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 improvement made in the offseason.
The Elks lost one of their top wide receivers, Kurleigh Gittens Jr., to Hamilton, but made up for 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 candidates that includes University of Alberta graduate Carter Kettyle.
“It was a position that we targeted in the offseason that we were trying to improve, trying to get more size,” coach Mark Kilam said. “We were trying to get some more vertical pieces, some versatility in guys that can do different things, like block around the box. That position all camp has been very competitive.”
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The Elks retained two top receivers from last season’s team: Kaion Julien-Grant and Binjimen Victor. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Julien-Grant, a Toronto native, led the team last season with 57 receptions for 820 yards and seven touchdowns.
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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 CFL’s most accurate passer, who won the title with his strong second-half performance in 2025. “There’s some young guys that … certainly caught my eye.
“I’m really excited about this group of receivers. We’ve got a lot of guys that 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 a lot during the offseason,” said Fajardo. “I know what a difference he can be and our relationship is really good. We won a cup together in 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 go a long way in helping young receivers like himself and others who make up the team.
“We have a bunch of guys that can play the game,” Victor said. “Mack and Kaion and O’Leary-Orange, with those guys 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 on Friday against the Calgary Stampeders. They open the regular season in Ottawa.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on May 28, 2026.
&copies 2026 The Canadian Press
