The Columbus Aviators have made a few moves to begin the week. They brought back DE Celestin Haba, and signed DB Elijah Blades. These pickups were executed due to the loss of two defensive players.
Signings
Haba is back in action, after spending time in Training Camp with Columbus. With Adam Plant Jr. being released, the Aviators have opted to bring in a familiar face who knows the system already.
Haba began his CFL career in Winnipeg. He burst onto the scene with four sacks as a rookie, but saw his production dwindle over the following two seasons with the Blue Bombers and Argonauts. He’s got six sacks to his name professionally.
Collegiately, Celestin was a small school menace. He totaled 27.5 TFL’s and 17 sacks in one season alone while at Scottsdale CC, before moving to Texas A&M Commerce to finish his college career.
Elijah Blades, on the other hand, has been fighting to get back to outdoor pro football for quite some time. He was with the Houston Roughnecks and DC Defenders in late 2023/early 2024, but never got to take the field in a regular season game.
Blades began his college career at Arizona Western Community College. There, he was the #4 ranked JUCO player in the nation, performing quite well.
He then moved onto Texas A&M, making 19 tackles and compiling 1.5 sacks for the Aggies. He played for Florida for a year, but only appeared in three games. After that, Elijah Blades wrapped up his college career at Buffalo. He put up excellent numbers in 2022, posting 27 tackles, 1.5 TFL, and four pass breakups. Most recently, Blades played for the Vegas Knighthawks of the IFL, winning a Championship in 2025.
Defensive Losses
The Columbus Aviators have placed DB Kyree Woods on IR. It’s a shame, as the veteran corner was a valuable piece for Captain Munnerlyn through the first five weeks. Kyree spent three seasons with the Memphis Showboats, before finding a new home through the UFL re-draft. He had 14 tackles and six defensive stops to his name on 169 snaps.
On top of that, Columbus released Adam Plant Jr., likely due to injury. He exited the game against Houston early on Friday, being carted off, and was later seen in a boot. Plant was a rotational piece on their D-Line, posting seven tackles and a sack on 97 snaps. With a few pieces already on IR, it appears as if Adam was let go, at least for the time being, because of that injury.
What are your thoughts on these latest moves from the Columbus Aviators? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
