CFL.ca’s Top of the Depth Chart series offers an early, speculative look at how each team’s roster could shape up, highlighting potential starters and key position battles ahead of training camp.
“Free agency wasn’t a fireworks show because it didn’t need to be.”
That was Marshall Ferguson’s early assessment of the Montreal Alouettes soon after the start of free agency.
This will not be the most explosive edition of the ‘Top of the Depth Chart’ series. Think of it more as a reminder about what the best team in the East Division looks like.
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» Top of the Depth Chart 2026: Hamilton Tiger-Cats
» Top of the Depth Chart for 2026: Toronto Argonauts
» Top of the Depth Chart 2026: Ottawa REDBLACKS
» Top of the Depth Chart for 2026: Saskatchewan Roughriders
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OFFENCE
* denotes National
** denotes Global
QUARTERBACK
My favourite statistic related to Davis Alexander is that Montreal outscored their opponents by more than a dozen points and over 400 yards of offence whenever Davis started. A full season with Davis should translate into well over 4,000 yards and close to 30 touchdowns. One notable free agent to land in Montreal is former Ottawa REDBLACK Dustin Crum, who provides security and a change of pace look near the goal line.
RUNNING BACK/FULLBACK
After a decent regular season, the Alouettes rookie running back, Stevie Scott III, exploded in the playoffs with 259 yards on the ground and an additional 66 receiving yards. At 26 years old, Scott is starting to hit his physical prime and could become the next workhorse back in the East.
A steady presence for the Ottawa REDBLACKS for the past seven years as a blocker and special teams contributor, Marco Dubois has landed in Montreal. I’m rooting for Dubois to more than double the one career rushing attempt he had in Ottawa. Give the man the ball!
OFFENSIVE LINE
If continuity and familiarity across an offensive line is cool, then consider Montreal’s line the Ryan Gosling of the CFL.
At left tackle, when he is not winning East Division All-CFL awards (three times), Nick Callender is calling Montreal his home for his sixth straight year.
Next to Nick is first-time All-CFLer Pier-Olivier Lestage, who was rewarded with a shiny new three-year contract extension this off-season. Now in his fifth year with the team, I wonder if he has thoughts on the Reuben’s versus Schwartz’s debate.
The Mount Royal of the middle of Montreal’s line, Justin Lawrence made it back on the East Division All-CFL team for the second time in his career, a total that feels low considering how good he’s been. This will be Justin’s fourth year working with Danny Maciocia and company.
Donald Ventrelli is only in his second year with the team, but made a huge jump from appearing in two games as a rookie to starting 17 in the regular season and the entire playoffs. Fun fact: Donald accomplished something none of his fellow linemen was able to do in 2025, score a touchdown. Alright, it wasn’t exactly a designed play, but he did recover an Austin Mack fumble on the goal line as part of a 48-31 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
VENTRELLI JUMPS ON IT FOR THE TD!#CFLGameday
📅: @MTLAlouettes vs. Riders LIVE NOW!
🇨🇦: TSN, RDS
🌎: CFL+ pic.twitter.com/fwZkVGxQFa— CFL (@CFL) September 14, 2025
Finally, we end with the rookie. A 2025 fifth-overall draft selection, Tiger Shanks made his first start at left tackle against the BC Lions in Week 11 and was the team’s starting right tackle throughout the playoffs. If he needs any tips about where to go in the city, he just needs to look to his left for plenty of veteran advice.
RECEIVER
The only thing keeping Tyson Philpot from eclipsing 1,000+ yards is health as the National receiver has missed 20 games in the last three years. Philpot has shown in the playoffs he is an All-CFL-caliber receiver. Tyson won Most Valuable Canadian in the team’s 110th Grey Cup win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and this past Grey Cup run, Philpot had 20 receptions for 252 yards and a touchdown in three post-season contests.
Tyler Snead’s 2025 is the definition of “career year.” The 26-year-old had more receptions (84) and more receiving yards (1,129) than in his previous two seasons combined. He finished the year fifth overall among receivers in yardage.
Cole Spieker could see his production rise with the departure of Austin Mack and is entering his fifth year in Montreal. While he may have been fourth on the team in receiving, he did finish tops in his position group in punting yards with one official punt for 16 yards.
Alexander Hollins only appeared in five games after being released by the Edmonton Elks, but in Week 12, he flashed his 2023 form with a five-catch, 132-yard day against Winnipeg. If he can recapture his peak days with the BC Lions, where he had close to 1,200 yards, Montreal easily could have the best set of receivers in 2026.
If you need any proof about how loaded this team is at receiver look no further than Jerreth Sterns being the fifth option in the Alouettes passing game. In 14 games as a depth option on the Bombers, Sterns still put up career-highs in catches (48) and receiving yards (530).
DEFENCE
* denotes National
** denotes Global
DEFENSIVE LINE
Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund, the back-to-back East Division All-CFLer, checks all the boxes that every GM is looking for. Adeyemi-Berglund is a National defensive end who is coming off a career-high 11 sacks, can consistently rush the passer with 31 quarterback takedowns in the last four years, and with only one game missed in that same amount of time, he is durable at such a physical position.
The six-foot-three, 303-pound second-year lineman, Kori Roberson Jr., will be tasked with replacing veteran Dylan Wynn. As a rookie, Roberson Jr. forced a Brady Oliveira fumble in the Eastern Semi-Final against Winnipeg and played a week later in the team’s Eastern Final victory over Hamilton. The fully healthy version of the 2023 East Division All-CFLer, Mustafa Johnson, can be an absolute menace in the interior both as a run disruptor and forcing quarterbacks to get rid of the ball far sooner than they would like.
The Alouettes will have bookend Canadians on their defensive line with Lwal Uguak just starting to reach his full potential. The seventh overall pick in the 2023 CFL Canadian Draft had 23 tackles, three sacks and his first career interception.
ALS FLIPS THE SCRIPT!
Tyrice Beverette picks it off and takes off! 🏃♂️#CFLGameday
📅: @MTLAlouettes vs. REDBLACKS LIVE NOW
🇨🇦: TSN, CTV, RDS
🌎: CFL+ pic.twitter.com/UMLM4y5Dd6— CFL (@CFL) October 18, 2025
LINEBACKER
Not much to say about Pro Football Focus’ top-rated linebacker. Tyrice Beverette found himself on the All-CFL team after stuffing the stat sheet with 83 defensive tackles, seven sacks, four interceptions and four forced fumbles.
Here is how good Geoffrey Cantin-Arku has been at linebacker for Montreal in his first two years: Darnell Sankey is no longer patrolling the middle of the defence, yet the team should be able to maintain their elite defence. The National linebacker has accumulated 71 tackles and nine sacks, and looks to be the natural successor at middle linebacker as Cantin-Arku enters his third year in the CFL.
Najee Murray is coming off a career year in a hat trick of defensive categories with 77 tackles, two sacks and a pair of interceptions.
Quick aside: the Alouettes are so stacked at this position I haven’t even mentioned the addition of Micah Awe, the game’s leading tackler in 2025 to this group.
DEFENSIVE BACK
Lorenzo Burns took a big leap in his second year with Montreal going from five to 15 games played and racking up 66 defensive tackles. He also nabbed his first two career interceptions and added two forced fumbles.
Just like so many other members of this team, Wesley Sutton has been around for a while, this being his sixth season with the Alouettes. Instead of listing off all the accomplishments of the three-time East Division All-CFLer, why not sit back and enjoy this Week 16, game-ending interception in a 21-19 win over the Toronto Argonauts.
This may be the most fascinating positional battle between now and the start of the season. Jason Maas is going to need to find a suitable replacement for the newly retired Marc-Antoine Dequoy. The team signed the former fifth overall pick of the 2023 CFL Canadian Draft, Jonathan Sutherland, this off-season. The Canadian-born Sutherland has spent time in the NFL, most recently with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Robert Kennedy III will follow up a solid rookie season, one that saw him join the team in July and earn enough trust to start in both the Eastern Final and the 112th Grey Cup.
I imagine Kabion Ento will be highly motivated after that dropped interception against Trevor Harris early in this past Grey Cup. Ento is one of the game’s consistent playmaking cornerbacks with four picks in 2025 and an East Division All-CFL award in 2024 on his resume.
SPECIAL TEAMS
* denotes National
** denotes Global
KICKER/PUNTER/LONG SNAPPER
José Maltos Diaz had a dream 2025 leading the CFL in points while finishing third in field-goal percentage. In the process, Maltos Diaz broke David Duval’s single-season field goal record with 58 made attempts.
The kicking department is in good hands with Joseph Zema’s leg complementing that of José’s. Zema was the CFL leader with 12 punts planted inside the 10-yard line and was rewarded with East Division All-CFL honours.
You gotta respect a long snapper, Louis-Philippe Bourassa, who hasn’t missed a game since 2021.
RETURNER
It will be jarring to see DeVonte Dedmon not wearing a REDBLACKS jersey. While 2025 may have been “down” by his standards, Dedmon should be motivated playing for a team that is capable of winning the Grey Cup in 2026.
