Edmonton Elks bolster wide receiver lineup with veterans and young talent

Edmonton Elks quarterback Cody Fajardo passes during the second half of a CFL football game against the B.C. Lions, in Vancouver, on Friday, October 17, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

EDMONTON — When quarterback Cody Fajardo looks at the wide receivers on the Edmonton Elks roster this season, he has to smile at least a little at the upgrade made in the off-season.

The Elks lost one of its key wide receivers, Kurleigh Gittens Jr., to Hamilton, but offset that loss with the addition of free agents Austin Mack and Brendan O’Leary-Orange.

Plus, whoever makes the team from an impressive list of hopefuls that includes University of Alberta graduate Carter Kettyle.

“It was a position we targeted in the off-season that we were trying to improve, trying to get more size,” said head coach Mark Kilam. “We were trying to get some more vertical pieces, some versatility in guys who can do different things, like blocking around the box. That position all through camp has been very competitive.”

The Elks retained two key receivers from last season’s team: Kaion Julien-Grant and Binjimen Victor. The six-foot-two, 210-pound Julien-Grant, a Toronto native, led the team last season with 57 receptions for 820 yards and seven touchdowns.

In his first CFL season, the 6-4, 200-pound Victor caught 33 passes for 331 yards and a touchdown.

“We’ve had a real competitive camp,” said Fajardo, the most accurate passer in the CFL who earned the starting job with his strong second-half performance in 2025. “There’re some young guys who have … certainly caught my eye.

“I’m really excited about this receiver group. We have a lot of guys who can make plays.”

That includes the 6-1, 200-pound Mack, who was signed as a free agent. He had 48 catches for 674 yards and two TDs with the Montreal Alouettes last season, but in 2023, with Fajardo as his quarterback, he hauled in 78 passes for 1,154 yards and four TDs.

“I was recruiting him hard in the off-season,” said Fajardo. “I know what a difference maker he can be and our relationship’s really good. We won a cup together his first year in the league and we’re trying to get back to that.”

Victor said the addition of veterans Mack and O’Leary-Orange could be huge in helping young receivers like himself and others who make the team.

“We’ve got a bunch of guys who can play the game,” Victor said. “Mack and Kaion and O’Leary-Orange, with those guys being in our room helps us understand CFL football. It’s a big deal to have veterans show you the way.”

The Elks play their second and final preseason game at home Friday against the Calgary Stampeders. They open the regular season in Ottawa.


This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2026.

John Korobanik, The Canadian Press