Breaking news: CFL’s Justin Rankin wants to break new ground with dual 1,000-yard season

Justin Rankin is brimming with confidence heading into the 2026 CFL season.

After posting his first 1,000-yard rushing campaign, the rising Edmonton Elks star has set his sights on a historic achievement: becoming the first player in CFL history to record 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. He believes accomplishing something never done before would not only make history but also inspire future players to raise their own standards and chase greatness.

The closest anyone has come in the CFL is Andrew Harris, who tallied 1,035 rushing yards and 857 receiving yards for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2017, a standout year that helped earn him one of his five All-CFL selections.

In the NFL, the feat has been achieved three times—by Roger Craig (1985), Marshall Faulk (1999), and Christian McCaffrey (2019)—with Craig and Faulk now Hall of Famers and McCaffrey widely expected to follow.

Rankin, who caught 56 passes in 2025, believes he could increase that production this season, especially with quarterback Cody Fajardo leading the offence in Edmonton. He joked that Fajardo’s reputation as a “check-down king” could work in his favour, turning short passes into big gains.

The 28-year-old is comfortable in the passing game, having played receiver during his college career at Kent State and later in the Indoor Football League before joining Edmonton originally as a wideout. Even now, he continues to train as a receiver in the offseason, working regularly with former Kent State teammate and CFL quarterback Dustin Crum.

Rankin says his experience at both positions has deepened his appreciation for the craft of receiving, describing it as an “art” that requires precise understanding of coverage, timing, and route running—while noting that running back success relies more heavily on instinct and vision.