The Ottawa Redblacks re-signed offensive lineman Christian Coulter, and defensive linemen DaMarcus Mitchell and C.J. Nunnally IV to future contracts on Monday, according to the CFL Transactions page.
Christian Coulter is six foot five and weighs 300 pounds. The 25-year-old from Thomas, Georgia, started 11 games for the Vegas Knight Hawks in 2026. The Knight Hawks averaged 51.8 points per game, 252.8 yards per game, 167.9 passing yards per game, 84.9 rushing yards per game, and 117 touchdowns. In 2025, Coulter played two games for the Bay Area Panthers.
The Ottawa Redblacks signed Coulter to the practice squad on September 22, 2026. The Redblacks released him on October 25, 2026.
Collegiately, Coulter spent two seasons at Tusculum University (2019-20), where he played 16 games for the Pioneers. In 2020, he was awarded Academic All-SAC honors after starting five games. Tusculum averaged 37.6 points per game, 533.4 yards per game, 394.2 passing yards per game, 139.2 rushing yards per game, and 27 touchdowns.
Then, Coulter transferred to Western Carolina University (2021-23), starting left guard and right tackle in 33 games for the Catamounts. In 2023, he was named First Team All-Southland Conference and Third Team All-American by FCS Football Central after starting left guard and right tackle in 11 games. Western Carolina averaged 37.6 points per game, 504.1 yards per game, 321.2 passing yards per game, 182.9 rushing yards per game, and 53 touchdowns.
DeMarquis Gates is six foot two and weighs 230 pounds. The 30-year-old from Hampton, Georgia, signed with the Ottawa Redblacks on September 30, 2026, and was placed on the practice squad. The Redblacks released him on October 25, 2026.
The Cleveland Browns signed Gates as an undrafted free agent on May 22, 2018. The Browns released him on June 14, 2018. He also had stints with the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings. Next, Gates played for the Memphis Express (AAF) in 2019 with 72 tackles (53 solos, 19 assists), two fumble recoveries, and five forced fumbles in eight games before the league ceased operations.
In 2020, Gates played four games for the Houston Roughnecks (XFL) with 32 tackles (25 solos, 7 assists), two sacks, and one interception in five games before the league shutdown due to the pandemic. In 2021, Gates played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders with five tackles and three tackles on special teams.
Next, Gates was drafted by the Birmingham Stallions in the 29th round (234th pick) of the 2022 USFL Draft. In 2022, Gates made 62 tackles (43 solos, 19 assists), 11 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and three pass breakups.
In the playoffs, Gates made 14 tackles (12 solos, 2 assists), one tackle for loss, half a sack, one interception for 71 yards, one touchdown, and three pass breakups, helping the Stallions win the USFL Championship. He was named to the All-USFL Team in 2022.
The Chicago Bears signed Gates as a free agent on August 6, 2022. He made one tackle (1 solo) in one game for the Chicago Bears in 2023 against the Green Bay Packers. The Bears released him on January 3, 2024.
Gates re-signed with the Stallions on February 13, 2024. In 2024, Gates made 37 tackles (22 solo, 15 assists), three tackles for loss, two sacks, two pass breakups, and one forced fumble in seven games.
In the 2024 UFL playoffs, Gates made eight tackles (3 solos, 5 assists), one tackle for loss, and one sack in two games, helping the Stallions win their third consecutive championship (2 USFL, 1 UFL). The Stallions re-signed Gates on September 20, 2024, and released him on March 19, 2025.
Gates re-signed with the Stallions on March 24. 2025. In 2025, he made 36 tackles (24 solos, 12 assists), two tackles for loss, half a sack, and three pass breakups in nine games. In the playoffs, he made three tackles (2 solos, 1 assist) and one tackle for loss against the Michigan Panthers in the USFL Conference Championship Game.
Collegiately, Gates played four seasons at Ole Miss (2014-17) with 282 tackles (163 solos, 119 assists), 17.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, nine pass breakups, one fumble recovery, and three forced fumbles in 45 games for the Rebels.
C.J. Nunnally IV is six foot three and weighs 265 pounds. The 23-year-old from Douglasville, Georgia, signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent on May 8, 2026. They released him on June 17, 2026. The Ottawa Redblacks signed Nunnally IV to the practice squad on September 16, 2026. The Redblacks released him on October 25, 2026.
Collegiately, Nunnally IV spent one season at Jackson State University in 2021, appearing in one game for the Tigers. Next, he transferred to Independence Community College in 2022 with 35 tackles (28 solos, 7 assists), seven tackles for loss, two sacks, one fumble recovery, and one pass breakup in eight games for the Pirates.
Then, he transferred to the University of Akron (2023-24) with 121 tackles (59 solos, 62 assists), 26.5 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, two pass breakups, and three forced fumbles in 24 games for the Zips. In 2024, he was named First Team All-MAC after finishing the season with 56 tackles (24 solos, 32 assists), 11 tackles for loss, six sacks, and two forced fumbles in 12 games.
Nunnally IV concluded his collegiate career at Purdue University in 2025 with 44 tackles (30 solos, 14 assists), 10.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery in 12 games for the Boilermakers.
