The Edmonton Elks signed wide receiver Zach Mathis, defensive linemen Shawn Oakman and Noah Taylor, and linebackers Les Maruo and Derrick Moncrief while releasing wide receiver Malik Flowers, linebacker Reynard Ellis, and defensive back Josh Hagerty on Sunday. Mathis and Oakman are headed to the active roster while Taylor, Maruo, and Moncrief are headed to the practice squad.
Zach Mathis is six foot seven and weighs 203 pounds. A native of Tampa, Florida, Mathis attended rookie minicamps with the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024. The Elks drafted Mathis in the supplemental draft on June 29, 2024.
Collegiately, Mathis played six seasons at North Dakota State (2018-23) making 95 catches for 1,392 yards, 9 touchdowns, two kick returns for 10 yards, one tackle (1 solo), and one tackle for loss in 53 games for the Bisons.
In 2023, Mathis made 46 catches for 665 yards, six touchdowns, and one kick return for one yard in 15 games. During his time at North Dakota State, he was part of three FCS National Championship teams and was a two-time Missouri Valley Football Conference Honor Roll (2020, 2022).
Shawn Oakman is six foot nine and weighs 287 pounds. The 32-year-old from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, played indoor football with the Triangle Torch (AIFA), Bismarck Bucks (IFL), and the West Virginia Roughriders (NAL). In 2020, he played for the Los Angeles Wildcats (XFL) making seven tackles (3 solo, 4 assists) and one sack in five games before the league suspended operations due to the pandemic.
The Toronto Argonauts signed Oakman on February 15, 2021. In three seasons, Oakman has made 90 tackles, one tackle on special teams, 18 sacks, and one forced fumble in 45 games for the Argonauts. He helped the Argonauts win the Grey Cup in 2022, along with being named a CFL All-Star in 2021 and named two-time CFL East All-Star (2021-22).
In 2023, Oakman made 27 tackles and six sacks in 15 games for the Argonauts in 2023. Oakman re-signed with the Argonauts on February 14, 2024. Oakman appeared in one preseason game for the Toronto Argonauts in 2024 against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats recording no stats. The Argonauts released him on June 11, 2024.
Collegiately, Oakman was a redshirt freshman at Penn State in 2011. Then, he transferred to Baylor (2013-15) making 128 tackles (90 solo, 38 assists), 46.5 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks, three pass breakups, eight forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries in 36 games for the Bears.
Noah Taylor is six foot two and weighs 240 pounds. The 24-year-old from Silver Spring, Maryland, went undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. He was claimed by the Arlington Renegades after the 2023 XFL Draft but was released on March 21, 2024.
Collegiately, Taylor played four seasons at the University of Virginia (2018-21) making 170 tackles (84 solo, 86 assists), 30 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, 13 pass breakups, three interceptions for 85 yards, one touchdown, and one punt return for two yards in 44 games for the Cavaliers.
Then, he transferred to North Carolina in 2022 making 28 tackles (14 solo, 14 assists), six tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and two pass breakups in eight games.
Les Maruo is six foot and weighs 225 pounds. The 28-year-old from Yokkaichi, Mie, Japan, started his professional football career playing for the Asahi Soft Drink Challengers of the X-League in 2019. Then, Maruo was drafted by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the first rounds (4th pick) in the 2021 CFL Draft.
In his rookie year, he made six tackles on special teams as the Blue Bombers won the 108th Grey Cup championship in 2021. In 2022, Maruo made 14 tackles, seven tackles on special teams, and one sack in 17 games for the Blue Bombers in 2022. Last season, Maruo made 10 tackles, seven tackles on special teams, and one sack in 14 games.
Collegiately, Maruo played two seasons at Hutchinson Community College (2014-15) with 107 tackles (38 solo, 69 assists), 12.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and one fumble recovery in 22 games for the Blue Dragons.
Then, he transferred to the University of Texas-San Antonio (2017-18) with 98 tackles (54 solo, 44 assists), six tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, one interception, two pass breakups, and two fumble recoveries in 23 games for the Roadrunners.
Derrick Moncrief is six foot two and weighs 220 pounds. The 31-year-old Prattville, Alabama, signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders as a free agent on June 3, 2017. Moncrief played three seasons with 126 tackles, six tackles for loss, four sacks, five interceptions, and one forced fumble in 35 games. He was named a CFL West All-Star and a CFL All-Star in 2019.
After Saskatchewan, Moncrief had stints with the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Rams. On September 7, 2021, Moncrief returned to the CFL signing with the Edmonton Elks. He made 23 tackles, one tackle on special teams, and four sacks in nine games.
Then, Moncrief returned to Saskatchewan on February 8, 2022. In 2022, he made 49 tackles, one tackle on special teams, and four interceptions in 17 games. The following year, Moncrief made 50 tackles and one tackle on special teams in 14 games. In his second stint in Saskatchewan (2022-23), Moncrief made 99 tackles, two tackles on special teams, and four interceptions in 31 games. He was named a CFL West All-Star in 2022.
Collegiately, Moncrief played two seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (2012-13) with 67 tackles (47 solo, 20 assists), one forced fumble, three interceptions, and seven pass breakups in 19 games for the Bulldogs.
Next, Moncrief transferred to Auburn in 2014 with 27 tackles (14 solo, 13 assists), one pass breakup, and one forced fumble in 13 games for the Tigers. Then, he transferred to Oklahoma State in 2016 with 16 tackles (9 solo, 7 assists), one interception, and two pass breakups in 13 games for the Cowboys.
Reynard Ellis is six foot and weighs 240 pounds. The 24-year-old from Birmingham, Alabama, signed with the Edmonton Elks on November 23, 2023. He played in two preseason games making five tackles before the Elks released him on June 1, 2024. Ellis re-signed with the Elks on June 2, 2024, and was placed on the practice squad.
Collegiately, Ellis played one season at Furman University in 2017 with 92 tackles (46 solo, 46 assists), five tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, and two pass breakups in 12 games for the Paladins.
Next, Ellis transferred to Georgia Southern (2018-19) with 145 tackles (81 solo, 64 assists), 17 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, one interception, six pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, and one blocked punt in 22 games for the Eagles. He was a First Team All-Sun Belt by Pro Football Focus in 2020.
Then, he transferred to the University of Alabama-Birmingham in 2022 with 39 tackles (21 solo, 18 assists), 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and one pass breakup in six games for the Blazers.
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.
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.
