The Edmonton Elks signed defensive lineman DeMarcus Christmas and defensive back Josh Hagerty and released defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche and defensive back Kyle Cass on Tuesday.
DeMarcus Christmas is six foot three and weighs 302 pounds. The 29-year-old from Bradenton, Florida, made 20 tackles and one sack in 15 games for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2023. The Roughriders signed Christmas as a free agent on May 11, 2022. In 2022, Christmas made 22 tackles and one sack in 15 games.
Before Saskatchewan, Christmas was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the sixth round (209th pick) of the 2019 NFL Draft. Christmas also had a stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Collegiately, Christmas played five seasons at Florida State (2014-18) with 106 tackles (49 solo, 57 assists), 11.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 13 pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble in 44 games for the Seminoles. He was named Third Team All-ACC in 2018.
Josh Hagerty is six foot three and weighs 200 pounds. The 25-year-old from Regina, Saskatchewan, was drafted by the Toronto Argonauts in the sixth round (47th pick) of the 2021 CFL Draft.
In 2023, Hagerty made eight tackles, and one tackle on special teams in three games for the Argonauts. Hagerty played three seasons in Toronto making 23 tackles, 16 tackles on special teams, and one forced fumble in 17 games. The Elks signed Hagerty on June 10, 2024. He played three games for Edmonton making one tackle on special teams. The Elks released him on July 7, 2024.
Collegiately, Hagerty played five seasons at the University of Saskatchewan (2016-20) with 72 tackles (50 solo, 22 assists), four interceptions for nine yards, three pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery in 26 games for the Huskies. He is a member of the 2018 Hardy Cup championship team, where he made one interception over Calgary 43-18.
Robert Nkemdiche is six foot three and weighs 296 pounds. The 29-year-old from Atlanta, Georgia, Nkemdiche was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the first round (29th pick) of the 2016 NFL Draft. He played three seasons in Arizona with 44 tackles (26 solo, 18 assists), ten tackles for loss, ten quarterback hits, 4.5 sacks, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one forced fumble for 21 yards, and one touchdown in 27 games.
He would later spend time with the Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins playing a combined 11 games with 15 tackles (7 solo, 8 assists), one quarterback hit, and one pass breakup. He also had a brief stint with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022 playing one preseason game against the Green Bay Packers with two tackles (2 solo).
Next, he signed with the Michigan Panthers (USFL) on January 11, 2023. However, he was released before the season started. Nkemdiche signed with the D.C. Defenders one week before signing with the Edmonton Elks on January 22, 2024. In 2024, Nkemdiche made seven tackles and two sacks in seven games for the Edmonton Elks in 2024.
Collegiately, Nkemdiche played three seasons at Ole Miss (2013-15) making 81 tackles (41 solo, 40 assists), 16 tackles for loss, six sacks, three pass breakups, nine carries for 34 yards, two touchdowns, one catch for 31 yards, and one touchdown in 29 games for the Rebels.
Kyle Cass is six foot two and weighs and weighs 195 pounds. The 25-year-old from New Orleans, Louisiana, signed with the Elks on May 7, 2024. He played two preseason games making one tackle and one interception earning himself a spot on the practice squad.
Collegiately, Cass played two seasons at Mississippi Delta Community College (2018-19) with 65 tackles (52 solo, 13 assists), four tackles for loss, one interception for 36 yards, and six pass breakups in 17 games for the Trojans.
Next, Cass transferred to Mississippi State (2020-21) appearing in one game recording no stats for the Bulldogs. Then, he transferred to Troy University in 2022 with 13 tackles (11 solo, 2 assists), one tackle for loss, one interception, and four pass breakups in 13 games for the Trojans.
Cass concluded his collegiate career at Valdosta State University in 2023 with 21 tackles (12 solo, 9 assists), 1.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions for six yards, and 11 pass breakups in nine games for the Blazers.
