Welcome to training camp 2025!
After a long, eventful winter, a new season is finally upon us. Since the Toronto Argonauts raised the 111th Grey Cup in November, we’ve seen multiple blockbuster trades and significant movement in free agency. It sets us up for plenty of intrigue over the next six months.
And now, with training camps ready to open around the league, here’s everything you need to know.
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TORONTO ARGONAUTS
Biggest off-season storyline: Dynasty quest
You can make it two Grey Cup titles in the last three seasons for the Argos after a dominant 41-24 win over Winnipeg to wrap up last season. In between those two championships, Toronto put together a record-tying 16-2 regular season. If the Argonauts can make it a third title in four years in 2025, I think we can start having legit dynasty conversations.
And there’s plenty of reason to think they can do just that. Toronto has retained a good chunk of their core from last season, including quarterback Chad Kelly, linebacker Wynton McManis, and boundary corner Benjie Franklin. Oh, and let’s not forget the Argos have appeared in the Eastern Final in all four seasons since Ryan Dinwiddie took over as head coach in 2021.
New face to watch: Cameron Judge, linebacker
I love Judge’s potential fit in this Toronto defence. Ready to slide in on the weakside, Cameron Judge feels like the perfect complement to McManis in the middle. Acquired from Calgary in February, Judge is an All-CFL calibre linebacker and a ratio buster, which makes him that much more valuable. Last season saw Judge record 73 defensive tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.
Flying under the radar: Ka’Deem Carey, running back
Even though he finished third on last year’s rushing table, it feels like we might be sleeping on Carey once again entering 2025. But we probably shouldn’t be. Carey recorded 1,060 rushing yards and eight total touchdowns last season while putting together his first fully healthy CFL campaign.
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
Biggest off-season storyline: Home cooking
Look, we all know how the last three seasons have ended for the Bombers. But five straight Grey Cup appearances, despite losses in the last three, is nothing to scoff at. And as they look to make it a sixth consecutive year in the big game, there’s an additional factor to consider: Winnipeg is hosting the 112th Grey Cup in November.
As such, we shouldn’t be surprised to see the Blue Bombers running it back once again. Core players returning for another season include Zach Collaros, Brady Oliveira, Stanley Bryant, Willie Jefferson, Evan Holm, and Jake Thomas, among others. Let’s see if Winnipeg can get back to the top of the mountain and do it front of their home crowd.
New face to watch: James Vaughters, defensive line
Because the Bombers have been so focused on retaining key pieces the last number of winters, big time additions haven’t been the norm. That said, I really like the signing of James Vaughters at defensive end. Coming off a down season by his standards with Calgary, Vaughters still recorded five sacks and two forced fumbles in 18 appearances. With Jefferson on the other side of the line, 31-year-old Vaughters could be in line for a strong campaign.
Flying under the radar: Dalton Schoen, receiver
Who’s this Dalton Schoen guy? Oh yeah, he’s the one who exploded onto the scene with more than 2,600 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns in his first two CFL seasons. Extended ahead of free agency earlier this year, Schoen was limited to just three games last year after sustaining a season-ending knee injury on June 22.
MONTREAL ALOUETTES
Biggest off-season storyline: Passing the torch
After two strong seasons with Cody Fajardo at the helm, Montreal made the tough decision to start their quarterback transition. The Als first signed heir apparent Davis Alexander to a three-year extension in late November before trading Fajardo to Edmonton a few weeks later. The message was clear: this is Alexander’s offence now.
And you can understand the rationale. At 26 years old, and with three understudy seasons in the book, Alexander feels ready for this opportunity. Last year was Alexander’s busiest CFL season and it saw him start multiple games while completing almost 70 per cent of his passes. Overall, Alexander threw for 1,347 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions; he added three more touchdowns on the ground.
New face to watch: Shawn Oakman, defensive line
Since landing north of the border in 2021, Shawn Oakman has established himself as one of the league’s most disruptive interior forces. And I’m not expecting that to change with Montreal. Last season, his one and only with Edmonton, saw Oakman record 32 tackles, three sacks, one interception, and one forced fumble. Oakman was also ranked as one of the league’s most effective defensive tackles by Pro Football Focus and should be a great inside fit beside Mustafa Johnson.
Flying under the radar: Tyson Philpot, receiver
You can bet Tyson Philpot wouldn’t have found himself in this category had he been able to finish 2024. Unfortunately, Philpot sustained a foot injury in Week 11, which would eventually shut him down for the season. Prior to that, however, the 2022 first round pick had racked up 779 receiving yards and five touchdowns in nine outings.
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
Biggest off-season storyline: Taking another step
Expectations were high when the Riders hired Corey Mace as head coach ahead of the 2024 season. And after a 9-8-1 regular season and a trip to the Western Final, I think you can classify Mace’s first year a successful one. Now Saskatchewan is looking to take it to the next level.
Starting with a defence that was downright dominant at times last year, the Roughriders have some nice building blocks to work with. That list is headlined by reigning Most Outstanding Defensive Player Rolan Milligan Jr., and also includes the likes of Casey Sayles and Jameer Thurman.
New face to watch: Tevaughn Campbell, defensive back
After six seasons in the NFL, Tevaughn Campbell is back in Canada and joins one of the league’s most talented defensive backfields. With Sayles and Milligan Jr. already in the fold, Campbell looks like a readymade fit at boundary corner. In 2018 with Montreal, his most recent CFL season, Campbell recorded 21 tackles and two interceptions in nine appearances.
Flying under the radar: Trevor Harris, quarterback
You don’t usually find a quarterback with more than 170 CFL appearances flying under the radar, but it does feel that way with Harris. Entering his third campaign with the Riders, Harris is coming off one of the best statistical seasons of his career in 2024. If Harris can put up similar numbers this year at the age of 39, Saskatchewan will be a legitimate Grey Cup threat.
BC LIONS
Biggest off-season storyline: Rourke at the reins
Nathan Rourke returned to the CFL in August when he signed a landmark contract with the Lions. But despite the excitement and fanfare, Rourke struggled being thrown into the fray midseason. Rourke threw for 1,781 yards, four touchdowns, and nine interceptions while completing just over 65 per cent of his passes.
Those aren’t the outputs we’ve come to expect from the former Most Outstanding Canadian. But with a full training camp and no competition for the starting job, there’s reason to be optimistic. During his banner 2022 season, Rourke completed more than 78 per cent of his passes while throwing for 3,349 yards and 25 touchdowns in 10 appearances. Let’s see how close to that level he can get back to.
New face to watch: Dejon Allen, offensive line
BC allowed a league worst 43 sacks against last season, which made their January acquisition of right tackle Dejon Allen that much more important. Allen joins the Lions from Toronto after earning two East Division All-CFL nods and being named the league’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman in 2023.
Flying under the radar: Ben Hladik, linebacker
Ben Hladik’s numbers were down a little last year as he recorded 66 defensive tackles, three sacks, one interception and one forced fumble. While not at the same level as his 2023 season, Hladik remains a ratio-busting linebacker who can impact the game all over the field.
OTTAWA REDBLACKS
Biggest off-season storyline: Slow and steady
It was great to see the REDBLACKS return to the post-season last year for the first time since 2018. Led by quarterback Dru Brown in his first year as a starter, Ottawa finished third in the East Division at 9-8-1 before bowing out to the Argos in the first weekend of the playoffs. There was a lot to build on in the nation’s capital.
Brown rewarded the REDBLACKS for acquiring and putting their faith in him. Receiver Justin Hardy cemented himself as one of the league’s best receivers. And on defence, Ottawa was paced by their stellar defensive line that returns in full for 2025.
New face to watch: Eugene Lewis, receiver
Edmonton’s decision not to re-sign Eugene Lewis became Ottawa’s gain as free agency opened in February. The REDBLACKS signed Lewis to a two-year deal after he put together a solid bounce back campaign in 2024. Last year saw Lewis record 1,070 receiving yards and tie a career high with ten touchdown catches.
Flying under the radar: Bryce Carter, defensive line
Lorenzo Mauldin IV and Michael Wakefield were league co-leaders in sacks with eight last season. And you can bet Carter would have been right up there with his teammates had he gotten into more than 11 games. Even still, Carter recorded four sacks last year and was rated as one of PFF’s top five most effective rush ends.
EDMONTON ELKS
Biggest off-season storyline: It’s Tre’s time
Right from the get-go upon taking over, new general manager Ed Hervey made it clear the Elks were going to heavily consider making Tre Ford their starting quarterback in 2025. And about a month later, Hervey followed through by signing Ford to a three-year contract extension. A few days after that, Edmonton sent fellow pivot McLeod Bethel-Thompson to the Alouettes.
And so, after two seasons of being called on as a midseason replacement, the Elks are finally giving the ball to Ford. And it’s the right call. Edmonton made Ford a first round pick in 2022 and have developed him to this point. Letting him walk to free agency would have been poor asset management. Instead, they’re putting their faith in Ford and now we get to see how his unique blend of athleticism and explosiveness translates to a full season under centre.
New face to watch: Tyrell Ford, defensive back
A couple months after the Elks made their commitment to one Ford brother, they went out and signed the other in free agency. Tyrell Ford joins Edmonton off his breakout season in 2024 where he finished second overall with seven interceptions and was rated PFF’s number one defensive back.
Flying under the radar: Nyles Morgan, linebacker
While linebacker Nick Anderson was putting together a stellar season en route to a Most Outstanding Rookie honour, his linebacker partner Nyles Morgan was quietly completing a heck of a year of his own. Morgan and Anderson tied for the league lead with 111 defensive tackles with the former also recording two sacks and one forced fumble.
HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
Biggest off-season storyline: Building on the second half
After a frustrating 0-5 and 2-9 start, the Ticats found their stride in the back stretch of the season. With wins in five of their final seven games, Hamilton provided their fans some real optimism going into 2025.
For instance, quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell turned back the clock and led the league with 5,451 passing yards and 32 touchdowns and was named East Division Most Outstanding Player. And young receivers Kiondré Smith and Shemar Bridges both flirted with 1,000 yards. If the Tiger-Cats can pick up where they left off in September and October to start this season, they’ve got a chance to be a factor in the East Division.
New face to watch: Kenny Lawler, receiver
With Mitchell at the helm, Hamilton was the league’s number one passing offence last year. And now they’ve added an absolute beast in Kenny Lawler to an already stacked group of receivers. With Winnipeg in 2024, Lawler racked up 662 receiving yards and four touchdowns in ten appearances before popping off in a pair of playoff games.
Flying under the radar: Casey Sayles, defensive line
Much of the buzz around the Ticats last season surrounded their high-flying offence, which may have overshadowed some of their key pieces on defence. Casey Sayles is one of them and put together his second straight strong season with Hamilton. Last year saw Sayles record seven sacks and 37 defensive tackles while being ranked PFF’s number one interior lineman.
CALGARY STAMPEDERS
Biggest off-season storyline: Big Play VA
Vernon Adams Jr. could also have landed in the “new face to watch” category, but in all honesty, his acquisition was by far Calgary’s biggest story of the winter. We all knew Adams was going to be on the trade block entering the off-season, but it was the Stamps who wasted no time in pouncing. And now they have a franchise quarterback once again.
Adams Jr. was the unquestioned Most Outstanding Player frontrunner last year with the Lions before sustaining an injury in Week 9. As it was, Adams Jr. threw for 2,929 yards and 16 touchdowns during the regular season and added three more touchdowns on the ground. And for a team that absolutely needed an upgrade at quarterback, he’s exactly what the doctor ordered.
New face to watch: Folarin Orimolade, defensive line
Acquired from Toronto in January, Folarin Orimolade returns to the team he started his CFL career with in 2018. And he returns to the Stamps as one of the league’s very best pass rushers. Orimolade was PFF’s number two edge rusher last season while recording six sacks, one interception, and one forced fumble in 12 outings.
Flying under the radar: Reggie Begelton, receiver
All Reggie Begelton does is put up 1,000-yard seasons with Calgary and yet it seems like he gets overlooked as one of the league’s best receivers at times. He shouldn’t, however. Last season saw Begelton go for 1,150 yards and four touchdowns and I can’t wait to see the chemistry between him and Adams this year.
