EDMONTON – The Edmonton Elks have signed American running back Justin Rankin to a new one-year extension the club announced Saturday. The new deal runs through the 2025 season and replaces Rankin’s rookie contract.
Rankin joined the Elks in training camp before being released on May 19. The Kent State product was re-signed by the club on July 21, before becoming a prominent member of the Elks league leading rushing attack. Rankin racked up a CFL rookie best 765 rushing yards on 98 carries (7.8 yards per carry) and five rushing touchdowns.
The five-foot-10, 215-pound back eclipsed the 100-yard plateau four times in 11 games, while not receiving more than 17 carries in a single contest. Rankin finished second in the Canadian Football League in rushes of over 20 yards with 10, one behind league leader Brady Oliveira who had 130 more carries than the Elks rusher. Rankin was named to the PFF Honour Roll in Week 11 for his 108 yard, three touchdown performance over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Prior to joining the CFL, the Ohio native played for the Bay Area Panthers of the Indoor Football League in 2023, where he won the IFL National Championship. Rankin would go on to finish second in the league in both rushing yards (923) and touchdowns (45) with the Panthers. The 27-year-old also had stops with the Frisco Fighters in 2022 and the Bismarck Bucks in 2021.
