The Toronto Argonauts have signed American receiver Almount ‘Ajay’ Smith.
The six-foot-four, 190-pound target enters the CFL after spending the past two seasons playing in the Players Football Association, a semi-pro football league based in the midwestern United States. Smith spent one season with the Michigan Bills and another with the Detroit Ravens, recording 63 receptions for 1,698 yards and 18 touchdowns in 18 games.
The Detroit, Mich., native played two seasons at the University of Tennessee-Martin, where he tallied three receptions for 56 yards and one touchdown in 20 games. He began his collegiate career at Independence Community College, where he caught 20 passes for 344 yards and four scores.
In July 2023, while in his senior season with the Skyhawks, Smith suffered unimaginable tragedy when his two-year-old daughter, Wynter, was kidnapped and murdered by an ex-boyfriend of her mother. The story made national headlines, and her attacker, Rashad Tice, was eventually sentenced to life in prison.
Smith scored his only NCAA touchdown just two months later and paid tribute to his daughter in the endzone.
The Toronto Argonauts added several key free agents this winter, including offensive lineman Dakoda Shepley, defensive lineman DeWayne Hendrix, strong-side linebacker Adarius Pickett, and defensive back DaShaun Amos. The team’s key losses included receiver Dejon Brissett (Calgary Stampeders) and linebacker Wynton McManis (Hamilton Tiger-Cats).
The Argonauts hold the second overall pick in the 2026 CFL Draft, which is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28 at 7:00 p.m. EDT. All CFL training camps are scheduled to open on May 10. Toronto will play its first preseason game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday, May 23, then its first regular-season game against the Montreal Alouettes on Friday, June 12.
In 2025, Toronto finished third in the East Division standings with a 5-13 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Mike Miller was promoted to the role of head coach following the departure of Ryan Dinwiddie.
