Ayinde Eley

Ayinde "Ace" Eley (born October 22, 1998) is an American professional football linebacker. He most recently played for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Maryland and Georgia Tech. He has also been a member of the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL), and the BC Lions of the CFL.

Early life Eley attended Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, Maryland. He was rated the No. 2 outside linebacker in Maryland, and a four-star recruit by Scout.com in the class of 2017.

College career Eley first played college football for the Maryland Terrapins from 2018 to 2020. He was redshirted in 2017. He played in three games, starting one, during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, and made 19 tackles. He played in 11 games, all starts, in 2021, recording 90 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and one pass breakup.

Carolina Panthers After going undrafted in the 2023 NFL draft, Eley signed with the Carolina Panthers on May 16, 2023. He was waived on August 29.

Houston Texans Eley was signed by the Houston Texans on January 22, 2024. He was waived on March 21, 2024.

Ottawa RedBlacks On February 24, 2025, Eley signed with the Ottawa Redblacks. He played in five regular season games, including two starts, where he had 13 13 defensive tackles, one special teams tackle, and one interception. He was released on October 1, 2025.