canadian defensive lineman Francis Bemiy.
The six-foot-three, 253-pound pass rusher appeared in 15 games with the Green and Gold in 2025, notching six defensive tackles. Originally selected ninth overall in the first round of the 2023 CFL Draft by the B.C. Lions, Bemiy has played 24 total games as a pro and made 11 tackles.
The 26-year-old from Montreal, Que., attended Southern Utah University, where he would earn All-Big Sky honours in 2021. In total, he recorded 163 total tackles, 38.5 tackles forloss, and 13 sacks in his college career.
In addition, the Elks have signed American defensive backs JaVaughn Byrd, Travian Blaylock, and Ian Kennelly; American receivers Ayir Asante and Ketron Jackson Jr; American running back Antario Brown, and American defensive lineman Gavin Meyer.
Asante finished the 2025 season on the Elks’ practice roster after previously spending time with the Ottawa Redblacks. The five-foot-10, 181-pound receiver played 13 games for the University of Wyoming in 2023, registering 21 receptions for 372 yards and six touchdowns while adding a rushing score. He transferred from Holy Cross, where he was three-time second-team All-Patriot League selection and amassed 117 catches for 1,718 yards and 16 touchdowns across 40 career games.
Brown played collegiately at Northern Illinois University, where he piled up 3,090 yards on 518 attempts (6.0 yards per attempt) in 40 career games and scored 28 total touchdowns. The five-foot-10, 219-pound back was named first-team All-MAC in 2023.
Blaylock spent the 2025 season with the B.C. Lions, dressing for one game and recording three defensive tackles. Prior to his time in the CFL, the five-foot-11, 208-pound safety appeared in 35 games for the University of Wisconsin across five seasons, recording 26 total tackles, two fumble recoveries and one pass knockdown. He is the son of former NFL defensive back Derrick Blaylock.
Byrd played four seasons at Northern Illinois University, where he registered 147 total tackles, three interceptions, 17 pass breakups, and forced two fumbles in 47 games. The six-foot, 191-pound defender was named second-team All-MAC in 2023, as well as earning third-team honours in 2024.
Jackson Jr. spent training camp with the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent, but was released prior to the 2025 season. The six-foot-three, 205-pound target split his college career evenly between the University of Arkansas and Baylor University, amassing 61 receptions for 1,099 yards and seven touchdowns in 46 combined games.
Kennelly spent training camp with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent, but was released as part of final roster cuts. The six-foot-two, 205-pound safety attended Division II Grand Valley State University, where he was twice named first-team All-GLIAC. In 49 games for the Lakers, he accumulated 174 total tackles, eight interceptions, 19 passes defended, and three fumble recoveries.
Meyer returns to Edmonton after spending time with the team during the expanded practice roster window in 2025. He finished his collegiate career at the University of Southern California in 2024, where he recorded 32 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and one sack with the Trojans. The six-foot-three, 290-pound native of Franklin, Wis., previously spent four seasons at the University of Wyoming, where he made 67 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks over 32 games.
The Edmonton Elks finished fifth in the West Division standings in 2025 with a 7-11 record, missing the playoffs for the fifth straight season. Cody Fajardo started the team’s final 13 regular-season games and went 6-7, throwing for 3,408 yards, 14 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Tre Ford started the first five, going 1-4, and threw for 984 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions.
The Elks ranked ninth in net offence, ninth in net defence, and fifth with a turnover differential of plus-four. The club’s leading rusher was Justin Rankin with 1,013 yards, the leading receiver was Kaion Julien-Grant with 820 yards, and the leading tackler was Joel Dublanko with 80 tackles. Edmonton finished seventh in attendance with average crowds of 19,050, which was a 7.1 percent decrease from the previous year.
