Elks Sign Pair of Wide Receivers, Defensive Backs
April 9, 2025 - Canadian Football League (CFL)
Edmonton Elks News Release
EDMONTON - The Edmonton Elks have signed a pair of American wide receivers and defensive backs, as the countdown to the CFL training camp enters the home stretch.
When Edmonton's 2025 Rookie Camp opens May 7 at Commonwealth Stadium, Jacob Copeland (WR), CJ Hutton (WR), Kalon Barnes (DB), and Braxton Clark (DB) will be among the new faces looking to crack the Green and Gold roster. The four Americans' signings were announced Wednesday by the Club.
Copeland (5'11, 200) joins the Elks after attracting interest from NFL over the last two seasons, spending time with the Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs, and on two occasions the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Pensacola, Fla. product played collegiately at both Florida and Maryland. During his final year of college at Maryland, Copeland recorded 422 yards and three touchdowns at Maryland, before declaring for the NFL Draft.
Hutton (5'9, 180) arrives in Edmonton directly from the college ranks, after completing his career at UC Davis last season. The multifaceted talent finished second among Aggie receivers in 2024 with 669 receiving yards, making 51 receptions and scoring two touchdowns. He also led the team with 248 kickoff return yards, averaging 22.5 yards per game and had a return long of 72 yards.
Like Copeland, Barnes (6'0, 186) joins the Club after stints in the NFL following his college career. The defensive back spent time with five different NFL organizations between 2022 and 2024. Barnes ran a 4.23-second 40-yard dash at the 2022 NFL Combine, which was the third-fastest time at the combine since electronic timing was first implemented in 1999. That performance helped the Baylor get selected in the seventh round (242nd overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.
Clark (6'4, 204) comes to Edmonton after playing at South Florida in 2023 where he recorded 26 tackles and one interception in 10 games played. He wrapped up his collegiate career with the Bulls after starting at Nebraska, where he played from 2018-22.
All four players will hit the field for the first time Wednesday, May 7 when the Club opens CFL rookie camp. It all leads to the team's regular season opener Saturday, June 7 when the Green and Gold travel to B.C. to take on the Lions, before opening the Club's home schedule on Thursday, June 19 against the Montreal Alouettes.
TRANSACTIONS
SIGNED:
Jacob Copeland | AMER | WR | 5'11 | 200 LBS | 1999-07-20 | Pensacola, FL | Maryland
CJ Hutton | AMER | WR | 5'9 | 180 LBS | 2002-04-04 | Folsom, CA | UC Davis
Kalon Barnes | AMER | DB | 6'0 | 186 LBS | 1998-12-16 | Silsbee, TX | Baylor
Braxton Clark | AMER | DB | 6'4 | 204 LBS | 1999-10-04 | Orlando, FL | South Florida
• Discuss this story on the Canadian Football League message board...
Canadian Football League Stories from April 9, 2025
- Lions Sign Former North Carolina Central Standout Db Kole Jones - B.C. Lions
- Elks Sign Pair of Wide Receivers, Defensive Backs - Edmonton Elks
- What a Party: 111th Grey Cup Game & Festival Generates Nearly 122 Million Dollars in Economic Impact - B.C. Lions
- Roughriders Launch Flexible Ticket Options for 2025 - Saskatchewan Roughriders
- What a Party: 111th Grey Cup Game & Festival Generated Nearly 122 Million Dollars in Economic Impact - CFL
- Winnipeg Football Club Posts $7 Million Operating Profit and Invests $7.1 Million in Capital Expenditures - Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- Nine Join 2025 Women in Football Program Presented by Kpmg - CFL
- Winnipeg Blue Bombers Add Two to Roster - Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
