Photo courtesy: Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts have set their depth chart for their season-opening game against the Montreal Alouettes, marking a significant overhaul from last year.
Chad Kelly will start at quarterback with veterans Damonte Coxie, Makai Polk, Kevin Mital, and Dave Ungerer III in the receiving corps. The newcomer is Tyler Kahmann, who joined the team’s practice roster last fall. This will be the first career regular-season game for the six-foot-three, 205-pound target, who caught 101 passes for 1,234 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior at Emporia State.
Sam Hicks, a standout from Abilene Christian University, has won the starting running back job. The 25-year-old rushed nine times for 66 yards and three touchdowns during the preseason, leading to the release of veteran Peyton Logan. Toronto finished last in rushing in 2025 and didn’t retain any of their ball-carriers. Canadian draft pick Isaiah Smith will serve as the only backup.
The offensive line will have three new starters, including Indoor Football League standout Desmond Bland at left tackle, longtime NFL blocker Dakoda Shepley at right guard, and recent Blue Bombers release Kendall Randolph at right tackle. Peter Nicastro (centre) and Ryan Hunter (left guard) are the two incumbents.
Defensively, Ralph Holley will occupy one spot along the interior, while Global draft pick Soane Toia, a native of Tonga, will occupy the other spot. The team leader in sacks a year ago, Andrew Chatfield, will remain at one end, while free agent signee Jonathan Kongbo will make the second spot Canadian. Incumbents Cameron Judge and Isaac Darkangelo remain as the linebackers following the offseason departure of Wynton McManis.
In the secondary, Friday will mark the return of strongside linebacker Adarius Pickett, field halfback DaShaun Amos, and safety Robert Priester, who bumps last season’s top rookie, Derek Slywka, out of the starting lineup. Benjie Franklin and Tavarus McFadden remain entrenched as the corners, while rookie James Ceasar has won the job at boundary halfback.
Projected starters Jake Herslow and DeWayne Hendrix were ruled out on Wednesday. Both have been placed on the one-game injured list, while rookie receiver Nolan Ulm has been moved to the six-game injured list. Receiver Dymere Miller and offensive lineman Brandon Kemp will begin the year on the reserve roster as healthy scratches.
The Toronto Argonauts (0-0) will visit the Montreal Alouettes (1-0) at Percival Molson Stadium on Friday, June 12, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Argonauts were on a bye in Week 1, while the Alouettes are coming off an overtime victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The weather forecast in Montreal calls for a high of 25 degrees and a 20 percent chance of rain. The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS in Canada, and CFL+ in the United States and internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on TSN 1050 in Toronto, TSN 690 in Montreal, or 99.5 Montreal in French.
Toronto Argonauts
