EDMONTON – Justin Rankin is looking to build off one heck of a rookie season.
The 27-year-old was a mid-season revelation for the Elks top rated rushing offence, suiting up for 11 games with the Green and Gold from Aug. 3 onward. Rankin was impossible to stop when he got going, recording 765 rushing yards on just 98 carries for a CFL best 7.8 yards per carry. Despite recording less than 100 carries in 2024, Rankin finished second among running backs with 10 rushes of 20-plus yards, and second in 100-yard games with four.
Entering 2025, Rankin has all the opportunity to be the Elks lead back, pairing nicely with lightning quick Javon Leake. GoElks.com sat down with Rankin to see how his preparation has been going in the first Elks in the offseason of 2025.
First of all how is your offseason going and where do you make your home in the offseason?
“I’m still back home in Ohio.
Literally I just go to the gym and train, and hangout with all my family that’s up here. I like to go bowling during the offseason every now and then. I haven’t done too much of it this offseason, but that’s really it. You know, go bowl. I try to play darts every now and then. That’s what it is man, just stay out of trouble.”
What does a Rank the Tank workout look like?
“I go to my trainer at T3 sports in Ohio. We do speed training up there. So I’ll go lift in the morning, then I go run till later in day. I’ll lift legs after. I go run and then, I’ll go throw and catch passes. That’s about it for the daily playing schedule. I’ve got a body builder type schedule with my lifting. I do arms, legs, shoulders, and back all on separate days.”
Last season was your first experience in the CFL, what was it like?
“I was used to my time in the Arena league and kind of that smaller field, but it’s so good to have space. It took me a minute to get used to, but being around a lot of the guys, I think I got the hang of it. I mean, it’s fun, man. It’s fun to be back outside and be able to play with guys that want to be great.”
You led the CFL in yards-per-carry in 2024. Did you expect that level of success when you kind of got took over that starting role?
“I mean, yeah, if I’m being honest. Not to sound arrogant or cocky, but I think I work harder than the majority of people that play this sport. I’m confident. I’m confident in my ability, I train at it, I prepare myself every day, every offseason. Not to say that I’m making more sacrifices than everybody else, but I think you put anybody in my gym and my workout routine, I think a lot of people fold. So yeah, I was expecting to be successful.”
What did you learn from your first year in Canada?
“Man, y’all say ‘Eh’, a lot. I learned that.
But no, in all seriousness, it is a professional league. It’s the NFL of Canada and I don’t think that that really registered in my brain until I was in the flow of things first. I’m not saying I was looking at it like arena football, but I didn’t think it was how serious the NFL is. But, it definitely is. It’s the NFL of Canada. You have got to show up ready to play, ready to watch film, all that stuff. It’s a full time job.”
It sounds like you have, but have you been able to keep up with all the moves the organization has made this off season?
“I’ve paid attention to some of the bigger moves that they made, and I look at all the little YouTube videos that ya’ll be posting with the interviews and stuff. I like what a few of the guys are talking about, especially some of the new free agents that I’ve never talked to or met. And I mean, shoot, at the end of the day, whoever shows up, they show up and we gotta rock with them. I feel like as long as we can come together as a team, that’s all that really matters.”
I don’t know how much you’ve talked to him, but have you had a chance to speak with Coach Kilam or Coach Maksymic and what have been your first impressions?
“They’re ready to go. You know, I think they’re ready to instill their own culture, their own mindset, and things like that for the team. And from what I’ve been listening to and what I’ve been hearing, I’m all aboard for what they’re talking about. That’s the kind of football that I’ve been playing my whole life, so it’s nothing new to me. I’m enjoying what they’re saying and I just hope that other guys are really listening and are tuned in to what they’re saying, so we can buy in as fast as we possibly can, because I think this is a great staff. I really do.”
It looks like we’re running it back this season with the same duo that led the CFL in rushing yards. How well do you and Javon Leake complement each other with your thunder and lightning style?
“I think it’s amazing. In the NFL, the duo that calls themselves Sonic and Knuckles? (Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery from the Detroit Lions) I think we can be like that, we’ll have to find ourselves a nickname. I like that thunder and lightning you just said.
We’re both unselfish football players. We’re not sitting there trying to downplay what the other guy is doing. If he’s having a game, ‘man, coach, let him play, he’s having a great game’. I just want to win and I think Leake is the same way. That’s on and off the field. Even when we hang out doing whatever, we are always talking about, ‘look bro, this is your week.’
Whether it goes that way or not, those are the conversations that we have, and I think that that goes along with it.”
All right, Justin, last question for you. Any specific goals for the upcoming season? Are you a guy who sets goals?
“Definitely. I looked at a lot of the rushing records in the CFL. Those are all my personal goals, but at the end of the day, I want to win a Grey Cup. I want to know what that feel like. I won a championship in the arena league and I want to keep it going. I want to win championships here and as many as I possibly can. Like, that feeling is amazing. I love winning. I love playing football. And you have the most fun when you win, you know? So if I accomplish the personal goals, awesome. If not, the biggest thing is I want to get to the Grey Cup. I want to win a Grey Cup. I won’t be satisfied with nothing less.”