The Columbus Aviators released defensive end Adam Plant Jr., and signed defensive end Celestin Haba and defensive back Elijah Blades on Monday according to the UFL Transactions page. Columbus also placed defensive back Kyree Woods on injured reserve.
Adam Plant Jr. is six foot six and weighs 270 pounds. The 26-year-old from Las Vegas, Nevada, signed with the Columbus Aviators on February 6, 2026. In 2026, he made seven tackles (5 solos, 2 assists), two tackles for loss, and one sack in six games.
The Las Vegas Raiders signed Plant Jr. as an undrafted free agent on May 12, 2023. In 2023, he made four tackles (4 assists) in three preseason games. The Raiders released him on August 29, 2023. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats signed Plant Jr. on January 26, 2024. In 2024, he made one tackle in two preseason games. The Tiger-Cats released him on June 1, 2024.
The Massachusetts Pirates signed Plant Jr. on June 5, 2024. In 2024, he made six tackles (3 solos, 3 assists) and one pass breakup in two games. In 2025, Plant Jr. played for the Vegas Knight Hawks with 16 tackles (6 solos, 10 assists), 2.5 tackles for loss, one pass breakup, and one fumble recovery in four games, helping the Knight Hawks win the IFL Championship over the Green Bay Blizzard.
Collegiately, Plant Jr. played one season at TCU in 2019, appearing in 12 games with three tackles (2 solo, 1 assist) against the Texas Longhorns. Then, he transferred to UNLV (2020-22) with 139 tackles (71 solos, 68 assists), 27.5 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, and four forced fumbles in 28 games for the Rebels.
Celestin Haba is six foot two and weighs 250 pounds. The 26-year-old from Columbia, South Carolina, signed with the Columbus Aviators on February 28, 2026. He attended training camp, and the team released him on March 19, 2026.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers signed Haba on May 30, 2023. In 2023, Haba made 12 tackles, four sacks, and one forced fumble in eight games. In 2024, he made six tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble in 10 games. He missed most of the season with a knee injury.
The Toronto Argonauts signed Haba on February 11, 2025. In 2025, Haba made one tackle in two preseason games. In the regular season, Haba made three tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble in three games. The Argonauts released him on August 6, 2025. The B.C. Lions signed Haba to the practice squad on August 11, 2025. The Lions released him on October 1, 2025.
Collegiately, Haba played one season at Scottsdale Community College in 2018 with 81 tackles (54 solos, 27 assists), 27.5 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and 11 pass breakups in ten games for the Artichokes. In 2019, he transferred to Western Kentucky but did not record any stats.
Then, Haba transferred to Texas A&M-Commerce (2021-22) with 39 tackles (15 solos, 24 assists), 13 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, one interception for 41 yards, one touchdown, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries in 16 games for the Lions. He was named First Team All-Southland Conference in 2022.
Elijah Blades is six foot two and weighs 185 pounds. The 26-year-old from Pasadena, California, played for the Vegas Knight Hawks in 2025 with 47 tackles (23 solos, 24 assists), 2.5 sacks, one interception, and four pass breakups in 10 games, helping the Knight Hawks win the 2025 IFL Championship.
The Houston Roughnecks drafted Blades in the 2023 XFL Combine Draft. The Roughnecks were not included in the XFL and USFL merger, which formed the United Football League (UFL), but the brand went to the Houston Gamblers.
Then, Blades was drafted by the D.C. Defenders in the 2024 UFL Dispersal Draft. The Defenders released him on March 10, 2024, and he later signed with the Ottawa Redblacks on April 8, 2024. He appeared in two preseason games before the Redblacks released him on May 15, 2024. Blades re-signed with the Redblacks on July 2, 2024, and was placed on the practice squad. The Redblacks released him on September 3, 2024.
Collegiately, Blades played two seasons at Arizona Western Community College (2017–18) with 39 tackles (24 solos, 15 assists), one interception for 54 yards, one touchdown, nine pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one blocked punt in 21 games for the Matadors, where he was ranked the No. 4 JUCO player.
Next, he transferred to Texas A&M (2019-20) with 19 tackles (15 solos, 4 assists), 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and three pass breakups in eight games for the Aggies. Then, he transferred to Florida in 2021 with three tackles (2 solos, 1 assist) in three games for the Gators. Blades concluded his collegiate career at Buffalo in 2022 with 27 tackles (22 solos, 5 assists), 1.5 tackles for loss, and four pass breakups in eight games for the Bulls.
