Photo courtesy: Steven Chang/B.C. Lions
All nine CFL teams opened training camps on Sunday, ushering in a new season that will culminate with the 113th Grey Cup at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.
Though teams have a general idea of how their rosters will look come Week 1, there are always at least a few starting spots open for the taking.
3DownNation has taken the liberty of highlighting one key position battle for each team. Be sure to follow along with each of them before final roster cuts are due on Saturday, May 30.
B.C. Lions — left tackle
The Lions lost arguably the best offensive lineman in the CFL when Jarell Broxton signed with the Blue Bombers in free agency to become the highest-paid American blocker in the league.
According an internal report, Kory Woodruff will be given the first shot to replace him at left tackle. The 26-year-old native of Sioux City, Ia. is entering his third season with B.C. and started all 18 regular-season games last year — 16 at left guard and two at left tackle.
Joshua Coker could be in the mix for the job, though he’s not expected to be available until the late summer or early fall. The six-foot-two, 336-pound blocker spent the past five seasons with the Calgary Stampeders, dressing for 43 regular-season games and making 29 starts.
Isiah Cage, who joined the team in February, also seems like an intriguing option. The 32-year-old won two recent Grey Cups with the Argonauts, though he didn’t play in the CFL last season for reasons that remain unclear.
Other possible challengers include Tyran Hunt, Christian Olmstead, Brandon Yates, Logan Zschernitz, and CFL veteran Chris Schleuger.
Calgary Stampeders — defensive tackle
Jaylon Hutchings was sensational for the Stampeders in 2025, making eight sacks and earning an All-CFL selection in his first full season. After his departure for the NFL, there’s now a massive hole for the team to fill beside Miles Brown.
Calgary has around a half-dozen American suitors in training camp, including Wisconsin standout Elijah Hills, Miami of Ohio award-winner Savio Frazier, two-time All-Southern Conference selection Brandon Maina, James Madison standout Khairi Manns, and former first-team All-Mid-American Conference selection Devonte O’Malley.
There are also two Canadians in the mix in Justin Sambu and Max von Muehldorfer.
Sambu, who finished his collegiate career at Baylor, has been productive over two seasons in Calgary, making 20 defensive tackles and five sacks over 20 regular-season games.
Von Muehldorfer, a seventh-round pick in the 2025 CFL Draft, was named first-team U Sports All-Canadian at Western while completing his collegiate eligibility last year.
Photo courtesy: Edmonton Elks
Edmonton Elks — receiver
The Elks signed Austin Mack following his release from the Alouettes in January. The 28-year-old was named All-CFL when he and Cody Fajardo won a Grey Cup together in Montreal in 2023, so the two have built-in chemistry.
Edmonton also added Joe Robustelli from Saskatchewan, Brendan O’Leary-Orange from Hamilton, and homegrown product Carter Kettyle in the 2026 CFL Draft.
Mack, Robustelli, and incumbent starter Kaion Julien-Grant seem like safe bets to start, leaving the other two spots up for grabs. Given the team’s ratio flexibility, they can seemingly be filled by American or Canadian players.
O.J. Hiliare, Binjimen Victor, Jalon Calhoun, Zach Mathis, and T.J. Luther are all back from last year, as are Jackson Tachinski and Kolby Hurford after wrapping their U Sports careers. There’s also Éloa Latendresse-Regimbald, who is looking to transition from quarterback to receiver.
Edmonton’s newcomers at the position include All-American Athletic Conference selection Joshua Cephus, Albany standout Julian Hicks, All-Patriot League selection Ayir Asante, Baylor product Ketron Jackson Jr., All-SWAC honouree Kisean Johnson, North Carolina product J.J. Jones, and big-bodied Justin McGriff.
Saskatchewan Roughriders — defensive end
Three players started at defensive end for the Roughriders in 2025, none of whom remain with the team. Malik Carney and Habakkuk Baldonado left for larger pay days elsewhere, while it appears Ray is done with professional football.
James Vaughters, who was signed in free agency after tying a career-high with six sacks last year, seems like a lock to start at one defensive end spot. The other appears wide open.
Aaron Patrick, who dressed for 16 regular-season games in a depth role last season, was moved to the retired list on Sunday. The six-foot-five, 250-pound defender was thought to be the front-runner to win the starting job opposite Vaughters, though he’s now out of the running — at least for now.
Four players who have been brought in to compete include Chico Bennett Jr., who was signed late last year, North Carolina standout Desmond Evans, NFL journeyman Marcus Haynes, and Kentucky standout Justin Weaver.
Former first-round CFL draft pick Lake Korte-Moore could also factor into the position battle as he returns from a torn ACL he suffered in 2025. The six-foot-four, 262-pound native of Ottawa has made 29 defensive tackles, three special teams tackles, and two sacks over 41 career regular-season games.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers — backup quarterback
There are a few spots open for the taking in Bomberland — left guard, defensive end, and cornerback, to name a few — but all eyes are on the battle behind Zach Collaros.
There are four players fighting for Winnipeg’s backup quarterback job, only one of whom has previous CFL experience. Terry Wilson has spent the last two seasons with the team, completing 12-of-22 pass attempts for 79 yards and one interception.
The other three suitors, Bryce Perkins, Payton Thorne, and Taylor Elgersma, all have intriguing resumés.
Perkins won Super Bowl LVI with the Los Angeles Rams, then was named the UFL’s Most Valuable Player in 2025. Thorne went 26-22 as a collegiate starter at Michigan State and Auburn, and was mentored at the latter by Grey Cup-winning quarterback and head coach Kent Austin.
Elgersma has yet to dress for a regular-season professional football game but this is his sixth professional training camp. If the rocket-armed native of London, Ont. can turn that experience into on-field success, it won’t be long before he’s being hailed as the future of the franchise.
For more on Winnipeg’s backup quarterback battle, click here.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats — field-side secondary
Jamal Peters and Destin Talbert still have the boundary side locked down for the Tabbies but they lost DeShaun Amos and Jonathan Moxey to free agency without bringing in any proven replacements.
Quavian White, who made one start last year, appears to have the inside track to one of the two starting jobs. The 25-year-old product of Georgia State dressed for two regular-season games in 2025, his first year in the CFL, and made one special teams tackle.
Zamari Walton, who made two starts in place of Peters in 2025, should also be in the mix. The six-foot-three, 185-pound native of Melbourne, Fla. has rare size for a CFL defensive back and strong collegiate pedigree, having made 38 total tackles, two interceptions, and seven pass knockdowns during his senior year at Ole Miss.
Others who should factor into the race include Cameron Bergeron, who spent part of 2025 on the team’s practice roster, and Florida A&M product Kendall Bohler.
For more on Hamilton’s position battles, click here.
Photo courtesy: Bob Butrym/RFB Sport Photography
Toronto Argonauts — running back
The Boatmen had a historically poor rushing attack last season, so it’s key that they get better in the backfield to have a more balanced offensive attack.
Spencer Brown, who started six games last season, is likely the projected starter, though he only averaged 4.2 yards per carry last year. The 27-year-old was arguably best as a receiver out of the backfield, making 42 catches for 290 yards and a touchdown.
Toronto has brought six other running backs to training camp, including CFL veteran Peyton Logan, Walter Payton Award finalist Jyran Mitchell, Abilene Christian star Samuel Hicks, and 240-pound bruiser Qualan Jones.
The Argonauts also took two Canadian running backs in the draft, selecting Isaiah Smith out of Guelph in round two and Weagbe Mombo out of Windsor in round eight. Given how highly Smith was selected, he seems likely to make the active roster.
Ottawa Redblacks — kick returner
Kalil Pimpleton is a game-breaking return specialist, though the Redblacks may want him focus on his duties as a receiver. If that holds, this would leave Ottawa without any returners with CFL experience on the roster as DeVonte Dedmon was cut before signing with the Montreal Alouettes.
The two newcomers who appear to have the inside track to becoming the team’s new return specialist are Jacquez Stuart and Cade McDonald.
Stuart was a two-time All-Conference selection during his collegiate career at the University of Toledo, where he returned 75 kicks for 1,945 yards and three touchdowns. The five-foot-nine, 175-pound speedster reportedly ran a 4.53-second forty-yard dash coming out of college.
McDonald was named second-team All-Conference during his collegiate career at Miami University in Ohio, where he brought back 32 punts for 311 yards. The native of Naperville, Ill. attended training camp with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2025.
Other players on the roster with limited return experience include Jordan Bly, Sam Schnee, Gavin Holmes, Shakur Brown, John Dunmore, and Daniel Jackson. The Redblacks also signed NFL veteran Andy Isabella this offseason, though he did not report for the start of training camp.
Montreal Alouettes — wideout
Austin Mack and Charleston Rambo are no longer with the Alouettes, draining the team’s receiving corps of arguably its two best deep threats.
Montreal’s brass seems high on Jerreth Sterns, who scored four touchdowns with Winnipeg in 2025, though he’s a possession-style slotback — not a burner. The same is true for Cole Spieker, who has been with the Alouettes since 2022.
Alexander Hollins is still under contract as he looks to get back to his form from 2023 when he was named All-West Division with the B.C. Lions.
Two players to keep an eye on are Austin Watkins and Sean Ryan. Watkins, who was named All-Conference at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, reportedly ran a 4.56-second forty-yard dash coming out of college, while Ryan leaped a 39-inch vertical jump at six-foot-three and 198 pounds.
None of this is to say Montreal’s receiving corps lacks speed — Tyson Philpot and Tyler Snead, the team’s two top incumbent receivers, have plenty — but it’ll be interesting to see if a newcomer can break into the starting lineup.
