The Montreal Alouettes will start a new era on Friday night but most of the players on the field will be very familiar to fans.
The team will introduce a handful of new starters into the lineup for their season opener, though most already have experience with the team. Chief among those is quarterback Davis Alexander, who made just four starts last season but impressed enough to push out Cody Fajardo as the face of the franchise. He’ll begin the season as the unquestioned starter for the first time in his career, with McLeod Bethel-Thompson and Caleb Evans backing him up.
Alexander will have another new starter with a familiar face beside him in the backfield, as veteran Canadian running back Sean Thomas-Erlington will get the first reps after the surprise release of Walter Fletcher. Rookie Travis Theis is also expected to get plenty of touches in his CFL debut. The receiving corps will remain mostly unchanged, save for the return of Canadian standout Tyson Philpot from his season-ending injury last year.
Up front, Jamar McGloster will continue to start at right tackle after he took over for the injured Josh Donovan, who has since been released, late last year. The major change is a ratio swap that will see American Donald Ventrelli start at right guard after spending most of last season on the practice roster.
On the defensive side of the ball, free-agent acquisition Shawn Oakman and Canadian Lwal Uguak will start at defensive tackle while Mustafa Johnson (knee) remains on the six-game injured list to start the season. Lorenzo Burns will continue as the boundary cornerback after winning the job late last year, while two raw rookies will earn starts in Byron Vaughns at defensive end and Tiawan Mullen at strong-side linebacker. Second-round CFL Draft pick Nate Beauchemin is also listed as a starter at weak-side linebacker on paper, though he is expected to rotate in favour of Tyrice Beverette to take advantage of the designated nationalized American rule.
In addition to Johnson’s absence, running back Stevie Scott III (knee); defensive linemen Trevon Mason (shoulder), Josh Archibald (hamstring), and Antonio Moultrie (back); and defensive back Dionte Ruffin (hamstring) will begin the season on the one-game injured list. Canadian offensive lineman Cyrille Hogan-Saindon and quarterback James Morgan will be healthy scratches.
The Alouettes will open the season against the Toronto Argonauts on Friday, June 6. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EDT at Percival Molson Stadium.
