Elks face first pre-season test in Calgary on Saturday
The optimism and hype are high for the Edmonton Elks after the end of the 2024 season, which started a culture shift.
Chris Morris was hired as the new president and CEO, Ed Hervey as the vice-president of football operations and general manager, and Mark Kilam as head coach.
Hervey went to work in free agency and rebuilt the roster. Saturday night's pre-season game is the first test for the 2025 version of the Elks as they visit the Calgary Stampders at McMahon Stadium.
Sixty-two players will dress on Saturday for the Elks. They will be led by quarterback Cody Fajardo, who will serve as the backup to starter Tre Ford once the regular season begins in two weeks. Fajardo will start at quarterback for the Elks on Saturday before giving way to rookies Will McElvain and Cody Snyder, who are competing for the third quarterback spot.
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Other battles to watch on Saturday are at kicker, receiver, defensive end and the secondary.
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Campbell Fair, a 2023 Stampeders draft pick, is competing for the place-kicking job with Elks 2024 draft pick Vincent Blanchard.
The Elks' receiving corps is pretty well set, with four starters sitting on Saturday. It includes second-year players Zach Mathis and Arkell Smith, along with a crop of rookies led by Georgia product Kearis Jackson.
Two veterans are competing for one defensive end spot in Canadian Jonathon Kongo and American Brandon Barlow.
The secondary is the deepest and most competitive position in training camp, where three veterans are being pushed by rookies. Veterans Marcus Lewis, Devodric Bynum and Kobe Williams will play on Saturday in an effort to lock down their spots for the 2025 season.
The following are the projected offensive and defensive starters for the Elks:
Offence
Quarterback: Cody Fajardo
Running back: Artavis Pierce (fullback: Bradley Hladik)
Offensive line: Mark Evan II, Phil Grahovac, Jaxon Morkin, Gregor MacKellar, Clayton Bradley
Receivers: Binjimen Victor, Jalon Calhoun, Zach Mathis, Arkell Smith, Kearis Jackson
Defence
Defensive line: Jonathon Kongbo, Quincy Ledet Jr., Shakel Brown, Noah Taylor
Linebackers: Clayton Isbell, Joel Dublanko, Chelen Garnes
Defensive backs: Marcus Lewis, Devodric Bynum, Kenneth Logan Jr., Kobe Williams, JJ Ross
You can hear Saturday's pre-season game between the Elks and Stampeders on 880 CHED, starting with Countdown to Kickoff with Courtney Theriault at 6 p.m. The opening kickoff from McMahon Stadium will be at 7:30 p.m. with Morley Scott and Dave Campbell calling all of the live action. Hear analysis from former Edmonton Football Team offensive lineman and two-time Grey Cup champion Blake Dermott.
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