Elks’ Rankin feels elusive CFL mark ‘attainable’ - BERITAJA

Justin Rankin believes he could do what’s ne'er been done earlier successful the CFL.

No subordinate successful convention history has ever registered 1,000 yards rushing and receiving successful the aforesaid season. Rankin flirted pinch the accomplishment past year, rushing for 1,013 yards while adding 56 receptions for 713 yards.

“It’s decidedly thing I was reasoning about past year, doing thing cipher has ever done earlier and making history,” Rankin said. “It would decidedly beryllium beautiful cool to execute that but it’s not thing I’m actively reasoning about this year.

“I conscionable want to win. I could attraction little if I person 300 all-purpose yards aliases zero each game, if we time off the installation pinch a win, I’m good.”

However, Rankin believes he’s could of registering the elusive milestone.

“I deliberation it’s very attainable,” he said. “To beryllium honest, I deliberation I could’ve done it past year.

“It conscionable didn’t hap but I was correct there.”

The five-foot-10, 205-pound Rankin is disconnected to a flying commencement to the season. He leads the convention successful rushing pinch 281 yards (9.1-yard average) and 3 touchdowns while being Edmonton’s starring receiver pinch 10 catches for 145 yards.

On Thursday night, Edmonton (2-0) visits Winnipeg (1-1).

Andrew Harris, now an adjunct coach pinch the Grey Cup-champion Saskatchewan Roughriders, came adjacent to achieving the historical double successful 2017. He had 1,035 rushing yards and 857 receiving yards pinch Winnipeg.

So did Toronto’s Robert Drummond successful 1997 erstwhile he had 1,134 rushing yards and 85 catches for 840 yards.

Roger Craig of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, became the first subordinate successful pro shot history to execute the milestone successful 1985 (1,050 yards rushing, 1,050 yards receiving). Marshall Faulk of the L.A. Rams (1999) and Christian McCaffrey, past of the Carolina Panthers (2019), are the only others to do so.

Rankin, 29, is successful his 3rd play pinch Edmonton, and instantly showed his rushing prowess. He ran for 765 yards (7.8-yard average) and 5 TDs connected 98 carries complete 11 regular-season games successful 2024 but only had 9 catches for 52 yards and a touchdown.

“I was a third-string moving backmost conscionable trying to fresh successful but they (Elks) brought maine successful arsenic a receiver truthful (catching passes) wasn’t thing caller to me,” Rankin said. “I’ve ever prided myself connected being versatile truthful being capable to do each of that (run, drawback and block) is immense because those things thief a squad win, particularly walk protection.

“Cody (Edmonton backmost Cody Fajardo) is personification I look up to, want to protect and play difficult for. The much you could do the much you’ll enactment connected the section and I ever want to beryllium connected the section to thief the squad and do immoderate it is we’re trying to accomplish.”

Rankin besides spent clip arsenic a receiver astatine Kent State and the Indoor Football League earlier arriving successful Edmonton.

On Thursday night, Edmonton will effort to spell to 3-0 for the first clip since 2017. The franchise past made the playoffs successful 2019 and is coming disconnected consecutive 7-11 campaigns.

So starting the play connected a winning statement is huge, Rankin said.

“It’s contagious, particularly early on,” he said. “The much you could triumph early, particularly wrong the division, that could really thief you a batch down the road.”

Then again, it’s not for illustration Edmonton is sneaking up connected anyone. After losing six of their first 7 regular-season games successful 2025, the Elks went 6-5 successful their last 11 nether rookie caput coach Mark Kilam.

“I deliberation we group a instauration that past half of the play and we’re conscionable stacking bricks astatine this point,” Rankin said. “I don’t deliberation there’s immoderate sneaking up connected anybody.

“I deliberation group saw what we had past twelvemonth and this is america conscionable continuing to show that.”

Rankin credits Edmonton’s early occurrence to the operation of familiarity betwixt returning players and coaches and immoderate coagulated off-season moves by GM Ed Hervey. Among Hervey’s free-agent acquisitions were protect lineman Malik Carney and violative linemen Coulter Woodmansey, Brendan Bordner and Jordan Murray.

“I deliberation we conscionable person guys who judge successful each different and what we’re trying to do arsenic an statement and team,” Rankin said.

Over his first 2 CFL seasons, Rankin listed various individual goals he wanted to achieve. In 2026, he has conscionable one.

“Win a Grey Cup and do immoderate it takes to execute that,” he said. “That’s each that matters.

“If that’s maine having 500 yards rushing connected the play aliases 2,000, I conscionable want to clasp the Grey Cup astatine the extremity of the year.”

This study by BERITAJA was first published June 24, 2026.