Odieu Hiliare
American gridiron football player (born 2001)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Odieu "O.J." Hiliare (born February 12, 2001) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Hiliare played college football for the Alabama A&M Bulldogs and the Bowling Green Falcons. He also had a stint in the National Football League (NFL) with the Atlanta falcons.
Belle Glade, Florida, U.S.
Hiliare with the Edmonton Elks in 2025 | |
| No. 84 – Edmonton Elks | |
|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver |
| Roster status | Practice roster |
| CFL status | American |
| Personal information | |
| Born | February 12, 2001 Belle Glade, Florida, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Glades Central (Belle Glade) |
| College | Alabama A&M (2019–2021) Bowling Green (2022–2023) |
| NFL draft | 2024: undrafted |
| Career history | |
| |
* Offseason or practice squad member only | |
| Awards and highlights | |
| Stats at CFL.ca | |
College career
Hiliare played college football for the Alabama A&M Bulldogs from 2019 to 2021 and the Bowling Green Falcons from 2022 to 2023.[1][2] He played in 22 games at Alabama A&M, recording 103 receptions, for 1,365 receiving yards and 13 receiving touchdowns.[1] At the end of the 2021 season he entered the NCAA transfer portal, landing at Bowling Green.[3][4]
In 2022, he appeared in 13 games, starting in 8, and finished with 58 catches for 747 yards and six touchdowns.[5] Against Toledo, Hiliare set a career-high 246 receiving yards on eight receptions and two touchdowns, receiving MAC East Offensive Player of the week and setting the third-highest single game receiving yard total in team history.[6][7] He earned second-team All-MAC honors in his first season at Bowling Green.[8]
Hiliare played in all 13 games, starting in 10, registering 45 receptions for 532 yards and four touchdowns.[9] In the 2023 Quick Lane Bowl against Minnesota, he had 10 catches for 152 yards and one touchdown.[10][2] He was included in the third-team All-MAC team at the end of the 2023 season.[11]
Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| 2019 | Alabama A&M | 10 | 1 | 14 | 214 | 15.3 | 0 |
| 2020 | Alabama A&M | 4 | 1 | 17 | 233 | 13.7 | 4 |
| 2021 | Alabama A&M | 10 | 10 | 71 | 918 | 12.9 | 9 |
| 2022 | Bowling Green | 13 | 9 | 58 | 747 | 12.9 | 6 |
| 2023 | Bowling Green | 13 | 10 | 45 | 532 | 11.8 | 4 |
| FCS totals | 24 | 12 | 102 | 1,365 | 13.4 | 13 | |
| FBS totals | 26 | 19 | 103 | 1,279 | 12.4 | 10 | |
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 182 lb (83 kg) | 31+1⁄2 in (0.80 m) | 9+3⁄4 in (0.25 m) | 6 ft 4+1⁄8 in (1.93 m) | 4.58 s | 1.58 s | 2.65 s | 4.38 s | 7.21 s | 32.5 in (0.83 m) | 10 ft 2 in (3.10 m) | 13 reps |
| All values from Pro Day[12] | ||||||||||||
Atlanta Falcons
After not being selected in the 2024 NFL draft, Hiliare signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent.[13] He was released on August 27, 2024, ahead of the roster cut deadline.[14]
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
On September 17, 2024, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats signed Hiliare to the practice roster.[15] He was released on October 26.[16] On November 20, he re-signed with the team.[17] On June 1, 2025, the Tiger-Cats released Hiliare.[18]
Edmonton Elks
On August 19, 2025, the Edmonton Elks signed Hiliare to the practice roster.[19] He was promoted to the active roster on August 27.[16] Hiliare made his professional debut against the Calgary Stampeders on September 1, 2025, in the Labour Day Classic, where he recorded three catches for 23 yards.[20][21]