When you look at the Edmonton Elks backfield this season, Justin Rankin has been the star force. He’s been phenomenal in both the receiving game and the rushing game, continuing to prove why he’s one of the best. But over the last two weeks, a new beast in the backfield entered the Elks’ rushing attack and added another level of quickness into the Elks’ offence.
Some casual fans watching the games over the last two weeks might have caught themselves asking: Who is this Powell guy?
This is rookie running back and return specialist ShunDerrick Powell, and he’s proving to all of Elksnation why he belongs in the Green and Gold.
Powell in the last two weeks
Powell’s sudden workload didn’t happen with the snap of a finger. His workload came out of two important injuries that left Edmonton’s backfield with just Powell for the last three quarters of Edmonton’s blowout win against Calgary. Javon Leake was already out the past week with a hamstring injury and was placed on the six-game injured list. Justin Rankin got smoked in the late first quarter and was ruled out with a head injury.
Powell and Rankin are both questionable for the game this Saturday against the Argos in Toronto. Javon remains on the six-game injured list with a hamstring injury. Rankin likely has a concussion, so there’s a decent chance that Powell gets the rock entirely.
Game 1: It was a bit of a shaky start for Powell on special teams as he fumbled a couple of returns, but he looked fantastic in the Run game and provided Sparks right when the team needed them most. He finished the comeback Victory with seven carries for 38 yards and a touchdown, breaking off some huge runs when the Elks couldn’t get anything going offensively. On special teams, he added six punt returns for 86 yards (a 14.3-yard average). Despite the early ball security hiccups, his sheer quickness was shown and helped the Edmonton Elks come back in a fantastic victory.
Game 2: His second game was Powell’s official coming-out party. He put up a monster 97 rushing yards on 14 attempts alongside another solid day on special teams. Powell showed out for this offence all night long as the Edmonton Elks steamrolled and swept the Calgary Stampeders.
Playing Career
Powell’s instant comfort at the pro level is hardly a surprise when you dig into his collegiate resume, where his entire game was built on elite speed and lateral quickness. At his Central Arkansas Pro Day, Powell clocked a 4.43 40-yard dash.
Powell exploded at North Alabama (1,508 yards in 2022) before transferring to Central Arkansas. As a senior in 2024, Powell displayed a fabulous 8.2 yards per carry (1,343 yards, 14 TDs) and earned FCS All-American honours, finishing his college career with over 4,000 rushing yards and 42 touchdowns.
After going undrafted in 2025, Powell spent training camp with the Philadelphia Eagles and signed with the Kansas City Chiefs early in 2026 before heading to Canada.
ShunDerrick signed with the Elks in May 2026, where his elite burst, vision, and lateral quickness fit well with the motion-heavy, wide CFL style.
Elk’s Future Backfield
It’s going to be interesting to see how this Edmonton backfield evolves over the next few weeks. If Powell continues to play amazingly, it’s going to be almost impossible for the coaching staff to take him off the field.
When all three backs, Rankin, Leake and Powell, are at full health, I’m genuinely curious to see how offensive coordinator Jordan Maksymic will use them together. The Elks front office has done a fantastic job bringing in top-tier tailback talent, and time will tell how all three guys fit in the rotation.
Final Thoughts
Overall, ShunDerrick Powell has been an absolute beast these past two weeks. If Rankin is unable to play for Saturday’s clash against the Toronto Argonauts, look for Powell to take all of the backfield touches and potentially put up some big numbers.
The entire situation is a true testament to general manager Ed Hervey and his ability to build genuine, deep roster strength across each position. It feels like whenever the Elks get hit with the injury bug, the backup seems to step up and produce without the team’s performance changing. The team’s winning standard stays the same no matter who is in the lineup, and credit goes to the front office and the coaching staff for making that possible. As the Elks clinched their playoff spot, having this level of depth is a big luxury heading into the postseason.
