3DownNation’s 2026 mid-season CFL all-stars

Photo: Tanner Piper/Piper Sports Photography/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

It’s Week 11, which means we have reached the official midway point of the CFL season.

We polled our contributors at 3DownNation for their mid-season all-star and award selections. Unlike the actual year-end CFL awards, divisions were not taken into consideration here — the only requirement was to vote for the best candidates available.

Enjoy our mid-season all-star selections below. You can click here to read about our mid-season award winners.

* denotes National player / ** denotes Global player

OFFENSIVE BACKFIELD: Davis Alexander, Montreal Alouettes | Justin Rankin, Edmonton Elks | Maximilian Mang, Hamilton Tiger-Cats**

Unsurprisingly, the quarterback of our all-star team is also the player that we selected as our mid-season Most Outstanding Player. Alexander has been the league’s most exciting pivot to date, completing 72.3 percent of his passes for 3,140 yards, 18 touchdowns, and two interceptions, and is currently on pace for the second-best passing season in CFL history. Rankin’s early hot streak has cooled considerably, but he still sits second in the CFL in total yards from scrimmage with 1,085 and has forced 62 missed tackles to date — 18 more than any other player. Mang has been the league’s top blocking tight end and a red-zone threat with three touchdowns, though the big German’s shining moment arguably came when he was forced to step in as an emergency offensive guard.

SECOND TEAM: Trevor Harris, SSK | Dedrick Mills, CGY | Skyler Griffith, EDM*

RECEIVER: Tyson Philpot, Montreal Alouettes* | Tyler Snead, Montreal Alouettes | Kian Schaffer-Baker, Saskatchewan Roughriders* | KeeSean Johnson, Saskatchewan Roughriders | Austin Mack, Edmonton Elks

Much has already been written about Philpot, who has made 74 catches for 1,154 yards and seven touchdowns through nine games and remains on pace to shatter the CFL’s all-time single-season receiving yardage record. However, the Canadian’s performance has overshadowed a pretty remarkable campaign to date from his teammate, Snead, who sits second in the CFL with 55 receptions for 928 yards and six touchdowns. In Saskatchewan, Johnson and Schaffer-Baker have formed their own dynamic duo for Trevor Harris, posting 714 and 704 yards, respectively. Mack has had a renaissance since reuniting with Cody Fajardo in Edmonton, overcoming early drop issues to post 766 yards and six touchdowns.

SECOND TEAM: Damonte Coxie, TOR | Jalen Philpot, CGY* | Ayden Eberhardt, OTT | Makai Polk, TOR | Ontaria Wilson, WPG

Montreal Alouettes

OFFENSIVE LINE: Nick Callender, Montreal Alouettes | Pier-Olivier Lestage, Montreal Alouettes* | Peter Nicastro, Toronto Argonauts* | Carter O’Donnell, Edmonton Elks* | Jermarcus Hardrick, Saskatchewan Roughriders 

The Alouettes boast the CFL’s top offensive line at the midway point, and both of their all-star representatives are legitimate Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman candidates. Callender and Lestage have each allowed just eight pressures and no sacks, keeping Davis Alexander’s blindside completely clean. Hardrick, the reigning M.O.O.L. winner, has also allowed just eight pressures as his strong play continues, though Trevor Harris’ lightning-quick release provides some support in that area. Nicastro has been a stalwart at centre for the Argos, while also filling in at right guard, allowing a remarkable 1.4 percent pressure rate. O’Donnell has continued to build his reputation since returning from the NFL and has been a road-grader when healthy, credited with a 13.3 percent impact run blocking rate according to ProFootballFocus.

SECOND TEAM: Payton Collins, SSK | Christy Nkanu, CGY* | David Beard, EDM* | Brandon Revenberg, HAM* | Tiger Shanks, MTL*

DEFENSIVE LINE: Clarence Hicks, Calgary Stampeders | Jake Ceresna, Winnipeg Blue Bombers | Ralph Holley, Toronto Argonauts | Willie Jefferson, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Hicks has been almost unblockable off the edge for the Stampeders in 2026, as he is tied for the league lead with six sacks and has generated 52 total pressures — 17 more than the next best player in the league. Jefferson is tied for that position with 35 pressures and six sacks, while batting down five passes in what has been a resurgent campaign thus far. His teammate, Ceresna, has also played a role in that, delivering on his high free-agent expectations with six sacks. Holley has also lived up to high expectations in his return from the NFL, generating 27 pressures and three sacks, along with five tackles for loss or no gain.

SECOND TEAM: Mathieu Betts, B.C.* | Jaylon Hutchings, CGY | Caleb Sanders, SSK | Malik Carney, EDM

LINEBACKER: Marquel Lee, Calgary Stampeders | Tony Jones, Winnipeg Blue Bombers | Kenneth Logan Jr., Edmonton Elks

Lee and Jones are currently tied atop the league with 49 defensive tackles each as we round the mid-season bend, though that doesn’t do justice to the impact of either player. Jones has been credited with the most defensive stops — tackles which PFF assesses as a loss for the offence — at 16, while Lee has only missed 5.4 percent of his tackle opportunities, which is among the lowest in the league. Logan has taken a huge step forward in his second season with the Elks, collecting 34 defensive tackles, two sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble while also creating 19 pressures as a blitzer — the most by a non-lineman.

SECOND TEAM: Joel Dublanko, EDM* | Nyles Morgan, OTT | Adarius Pickett, TOR

Photo courtesy: Edmonton Elks.

SECONDARY: Lorenzo Burns, Montreal Alouettes | Destin Talbert, Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Stavros Katsantonis, Hamilton Tiger-Cats* | Robert Kennedy III, Montreal Alouettes | Tyrell Ford, Edmonton Elks*

Burns is the current belt holder as the CFL’s top cornerback, as he has broken up eight passes and forced nine incompletions, while Ford is the top takeaway artist, tied for the league lead with five interceptions from the fieldside in Edmonton. Talbert and Katsantonis remain the gold standards at their respective positions, as Hamilton’s boundary halfback has yet to be beaten for a touchdown and their safety has picked off three passes. Kennedy has become something of a dark-horse Most Outstanding Defensive Player candidate, snagging two interceptions, forcing two fumbles, and scoring a defensive touchdown.

SECOND TEAM: Jamal Peters, HAM | Zy Alexander, CGY | Nate Beauchemin, MTL* | Kordell Jackson, EDM | Tevaughn Campbell, SSK*

SPECIALIST: Vincent Blanchard, Edmonton Elks* | Mark Vassett, Calgary Stampeders** | Tyreik McAllister, Calgary Stampeders | Kelon Thomas, Calgary Stampeders* | Gordon Whyte, Hamilton Tiger-Cats*

McAllister’s addition has been one of the most impactful this offseason, as he has scored three return touchdowns and added three more on offence, while leading the CFL in punt return yards, missed field return yards, and combined yards. The other elements of Calgary’s special teams units are almost as impressive, as Vassett has maintained a strong 49-yard-per-punt average despite being the league’s busiest punter, and Thomas has notched 16 special teams tackles as a six-foot-four, 240-pound coverage mismatch. Blanchard has had a breakout season, connecting on 92.6 percent of his kicks and nailing two from outside of 50 yards, including a 57-yard walk-off winner. Whyte has yet to deliver an inaccurate snap on a field goal or convert, and has made three special teams tackles.

SECOND TEAM: Brett Lauther, OTT* | Jake Julien, EDM* | Janarion Grant, TOR | Jesulayomi Ojutalayo, CGY* | Jason MacGougan, CGY*