Photo courtesy: Bob Butrym/RFB Sport Photography
A busy offseason of comings and goings for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats has led to some interesting position dynamics and battles as a deep, talented Tiger-Cats squad looks to play meaningful football in November.
Last year, everything seemed to align for Hamilton, as they finished atop the East Division standings in the regular-season and earned a home playoff game. However, the Montreal Alouettes had other ideas, upsetting the Ticats 19-16 in the East Final on a last-second field goal.
The 2026 regular-season cannot get going fast enough and it all got started with training camp at McMaster University. Before the team kicks off the CFL campaign against the Alouettes on Thursday, June 4, let’s take a look at where the competition for playing time will be the toughest.
Running back
Greg Bell has taken his team-leading 1,038 rushing yards and more than respectable 426 receiving yards to Ottawa, so there is a large void at running back.
The competition for this spot will be fierce and could come from any number of sources. Chances are a position of this profile will go to an American player.
As the roster looks right now, there are only four running backs listed, including Canadian veterans Johnny Augustine and Ante Milanovic-Litre. Augustine had 242 rushing yards as the team’s second-leading running back behind Bell in 2025.
Shane Watts and Larry Rountree III are the two Americans. Watts, who was a 2025 free-agent signee but did not take a snap last year, had over 1,300 yards in his final season at Fort Wayne State. He’s a small, explosive runner who can catch the ball well, recording over 600 yards receiving in his collegiate career.
Rountree III has 49 NFL carries on his resume from his time with the Los Angeles Chargers and played for the Birmingham Stallions in the UFL. The 27-year-old was named All-SEC during his tenure at the University of Missouri.
Receiver
Tim White is the biggest deletion from last year’s Kenny Lawler-led receiving group. White amassed 1,016 yards on 84 catches, the lowest yardage total of his four straight 1,000-yard seasons with Hamilton, before heading off to Winnipeg.
Lawler, who made 86 catches for 1,443 yards last season, was complemented by Kiondre Smith, who caught 86 passes for 1,126 yards. The talented duo are back and the hope is that Shemar Bridges, who re-signed with the team, can find his 2024 form, when he made 83 receptions for 933 yards. Bridges provides a big target for Mitchell given his six-foot-four, 200-pound frame.
It really gets interesting after those three, thanks to some incoming free agents.
Ex-Winnipeg Blue Bomber Keric Wheatfall will look to ensure he gets his share of targets as he comes in after a solid season with 42 catches and 655 yards.
Kurleigh Gittens Jr., who was raised in Ottawa, had 777 yards on 62 catches with Edmonton last year and has a 1,000-yard receiving season on his resume from 2022 with the Toronto Argonauts.
Adding players like Wheatfall and Gittens Jr. to an already explosive receiving group will make for an offence that can score in bunches, particularly with Canadians like Tyler Ternowski and Tyson Middlemost rounding out the corps.
It’s also worth mentioning Saint Jerome, Que. native Malick Meiga, the team’s second-round pick in the 2026 CFL Draft. The Coastal Carolina product is currently under contract with the Carolina Panthers, but if he signs with the Tiger-Cats, he’ll be another pass-catcher vying for targets.
Photo courtesy: Bob Butrym/RFB Sport Photography
Defensive back
Field-side cornerback Jonathan Moxey and field-side halfback DaShaun Amos have moved on — Moxey went to Winnipeg, while Amos joined Toronto — so those are two gaps that need to be filled. Hamilton did not add any veterans via trade or free agency, so it appears the replacements will come from within.
Quavian White, who stands five-foot-eight and 187 pounds, has been with Hamilton since he signed in December 2024, but has been seldom used by the Tiger-Cats. He seems like one option. The Georgia State graduate had 11 interceptions in his five seasons there and then spent some time with the Arizona Cardinals.
Offering a different dimension than the smaller White is lanky Zamari Walton, who is six-foot-three, 187 pounds. He played two games for Hamilton last year and had seven tackles. The 26-year-old spent his collegiate career fat Georgia Tech (2018-2022) before transferring to Mississippi State for 2023.
Kendall Bohler was signed in November 2025 out of Florida A&M and could find himself in the mix along with Cameron Bergeron, who played four years at Duke and was briefly on the practice squad.
Punter
Nik Constantinou will be difficult to replace as he was booming punts at a 48.3-yard average last year, leading to a contract with the Cleveland Browns. The Tiger-Cats will keep a similar geographic formula, at least, as they continue to tap the Global market for their punting needs.
The only punter currently on the roster with CFL experience is Frasier Masin, who had 27 punts for a 46-yard average with the Calgary Stampeders last year. The big Australian is six-foot-four and 225 pounds, and is built more like a linebacker than a punter. He kicked for Ole Miss and averaged over 46 yards per punt in his senior year.
Hamilton kept the Australian theme going by selecting two punters from the land down under in the 2026 CFL Global Draft. In the first round, fifth overall, it was Nick Haberer who played his final year at Vanderbilt after three seasons at Washington State. In his senior year, he averaged 46.9 yards per punt. He also stands a rather sizeable six-foot-five, 227 pounds.
In the second round, 14th overall, the Ticats selected Mitch McCarthy. The 28-year-old was the punter for the College Football Playoff National Champion Indiana Hoosiers, averaging 41.6 yards per kick. Before that, he was with the University of Central Florida for three seasons. He stands six-foot-five, 233 pounds.
With three punting hopefuls who stand at six-foot-four, six-foot-five, and six-foot-five, respectively, and all easily clearing 200 pounds, the special teams get an added boost should a returner break free.
Returner
Dangerous returner Isaiah Wooden has taken his talents to the NFL and the Cleveland Browns. He was the Tiger-Cats’ primary punt returner (38 returns 570 yards, one touchdown) and kick returner (42 returns 1,105 yards, two touchdowns).
Replacing three return touchdowns will not be easy and the team seems to be looking at a number of different options when they were in rookie camp.
The front-runner could come in the form of veteran Mario Alford. The 35-year-old is almost at legend status when it comes to returning punts and kicks in the CFL, as he has scored 11 touchdowns during his career and is remembered for his stunning late-game 99-yard score that won a game for Saskatchewan over Toronto.
Myron Mitchell, who spent last season on the practice roster, returned 11 punts for Winnipeg in 2024 and eight kickoffs. He could become another option for the Black and Gold, along with Quavian White, who returned six punts and six kickoffs in a secondary role last season for Hamilton.
According to rookie camp reports, there were upwards of eight different returners who were being auditioned for punt and kickoff duties. That’s smart business given Alford’s age.
Given how the season ended last year and a hunger to finally break through and win the Grey Cup in 2026, expect the battle for positioning on the depth chart to be fierce and competitive.
