The Edmonton Elks made several moves on Sunday, including signing former Marist College running back Mekhai Johnson. In addition, the Elks released wide receiver Gabriel Appiah-Kubi and placed linebacker Kevin Francis and offensive lineman Martez Ivey on the suspended list.
Mekhai Johnson is five foot eleven and weighs 201 pounds. The 24-year-old from Dorchester, Massachusetts, rejoins the team after attending rookie mini-camp.
Collegiately, Johnson played four seasons at Marist College (2017-19, 2021) with 159 carries for 863 yards, eight touchdowns, 26 catches for 184 yards, two touchdowns, 75 kick returns for 1,786 yards, and two touchdowns in 33 games for the Red Foxes.
In 2022, Johnson transferred to Tusculum University with 100 carries for 635 yards, eight touchdowns, ten catches for 172 yards, one touchdown, and six kick returns for 163 yards in 11 games for the Pioneers.
Gabriel Appiah-Kubi is five foot eleven and weighs 160 pounds. The 22-year-old from Brampton, Ontario, caught 26 passes for 309 yards, one carry for four yards, four kick returns for 40 yards, and three punt returns for 19 yards in 22 games for the Lions.
In March, he had had the fastest time in the 40-yard dash at the CFL Combine in Edmonton, stopping the clock at 4.44 seconds.
Kevin Francis is six foot six and weighs 239 pounds. The 29-year-old from Toronto, Ontario, signed with the Elks on February 14th after spending a season with the B.C. Lions in 2022 with 22 tackles on special teams in 18 games.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders selected Francis in the third round of the 2016 CFL Supplemental Draft. He played three seasons in Saskatchewan with 44 tackles (15 DT, 29 ST) and two forced fumbles in 45 games. In 2019, he signed with the Ottawa Redblacks with eight tackles on special teams in seven games.
Then, in 2021, Francis returned to Saskatchewan, making five tackles (3 DT, 2 ST) in 12 games. After Saskatchewan, he signed with the B.C. Lions. Collegiately, Francis played tight end at North Carolina A&T (2012-15) with 17 catches for 163 yards in 33 games for the Aggies.
Martez Ivey is six foot three and weighs 304 pounds. The 27-year-old from Apopka, Florida, played 15 games for the Elks in 2022. This will be his second season in Edmonton. Collegiately, Ivey played four seasons at the University of Florida (2015-18). He played in 49 games at left guard. In 2015, he was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team by the conference’s coaches.
In 2018, the Gators’ offense allowed 18 sacks for the season, ranking 20th in the country. Ivey was named Third Team All-SEC accolades from Athlon Sports.
After college, he went undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft and signed with the New England Patriots but was cut during training camp.
In 2020, he played eight games for the Tampa Bay Vipers of the XFL before the season was suspended. In 2021, he signed with the Carolina Panthers but was waived during training camp and later signed with the Toronto Argonauts playing two games.
