Elks sign sign four American players

CFL.ca Staff

EDMONTON — The Edmonton Elks announced Thursday the signings of four American players, including defensive linemen Eric Black and Chauncey Manac, quarterback Todd Centeio and running back Brian Herrien.

Centeio spent the 2022 season with James Madison University of the Sun Belt Conference (FBS). The Florida native moved to JMU as graduate transfer in 2022 and was named Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year after throwing for 2,697 yards and 25 touchdowns. He would finish second in the Sun Belt with a 169.0 passing efficiency and tied the Dukes single-game record for passing touchdowns with six against Middle Tennessee on Sept. 3.

Prior to his time at JMU Centeio played three seasons at Temple University (2017-2019) and later at Colorado State for two seasons (2020-2021). He combined for 39 games during his first five collegiate seasons, registering 3,778 yards, 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

The American pivot signed with the Orlando Guardians of the XFL in June of 2023 after receiving a mini camp invite with Kansas City Chiefs.

Black appeared in 10 games for Stony Brook University as a graduate student in 2022, leading the team in sacks with five, while adding 19 total tackles, four pass deflections and one forced fumble. He was also named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team, which awards the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.

The six-foot-four defensive lineman previously attended the University at Buffalo from 2018 to 2021, compiling 36 total tackles, eight tackles-for-loss, 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in 29 career games with the Bulls. Black recently spent time in mini camp with the NFL’s New York Giants in 2023.

The 25-year-old Herrien is coming off a championship season in 2023, where he was part of the Arlington Renegades XFL title. In two games with the Renegades, he had 31 rushing yards and five catches for 47 yards. The Georgia product signed with the Cleveland Browns as undrafted free agent in 2020 but was waived early in training camp.

Collegiately, Herrien spent four seasons at the University of Georgia (2016-2019), rushing for 1,413 yards and 13 touchdowns in 52 games for the Bulldogs. He would go on to win three straight SEC Eastern Division titles and played in three straight New Year’s Six Bowl games (2018 Rose, 2019 Allstate Sugar, 2020 Allstate Sugar).

Manac played four years at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (2018-2021), where he recorded 166 total tackles, 19.5 sacks, one interception and three forced fumbles in 47 games for the Ragin’ Cajuns. The Homerville, Ga., native was a second team All-Sun Belt selection as a senior in 2021, when he finished with 57 tackles and 10.5 sacks. He began his college career with Georgia in 2016 but transferred to Garden City Community College in 2017, appearing in seven games.

Manac was drafted by the Houston Roughnecks in the 2023 XFL Draft after attending training camp with the Green Bay Packers in 2022, playing in one preseason game against the New Orleans Saints, where he had one tackle and a sack.

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