Edmonton Elks add North Dakota State QB Nathan Hayes to negotiation list

Photo courtesy: Zachary Lucy/NDSU Athletics

The Edmonton Elks have added American quarterback Nathan Hayes to their exclusive negotiation list.

Hayes is in his redshirt senior season at North Dakota State University, where he recently won the starting job. He has appeared in two games thus far, completing 32-of-44 passes for 370 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception in victories over Jacksonville State and Fordham.

Prior to this season, the six-foot-three, 228-pound pivot had appeared in 15 games as a backup across four seasons, throwing for 595 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception while rushing for 178 yards and two majors.

The native of West Chicago, Ill., will be out of college eligibility after this season. He is part of the 2027 NFL Draft class, but will need a strong campaign to get on the radar of the teams south of the border.

CFL teams can claim the rights to up to 45 players via the negotiation list on a first-come, first-served basis, provided that they are not eligible for the Canadian or Global Drafts, and do not have CFL veteran status. These players can be added, traded, or removed from the list at any time.

Being added to a negotiation list does not mean that the player has expressed interest in the CFL, and some are unaware that their rights have even been claimed. Players can only force their removal from the list if the team does not provide them with a minimum contract offer at their request.

The Edmonton Elks (8-3) will visit the Calgary Stampeders (5-6) at McMahon Stadium on Monday, September 7, with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 p.m. EDT. Last week, the Elks were on bye while the Stampeders beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats thanks to a late touchdown run from Dedrick Mills.

The weather forecast in Calgary calls for a high of 20 degrees and sun. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the U.S., and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 880 CHED in Edmonton or 770 CHQR in Calgary.