Courtesy of UNLV
LAS VEGAS – UNLV defensive back Jett Elad is one of five finalists for the Jon Cornish Trophy, which is annually awarded to the top Canadian football player competing on the NCAA level.
With three different provinces represented among the finalists, Elad (Mississauga, Ontario) is joined by Stanford wide receiver Elic Ayomanor (Medicine Hat, Alberta), Memphis linebacker Geoffrey Cantin-Arku (Levis, Quebec), Arizona tight end Tanner McLachlan (Lethbridge, Alberta) and Ohio quarterback Kurtis Rourke (Oakville, Ontario).
A former player at Ohio, Elad returned to the FBS level this fall with the Rebels after a stint at Garden City Community College in Kansas. Despite missing last week’s game because of an injury, Elad ranks fifth on the team with 55 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, six pass breakups and a fumble recovery that was returned 62 yards in a win at New Mexico.
Presented annually since 2017, the Jon Cornish Trophy is awarded by a panel of voters across Canada consisting of Canadian journalists, player personnel evaluators from the Canadian Football League, and former NCAA players connected to Canada.
Past winners include Ohio’s Nathan Rourke (2017, 2018), Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard (2019), Alabama’s John Metchie III (2020, 2021) and Illinois’ Chase Brown (2022). This year’s winner will be announced Wednesday.
The Rebels (9-4) are preparing to play Kansas in the 2023 Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix on December 26. Ticket information is available at UNLVTickets.com.
