Davis Alexander came as advertised in 2025.
As we continue previewing a brand-new season by highlighting one storyline for each CFL team, we land on Montreal and Alexander’s sophomore season as a starter. With the groundwork laid last year, it feels like Alexander is on the cusp of cementing his status as one of the league’s elite.
The only thing we haven’t seen from Alexander is a full season.
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Along the way, Alexander racked up a 9-1 record in a combined 10 starts, with the only loss coming in the 112th Grey Cup. And you sure do wonder how things might have been different, even slightly, had his injury not flared up ahead of that championship loss to Saskatchewan.
It raised a few eyebrows in December 2024 when the Alouettes opted to trade Cody Fajardo to clear the path for Alexander. But a little less than 18 months later, it’s clear Montreal knew what they had. Still just 27, Alexander has all kinds of runway in front of him.
If you combine outstanding early results with a full campaign this year, it’s hard to put limits on what Alexander might be able to accomplish. It’s one of the main reasons Montreal enters 2026 as a firm 113th Grey Cup favourite.
FIVE IS ENOUGH
The story in Edmonton is a little different.
With one of the proudest winning traditions in league history, the Elks have missed the playoffs in five consecutive seasons. That’s just not acceptable in the Alberta capital and the team’s approach to this past off-season spoke loudly to that.
Edmonton made significant high-profile additions over the winter, which included defensive end Malik Carney, receivers Austin Mack and Joe Robustelli, and offensive lineman Coulter Woodmansey. Added to already established core pieces like Cody Fajardo, Nick Anderson, and Tyrell Ford, the Elks are building on a strong second half of last season where they won six of their final 11 games.
“I feel like as a team, you know, we figured out who we wanted to be and what our identity was and how to play to that identity toward the back half of the season,” head coach Mark Kilam told CFL.ca at CFL Winter Meetings as he enters his second year with more stability and a whole lot less chaos.
“Now I can focus on other things. I can focus on how I want to make training camp better. You know, what’s our messages going to be? How are we going to take that next step? How are we going to start faster? Those are the things I can focus on now versus just trying to put it all together in year one.”
And now we see if the Elks can combine it all for their first playoff appearance since 2019.
CORNERING THE MARKET
Our MMQB positional rankings are shifting back to the defensive side of the ball after we presented our top three running backs last week. And we’re starting to put a dent in our chart for the coming season!
This week we’re focused on another high-profile position: cornerback. It’s turned into one of the league’s deepest positions for elite talent in recent years, with names like Garry Peters, Marcus Sayles, JJ Ross, Adrian Greene, Lorenzo Burns, Benjie Franklin, and Tarvarus McFadden finishing just outside.
1. KABION ENTO | MONTREAL ALOUETTES
KABION ENTO DENIES BC OF A TOUCHDOWN! 🤯
Lions vs. @MTLAlouettes LIVE NOW
🇨🇦: TSN, CTV & RDS
🇺🇸: CBS SN
🌎: CFL+ pic.twitter.com/m2CNQWVy9a— CFL (@CFL) July 5, 2025
Quietly signed in early 2023, Kabion Ento has been nothing short of a revelation in Montreal. Ento has finished all three of his CFL seasons as a top five corner as ranked by Pro Football Focus, including taking down the number one spot last year. A coverage blanket on the field side, Ento recorded 33 defensive tackles and four interceptions last season.
2. TEVAUGHN CAMPBELL | SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
After six seasons south of the border, Tevaughn Campbell returned to the CFL last year and was an absolute home run for the Riders. Campbell tied for the league lead with six interceptions to go along with 43 defensive tackles and one fumble recovery. An instant fit on the field side, Campbell made a perfect corner tandem with Sayles on the boundary.
3. JAMAL PETERS | HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
Signed to a two-year extension in December, Jamal Peters is coming off one of his best seasons. 2025 saw Peters tie for the league lead with six interceptions to go along with 50 defensive tackles. One of the league’s toughest boundary corners to throw on, Peters will be a crucial piece as Hamilton looks to end their championship drought.
