The Edmonton Elks signed former Ottawa Redblacks defensive back Marloshawn Franklin, former Southern Mississippi defensive back Ky’el Hemby, and former Purdue defensive back Antonio Mitchell II on Monday.
Marloshawn Franklin is six foot and weighs 185 pounds. The 26-year-old from Detroit, Michigan, signed with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2022. Before Ottawa, he signed with the Montreal Alouettes in 2020, and the B.C. Lions in 2019.
In 2021, Franklin played six games for the Hamburg Sea Devils of the European League of Football with 22 tackles, one tackle for loss, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles.
Collegiately, Franklin played two seasons at Mesa Community College (2014-15) with 41 tackles, one tackle for loss, 12 pass breakups, and one forced fumble in ten games for the Thunderbirds. He was named first-team All-Western States Football League and second-team All-Arizona Community College Athletic Conference.
After Mesa Community College, Franklin transferred to California (2016-17), playing two seasons with 60 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, and nine pass breakups in 22 games for the Golden Bears.
Ky’el Hemby is six foot one and weighs 218 pounds. The 24-year-old from Abingdon, Maryland, played three seasons at Southern Mississippi (2018-20) with 217 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, nine interceptions for 86 yards, 19 pass breakups, and one blocked kick in 34 games for the Golden Eagles.
In 2018, he was named Second Team All-Conference USA with 51 tackles, one tackle for loss, six interceptions for 86 yards, and nine pass breakups in 11 games.
Before Southern Mississippi, Hemby played one season at Iowa Community College in 2017 with 81 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one interception for 29 yards, three pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery in 12 games for the Reivers.
Antonio Mitchell II is five foot eleven and weighs 190 pounds. The 24-year-old from Moreno Valley, California, competed as a sprinter collegiately, with the track and field teams at Riverside Community College (2017-19), Arizona State University (2019-2021), and Purdue University (2021-22). He won the California Community College Athletic Association championship twice in the 100m (2017-18 and 2018-19) and once in the 200m (2018-19).
