The 31-year-old spent the 2025 season with the Ottawa Redblacks, rushing for 698 yards and four touchdowns on 147 carries. He also made 36 receptions with 278 yards and on score in 17 games.

Stanback set a career-high in yards from scrimmage in 2024 with the B.C. Lions. He carried the ball 231 times for 1,175 yards and three touchdowns, while also catching 46 passes for 413 yards and two majors.

The native of Hempstead, N.Y. spent the first five seasons of his CFL career with the Montreal Alouettes, interrupted only by a brief stint with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020. He recorded 625 carries for 3,716 yards and 11 touchdowns over 62 regular-season games with the team.

Stanback was twice named All-CFL, led the league in rushing in 2021, and won the Grey Cup in 2023. In total, he rushed for 5,589 yards, caught 189 passes for 1,749 yards, returned 20 kickoffs for 476 yards, and scored 25 touchdowns over 97 CFL regular-season games.

He released the following statement on social media.

From my time at UCF, to my college days at Virginia Union, to chasing the dream in the NFL, to finding my home in the CFL — this game has taken me places I once only prayed about. There were moments I stood on NFL fields feeling like that little kid’s dream had come true. And there were moments I was fighting just to prove I still belonged.

There were seasons of celebration… and seasons of heartbreak.

Losing my parents while still chasing this dream was the hardest battle of my life. There were days I didn’t know how I’d keep going. Days I felt empty. Days I questioned everything. But I carried their love with me every time I stepped on that field. Every run, every rep, every comeback — I did it with them in my heart.

There was a time I hit rock bottom. Injuries, setbacks, doubts — I truly thought it might be over. I wondered if the dream had slipped away. But something inside me refused to quit. I kept working. Kept believing. Kept striving for greatness even when nobody was watching.

Football tested me. It humbled me. It built me.

To my teammates — thank you for being brothers. To my coaches — thank you for pushing me when I didn’t see it in myself. To every organization that gave me an opportunity — thank you for believing in me. To the fans — you gave me strength when I needed it most.

And to my parents — everything I am is because of you. I hope I made you proud.

This game didn’t just shape my career. It shaped my character. It taught me resilience, faith, and how to stand tall when life knocks you down.

I leave the field knowing I gave it everything I had.

The dream doesn’t end here — it just evolves.

Thank You Football

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The 52-year-old most recently served as the defensive coordinator of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, though he was fired partway through the 2024 season.

The native of Washington, D.C. started his coaching career in B.C. in 2008, spending six seasons as defensive backs coach. In 2014, he was promoted to the role of defensive coordinator, a position he held until he departed for Hamilton in 2019.

The five-foot-nine, 180-pound defender played eleven seasons in the CFL as a member of the Montreal Alouettes and Lions. He recorded 483 defensive tackles, 48 special teams tackles, 17 interceptions, 12 fumble recoveries, and one sack over 156 regular-season game. He earned an All-West Division selection in 2003 and won the Tom Pate Memorial Award in 2006.

“We’re very excited to have continuity on our staff, which will be greatly beneficial in the pursuit of our end goal in 2026,” said head coach Buck Pierce in a statement. “Coach Washington also brings another experienced football mind and has familiarity with how we want to build our defence. He will fit in perfectly with the linebackers on our roster.”

The rest of B.C.’s coaching staff remains essentially unchanged from last year.

Buck Pierce — head coach, offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach
Mike Benevides — defensive coordinator
Cory McDiarmid — special teams coordinator
Kevin Bourgoin — receivers coach, pass game coordinator
Paul Charbonneau — offensive line coach, run game coordinator
Kristian Matte — running backs, assistant offensive line coach
Ryan Phillips — secondary coach, pass game coordinator
Randy Melvin — defensive line coach
Mark Washington — linebackers coach
Derek Oswalt — assistant receivers coach

The B.C. Lions signed defensive lineman Casey Sayles and linebacker Darnell Sankey after they were released by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Montreal Alouettes, respectively, though the team was relatively inactive in free agency. The team’s major departure was All-CFL offensive lineman Jarell Broxton, who signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The Lions hold the seventh 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. B.C. will play its first preseason game against the Edmonton Elks on Saturday, May 23 and its first regular-season game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday, June 13.

In 2025, B.C. finished second in the West Division standings with an 11-7 record. They beat the Calgary Stampeders in the West Semi-Final but lost the West Final to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Franchise quarterback Nathan Rourke threw for 5,290 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions to be named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player.

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“I think so. I think there’s a lot of strong feelings about that across the league. Good player, lives and breathes football. He prepares the right way and we’re excited to have him on our team,” head coach Mark Kilam said from the CFL Combine in the Alberta capital.

The 27-year-old Powell signed a two-year contract with the Green and Gold in CFL free agency. He’s a bonafide backup behind Cody Fajardo with starting abilities in case injuries happen. If Fajardo, who was weighing retirement prior to signing a one-year contract extension with Edmonton, moves on from football, the Elks feel the next man up at QB is in the building.

“When we signed him, we felt like he had the potential to be a starter in this league. Given the situation last year when Cody was talking retirement, we can’t be in a position where we’re without a quarterback,” general manager Ed Hervey said.

“When a player starts talking about retirement, they’re usually halfway there. I wanted to make certain that the organization was in a good place. We felt that Taylor was the appropriate guy and the best player that was available for us. We know him and we’re excited about having him within the locker room.”

Hervey was Hamilton’s assistant GM in 2023 when Powell came to the CFL, then held the GM role with the Tiger-Cats in 2024. He’s seen how the six-foot-one, 208-pound QB approaches playing quarterback as a professional, which gave him confidence to bring him to Edmonton as a possible heir apparent to Fajardo at football’s most important position.

Edmonton was one of the CFL’s most active teams in free agency with key signings including quarterback Taylor Powell, receivers Austin Mack and Joe Robustelli, offensive lineman Coulter Woodmansey, and defensive lineman Malik Carney. The team’s main departures included quarterback Tre Ford (Hamilton Tiger-Cats), receiver Kurleigh Gittens Jr. (Hamilton Tiger-Cats), and defensive lineman Jake Ceresna (Winnipeg Blue Bombers).

The Elks hold the third overall pick in the 2026 CFL Draft, which is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28 at 7 p.m. ET. All CFL training camps are scheduled to open on May 10. Edmonton will play its first preseason game against the B.C. Lions on Saturday, May 23 and its first regular-season game against the Ottawa Redblacks on Saturday, June 6.

In 2025, Edmonton finished fifth in the West Division standings with a 7-11 record, missing the playoffs for the fifth straight season.

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The six-foot-three, 279-pound defender played 17 regular-season games with the Washington Commanders in 2021 and 2022, recording 11 tackles. He was also a member of the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, and Kansas City Chiefs, though he never dressed for a regular-season game with those teams.

The 30-year-old played for the Michigan Panthers in 2024 and was named All-UFL after recording 16 tackles, three tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks over five games.

Collegiately, the native of Carrollton, Texas played at the University of Kansas. He recorded 150 tackles, 18 sacks, three pass breakups, one fumble recovery, and one forced fumble over 47 games with the team, earning three All-Big 12 selections.

Wise is the son of former CFL player Deatrich Wise and the brother of longtime NFL defensive lineman Deatrich Wise Jr.

The Alouettes also confirmed that American running back Aaron Shampklin has chosen to retire.

The five-foot-10, 195-pound ball-carrier signed with the team earlier this offseason after spending parts of four seasons in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Chargers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Miami Dolphins. He rushed six times for 17 yards and returned four kickoffs for 101 yards in three games.

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The native of Hampshire County, U.K. is best remembered for kicking a game-winning, walk-off field goal for the Edmonton Elks in the rematch of the Labour Day Classic in 2023.

Faithfull celebrated the victory with a wave to the crowd that emulated Queen Elizabeth II, which he then repeated in the locker room while being hoisted by teammates. Video of the kick and celebratory wave subsequently went viral.

The 38-year-old was the second overall pick in the 2023 CFL Global Draft out of Colorado State University Pueblo, where became the oldest player in the history of NCAA Division II football. He dressed for 19 regular-season games over two years with the Elks, connecting on 24-of-31 field goal attempts (77.4 percent) and 39-of-41 convert attempts (95.1 percent) but was released near the end of the 2024 season.

Faithfull played collegiate soccer at Florida Tech before embarking on a professional career that included stints in Australia, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Belgium. He didn’t play football until 2019, when he returned to his alma mater for a visit and they suggested he try placekicking.

The Musketeers were founded in 2022 and now play in the newly-founded European Football Alliance (EFA). The team is led by Jack Del Rio, who previously served as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders.

 

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The six-foot-three, 323-pound blocker was a two-time OUA all-star and two-time second-team U Sports All-Canadian at guard with the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks. He played 44 games over five seasons with the team, helping them win the Yates Cup in 2024.

“I’m very grateful for my time at Laurier. From practices to winning a championship, it helped shape me into the player and man I have become,” said Rietveld in a statement.

“I want to thank all of the coaches and teammates who played a role in my development. I’m very excited for this next chapter and Laurier will always have a special place in my heart.”

The native of Brantford, Ont. went unselected in the 2025 CFL Draft. He attended the CFL Invitational Combine in Waterloo, Ont. that year, recording 26 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, a 5.90-second forty-yard dash, 8.78-second three-cone drill, 5.32-second short shuttle, 21.5-inch vertical jump, and seven-foot, three-inch broad jump.

“We are very proud of Josh and excited that he gets to continue his football journey in Germany,” said Laurier head coach Todd Galloway. “They are getting an incredible offensive lineman, but more importantly, an incredible human being. I think he will make an immediate impact both on the field and in the community.”

The Royals have won three-straight German Bowl championships, posting a 34-2 record over that time. The team will start its 12-week regular-season on May 9 against the Berlin Rebels.

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The Calgary Stampeders, Edmonton Elks, and Hamilton Tiger-Cats are the finalists for the CFL award, while the Alberta Golden Bears, Bishop’s Gaiters, and Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks are the finalists for the U Sports award.

“With all film eventually ending up at the Dub Center for equitable distributions to pro football, this award is all about feedback from the actual stakeholders,” wrote the FFF.

“We have collected general mangers, scouts, and coaches to point us in the right direction on whose film is shot at the NFL standard. Those teams are then in consideration of the award.”

Last year, Jon Magri of the Toronto Argonauts won the CFL award, while Erin Linn of the Calgary Dinos won the U Sports award.

Based in Minnesota, the FFF is a relatively new organization dedicated to “educating and promoting coaching film and tech staff, with a focus on elevating professional filming standards across all levels of football.”

The awards will be presented at the annual FFF Convention, which is scheduled for April 25, 2026 in Bloomington, Minn.

The organization also has awards for the NCAA Division I FCS, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA levels. The finalists for these awards are as follows:

FCS — North Dakota State, Northern Arizona, North Dakota, Montana
Division II — Grand Valley State, Colordo Mines, Lenoir-Ryne, West Florida, UT-Permian Basin
Division II — John Carroll, Mary Hardin Baylor, Wabash
NAIA — Ottawa, Carroll, Baker, Montana Tech

Photo: Football Film Federation

Photo: Football Film Federation

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“Last year was our first year. Within five years, I would expect that we’re profitable — if not before that. I think that year three and four is where we have to start looking at where that would be a viability,” Morris told 3DownNation in a recent wide-ranging interview.

“I feel very strongly that this place can be not just profitable, but very profitable within a three-to-five-year window. The first year (2025), we knew … we were going to have to sort of rally and do the best we can and start turning some minds and hearts. This next year (2026), we feel we have a nice base in that area. Now we’ve started to build our roster the way we want to — we start winning some games this year, and then next year (2027) is where we should start approaching where we’re getting closer, we’re somewhere in that range (of breaking even).

“Then, years four (2028) and five (2029) is where we should be looking to be profitable again. We have a huge stadium here. We have lots of seats here. … They have the wrong guy here if he’s sitting here telling you, ‘We don’t care about being profitable.’ There’s a whole bunch of pieces to building it and you have to build it right, but if you build it right in this city, you should be a profitable sports franchise, especially with football and especially with this facility.”

The 57-year-old revealed that the Elks lost around two-thirds of their season ticket base over the last decade, falling from over 20,000 to 7,000. Morris cited a “catastrophic series of events” as the cause of the collapse, including the COVID-19 pandemic, a record-setting 22-game home losing skid, and what he termed the “shocking, alarming, and disrespectful” manner in which the team changed its name.

Edmonton has missed the playoffs in six of the last seven CFL seasons, including each of the last five. For longtime fans of the team, this is an unthinkable failure. The club made 34 consecutive postseason appearances from 1972 to 2005, winning 10 Grey Cups during that time. Morris played along the offensive line for 14 of those seasons. He won three Grey Cup rings and never missed the playoffs.

“When you’re that bad, it takes time to regain credibility. You start off by building the foundational pieces, doing the right things and doing business the right way, but the reality is now we gotta start showing on the field,” said Morris. “We feel very good about heading into this next season and I think a lot of our fan base are starting to see that, but the reality is some of them are going, ‘I gotta wait and see what’s going to happen here.'”

“Close to 90 percent of the people who come in here who fill out surveys around their game-day experience are not just happy, they’re over-the-moon happy with the game-day experience. There’s a lot of positives going on … but it’s like perfume on a pig if you’re not winning games.”

Edmonton was once the CFL’s financial stalwart, consistently drawing crowds between 30,000 and 40,000 and posting annual profits of up to $6 million.

In the rare instances that the team lost money, there were always mitigating factors. Edmonton reported a $2.3 million loss in 2010 but paid $7.5 million toward the construction of the Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre, $1.3 million for new turf at Commonwealth Stadium, and bought out the contracts of then-head coach Richie Hall and then-general manager Danny Maciocia.

After the last few years, it’s hard to envision the Elks consistently getting back to crowds of that size. On paper, CFL attendance has dropped 7.5 percent league-wide since 2015, though a significant portion of that decline can be attributed to the collapse in Edmonton. If the Elks are removed from the dataset, CFL attendance has fallen only 1.9 percent over the last 10 seasons.

This raises the question: what kind of attendance do the Elks need in order to be profitable? The answer is lower than what one might expect.

“20,000 would be close (to making us profitable). At 20,000, depending on what your partnership is, depending on your merchandise, what your other streams of revenue are, you could be close. 22,000 to 25,000 is where you’re like, ‘OK, now we’re making money, now we’re going to be a profitable organization,'” said Morris.

“Averaging 25,000 if the team’s winning? I don’t think that’s something that’s beyond belief even in the next couple of years, but there’s no amount of fairy dust that I can spread around here if we start off 0-7 again. It just doesn’t matter, you have to be good. You have to have a good football product.”

In addition to dwindling crowds, it’s clear the Elks suffered similar losses in the area of corporate sponsorship. Shortly after he was hired following the 2024 season, Morris took it upon himself to try to reconnect the team with the local business community. He was met with significant pushback and skepticism.

“I had a meeting with several key prominent business owners and movers and shakers in the city when I first got here, and they were all just so angry about different things that had been done from a business standpoint and from a relationship standpoint,” said Morris.

“Sitting in that room listening to all the things, all I could really say was ‘Look, it’s gonna be different.’ You could tell by the looks on their faces, like, ‘OK, there’s been a bunch of presidents through here saying all that sort of stuff,’ but I think over the last year, I’ve become really good friends with several of them and it’s been meeting after meeting and connection after connection, and now several of them are so invested with us right now.”

Morris indicated there’s an upcoming gathering of close to 100 prominent local business owners scheduled to take place at the home of Grant Fedoruk, the owner and president of Leading Edge Physiotherapy. Entry is contingent upon interest in some form of partnership with the team.

For what it’s worth, Fedoruk’s biography on Instagram describes him as an Oilers and Cowboys fan. The Elks, apparently, didn’t make the cut.

“These are people who were so disappointed with the way we were doing things that they just didn’t want to be connected. For me, I can’t as one person stand on top of a building here in Edmonton and yell out, ‘The Edmonton Elks are going to be a great organization! We’re going to be awesome, character, integrity, all these things!’ and have people listen,” said Morris.

“I have to touch as many people as possible that have prominent and influential roles and get them to help me, and have them be out in the community saying, ‘Hey, I talked to Chris and these are the things they’re doing. This is how this business is gonna run moving forward, and the Thompson family is committed to this community.’ (We need to) have them go out and be market multipliers saying, ‘Look, this is why it’s good to come back and be part of this thing.’ I think we’re well down the road on that. I think we’ve got a lot of really good things going on here right now.”

Morris said the team has retained over 95 percent of its season ticket holders from last season, which was a priority given how the base had dwindled. With so many renewals secured, the team is now making a push to garner new season ticket holders ahead of the 2026 season.

“We’re way ahead on season tickets (relative to last year). We’re way ahead on partnerships. There’s a lot of positive vibes in the city right now about how we’re doing things,” said Morris. “We’re getting a bunch more (season ticket holders) in the hopper here. It’s going to be a process, but we’re making huge traction and huge headway this year.”

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The Elks were publicly owned from their inception in 1949 until 2024, when lifelong fan and local construction magnate Larry Thompson became the team’s first private owner. A little over a year after the purchase was announced, Thompson died after suffering severe complications following surgery. He was 65.

Deb Thompson, Larry’s wife, released a statement following his death expressing the family’s enduring commitment to supporting the team. According to Morris, nothing has since changed.

“Deb is very, very committed to making sure that this goes forward. I think she loves the community and she loves what it does for the community, but she also has that sense of, ‘I know how important this was to Larry.’ I think that’s important to her because it was so important to Larry. She loves the sport, and her kids as well. They are fully committed to making sure this happens,” said Morris.

“That’s what it should be. It should be all of us together with the same sort of vision for how this looks like and building it out together, and I think we’re well on our way.”

The Thompson family is also involved in the revitalization of nearby Clarke Stadium. The Elks will play their home preseason game there in May while Commonwealth Stadium plays host to the Canadian Men’s National Team. Morris indicated there are plans for the venue to be domed and serve as a high-performance centre and community outreach hub, where kids from the local community will be able to visit Elks players every day.

“The Thompson family vision is to build out this section of Edmonton and to make sure that it’s taken care of and to make sure that the kids here and the families here have opportunities,” said Morris. “The Clarke revitalization is part of it and the family is very, very motivated and excited about what we can do to have an impact on the surrounding community.”

One could argue that Commonwealth Stadium is an obstacle to the team’s future success. Built in 1978, the venue is far larger than necessary by modern Canadian sports standards. Empty seats are bad for generating an engaging atmosphere, which is key to attracting fans.

Though a new stadium is badly needed in Calgary, Morris doesn’t believe the same is true for Edmonton. Instead, he would like to see the venue receive upgrades to modernize its amenities.

Two years ago, mock-ups of a refurbished Commonwealth Stadium began circulating online. The images depicted expanded concourses, renovated washrooms and concession areas, and large windows surrounding the venue’s exterior in place of its existing green panels.

At the time, the City of Edmonton told 3DownNation that the proposed upgrades would cost $250 million and there was no funding of any kind in place. It’s unclear if any of these upgrades will ever be executed, though new turf is currently being installed at the venue at the expense of the city.

“I think there needs to be some upgrades for sure, and I think if there’s gonna be a new stadium down in Calgary, usually the provincial government would look at a way to sort of go, ‘OK, we gotta take care of both sides.’ We do need some significant upgrades here. The city does a great job of maintaining what we have, but it’s older,” said Morris.

“The 30,000 lower deck is good. There’s lots of things we can do in the upper deck to build premium seating and to build different products for seating where it’s not necessarily always going to be like, ‘OK, if we don’t have 55,000 people here, it looks empty.’ I think that the biggest things are just the amenities, like the concessions and all those different things just need to be upgraded a little bit. I think that’s a part of what the city would do.”

It remains to be seen if the efforts of Morris and his staff will pay off. The Elks didn’t become a disaster overnight, and it’ll take lots of time for the team to reach the heights from which they fell.

Regardless, Morris seems optimistic about the team’s future. With a new media rights deal in the works, the team should receive a boost to its coffers for 2027 regardless of their attendance.

It’s also easy to envision crowds starting to return to Commonwealth Stadium if the Elks prove they can make the playoffs. The team is coming off back-to-back 7-11 seasons, both of which featured miserable starts.

In 2024, Edmonton began the year 0-7, then went 7-4 over its remaining games. A similar story played out in 2025 when the club started 1-6, then went 6-3 over its next nine games.

“I think this club, even though it’s a private owner now as opposed to being a community-driven club, we’re about serving the community of Edmonton. We’re about bringing value to our community — value in having a good football product that people can be proud of, having a huge charitable arm that serves the community directly. Whatever business interests are in the city, they should be able to say, ‘Let’s partner with the Edmonton Elks,'” said Morris.

“How can we make an impact on kids? How can we make an impact on the community? … We want to be a contributor here as opposed to standing here and being like, ‘We’re the Edmonton Elks, what can the city do for us?’ I think that is a massive shift and I think that, for me, the Thompson family has embodied those sorts of beliefs as long as they’ve been around. I think one of the reasons that the job was such a great fit was that that’s what I believe in. I believe that this whole thing, everything about the Edmonton Elks, should be about serving the City of Edmonton, the people here, the community here, the kids here, the families here, and I think we’re getting people in the building who believe in that.”

“I’m extremely confident (we can fill a good portion of Commonwealth Stadium again someday). The City of Edmonton loves football, the City of Edmonton loves to be connected, and they love to rally around something that’s important to them.”

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The five-foot-eleven, 216-pound defender led the CFL with 114 defensive tackles while playing for the B.C. Lions in 2025. He also made three special teams tackles, two interceptions, and one forced fumble.

“The acquisition of Micah Awe will give us added depth on defence,” said general manager Danny Maciocia in a statement. “He knows the league and our organization, and he has always prepared properly. His professionalism will help guide our younger players.”

Awe had his best CFL season in 2023 when he recorded 134 total tackles, six special teams tackles, three interceptions, two sacks, and one forced fumble with the Calgary Stampeders to be named All-CFL.

In total, Awe has made 568 defensive tackles, 44 special teams tackles, six sacks, seven interceptions, and seven forced fumbles over 118 regular-season CFL games as a member of the Lions, Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa Redblacks, Alouettes, and Calgary Stampeders.

The Montreal Alouettes were relatively quiet in free agency, though they still added quarterback Dustin Crum, receiver Jerreth Sterns, and return specialist DeVonte Dedmon. The team also suffered some key losses, including Austin Mack (Edmonton Elks), linebacker Darnell Sankey (B.C. Lions), defensive back Marc-Antoine Dequoy (retirement), and return specialist James Letcher Jr. (Saskatchewan Roughriders).

The Alouettes hold the eighth 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. The team will play its first preseason game against the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday, May 22 and its first regular-season game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Thursday, June 4.

In 2025, Montreal finished second in the East Division standings with a 10-8 record and beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Final before losing the 112th Grey Cup to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

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Travis Theis, who wore No. 30 as a rookie last season, has switched to No. 5. The 25-year-old native of Pratt, Kan. made four regular-season starts at running back in 2025, sharing the backfield with Sean Thomas-Erlington and Stevie Scott III. He rushed 70 times for 365 yards, caught 19 passes for 162 yards, and returned a punt for a touchdown.

In 2025, No. 5 was worn by quarterback Caleb Evans, who remains a free agent as he continues to recover from a torn ACL.

Robert Kennedy III, who started five regular-season games at field-side halfback last season, has moved from No. 31 to No. 1. The 26-year-old native of Jeannette, Pa recorded 30 defensive tackles and one special teams tackle as a CFL rookie in 2025.

No. 1 was previously worn by Darnell Sankey, who was released amid a ratio change and is now a member of the B.C. Lions.

Don Callis has moved from No. 35 to No. 21, which was previously worn by Sean Thomas-Erlington. The 24-year-old defensive back from Los Angeles, Calif. dressed for four regular-season games in 2025, his first in the CFL, recording two special teams tackles.

Dustin Crum will wear No. 16 after previously wearing No. 18 with the Ottawa Redblacks. The 27-year-old has thrown for 5,200 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions, and rushed for 1,376 yards and 27 scores over three CFL seasons. He joined the Alouettes as a free agent in February.

DeVonte Dedmon, who is expected to take over return duties after signing with the team in free agency, will wear No. 7. The one-time All-CFL selection wore No. 17 during his tenure with the Redblacks, though that’s the same number currently being worn by receiver Cole Spieker.

Jonathan Sutherland, who signed with the team following NFL stints with the Seattle Seahawks, New York Giants, and Las Vegas Raiders, will wear No. 0, the same digit he wore at Penn State. The native of Ottawa, Ont. recorded 136 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery over 56 games with the Nittany Lions and was a four-time team captain.

Free-agent addition Braydon Noll will wear No. 55, which belonged to Landon Rice last year. The former fourth-round pick out of Wilfrid Laurier University has won two Grey Cups over four CFL seasons with the Toronto Argonauts and Saskatchewan Roughriders and is expected to fill a depth role at centre and guard.

Jerreth Sterns will wear No. 89, which was previously worn by James Letcher Jr. The former Western Kentucky standout caught 48 passes for 530 yards and four touchdowns with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers last season and is expected to compete for a starting role in Montreal’s receiving corps.

Isaac Gaillaretz, last year’s sixth-round pick out of Université Laval, will wear No. 80.

The Montreal Alouettes were relatively quiet in free agency, though they still added quarterback Dustin Crum, receiver Jerreth Sterns, and return specialist DeVonte Dedmon. The team also suffered some key losses, including Austin Mack (Edmonton Elks), linebacker Darnell Sankey (B.C. Lions), defensive back Marc-Antoine Dequoy (retirement), and return specialist James Letcher Jr. (Saskatchewan Roughriders).

The Alouettes hold the eighth 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. The team will play its first preseason game against the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday, May 22 and its first regular-season game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Thursday, June 4.

In 2025, Montreal finished second in the East Division standings with a 10-8 record and beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Final before losing the 112th Grey Cup to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Courtesy: Montreal Alouettes

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