• Winnipeg WR Ontaria Wilson should be top rookie: Wilson averaged 1.90 yards per route run, the third-highest mark in the league. His 31 explosive receptions ranked fourth, and his 21 missed tackles forced after the catch were tied for third-most.
• Saskatchewan HB Rolan Milligan looks to win Most Outstanding Defensive Player award: Quarterbacks targeting Milligan had a passer rating of just 48.9, the lowest in the entire CFL.
• Historic season for Edmonton P Jake Julien: Julien’s 53.95 yards per punt average didn’t just shatter the CFL record. It was the highest season average for a punter in any North American league ever.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
OFFENSE
QB: Bo Levi Mitchell, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Second Team: Trevor Harris, Saskatchewan Roughriders
RB: Brady Oliveira, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Second Team: Ka’Deem Carey, Toronto Argonauts
Receiver: Justin McInnis, British Columbia Lions
Second Team: Nic Demski, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Receiver: Justin Hardy, Ottawa Redblacks
Second Team: Makai Polk, Toronto Argonauts
Receiver: Reggie Begelton, Calgary Stampeders
Second Team: Shemar Bridges, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Receiver: Ontaria Wilson, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Second Team: Kurleigh Gittens Jr., Edmonton Elks
Receiver: Eugene Lewis, Edmonton Elks
Second Team: Samuel Emilus, Saskatchewan Roughriders
LT: Martez Ivey, Edmonton Elks
Second Team: Nick Callender, Montreal Alouettes
LG: Pier-Olivier Lestage, Montreal Alouettes
Second Team: Brandon Revenberg, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
C: Justin Lawrence, Montreal Alouettes
Second Team: Mark Korte, Edmonton Elks
RG: Coulter Woodmansey, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Second Team: Logan Ferland, Saskatchewan Roughriders
RT: Joshua Coker, Calgary Stampeders
Second Team: Brett Boyko, Edmonton Elks
DEFENSE
DI: Casey Sayles, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Second Team: Shawn Oakman, Edmonton Elks
DI: Ralph Holley, Toronto Argonauts
Second Team: Jake Ceresna, Toronto Argonauts
Edge: Malik Carney, Saskatchewan Roughriders
Second Team: Lorenzo Mauldin IV, Ottawa Redblacks
Edge: Folarin Orimolade, Toronto Argonauts
Second Team: Willie Jefferson, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
LB: Tyrice Beverette, Montreal Alouettes
Second Team: Tony Jones, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
LB: Wynton McManis, Toronto Argonauts
Second Team: Nick Anderson, Edmonton
Cover LB: Adarius Pickett, Ottawa Redblacks
Second Team: Redha Kramdi, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
CB: Tyrell Ford, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Second Team: Marcus Sayles, Saskatchewan Roughriders
CB: Garry Peters, British Columbia Lions
Second Team: Kabion Ento, Montreal Alouettes
HB: Rolan Milligan, Saskatchewan Roughriders
Second Team: Damon Webb, Ottawa Redblacks
HB: Deatrick Nichols, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Second Team: Richard Leonard, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
S: Stavros Katsantonis, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Second Team: Loucheiz Purifoy, Edmonton Elks
SPECIAL TEAMS
K: René Paredes, Calgary Stampeders
Second Team: Sergio Castillo, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
P: Jake Julien, Edmonton Elks
Second Team: Nik Constantinou, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
KR: DeVonte Dedmon, Ottawa Redblacks
Second Team: James Letcher Jr., Montreal Alouettes
PR: Janarion Grant, Toronto Argonauts
Second Team: James Letcher Jr., Montreal Alouettes
Special Teams: A.J. Allen, Saskatchewan Roughriders
Second Team: Tyrice Beverette, Montreal Alouettes
MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER: QB BO LEVI MITCHELL, HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
Honorable Mentions: RB Brady Oliveira, LB Tyrice Beverette, HB Rolan Milligan
We already have a piece specifically for Most Outstanding Player, which you can find HERE.
MOST OUTSTANDING ROOKIE: WR ONTARIA WILSON, WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
Honorable Mentions: DI Ralph Holley, WR Makai Polk, WR Shemar Bridges, LB Nick Anderson
There were a plethora of impressive rookies in the CFL this season. Toronto’s Ralph Holley was our second-highest graded interior defender in the league. Nick Anderson led the CFL with a 90.8 run defence grade. Makai Polk and Shemar Bridges both had amazing receiving seasons of their own.
But Winnipeg’s Ontaria “Pokey” Wilson is the most deserving of this award. The receiver was thrown into the fire early after injuries to Winnipeg’s top two receivers in Dalton Schoen and Kenny Lawler, and he never looked back. Wilson finished the season with 71 catches for 1,026 yards, three touchdowns and was the fifth-highest graded receiver in the CFL.
Wilson averaged 1.90 yards per route run, the third-highest mark in the league. His 31 explosive receptions ranked fourth, and his 21 missed tackles forced after the catch were tied for third-most. Wilson did all this while often facing off against his opponents’ toughest corner as Winnipeg’s boundary receiver. He was one of the best receivers in the CFL for the season and deserves the Most Outstanding Rookie award.
MOST OUTSTANDING CANADIAN: CB TYRELL FORD, WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
Honorable Mentions: RB Brady Oliveira, WR Justin McInnis, WR Kurleigh Gittens Jr.
While this award will almost certainly go to Winnipeg’s Brady Oliveira, we want to take this time to highlight his teammate. Oliveira certainly has a strong case, but the 2024 season seemed to be the season of defence. As such, Bombers CB Tyrell Ford has a fantastic case for Most Outstanding Canadian.
Ford finished the season with a league-leading 91.9 overall defensive grade. His 92.2 coverage grade was also the league-best. Ford saw the fourth-most targets in the league this year at 90, but allowed just the 18th-most receptions at 47. That 52.2% completion rate allowed was the second-lowest in the league.
Where Ford really shined was at the catch point. He finished second in the league with seven interceptions. As impressive, he led the league with 21 forced incompletions. His 23.3% forced incompletion rate was the second-highest among corners. Quarterbacks targeting Ford had a passer rating of just 68.7, the eighth-lowest mark among all defenders. Ford was one of the best defenders in the CFL this year, and certainly the top Canadian one.
MOST OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE PLAYER: HB ROLAN MILLIGAN, SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
Honorable Mentions: LB Tyrice Beverette, CB Garry Peters, CB Tyrell Ford
The honourable mentions of this award deserve plenty of recognition. Ford was already discussed in the above paragraph. Peters was as shutdown a corner as one could be in the CFL, allowing just 21 catches for 240 yards and one touchdown all season as a boundary corner. Beverette was a Most Outstanding Player candidate, and by all accounts, had an absolutely incredible season.
But with all due respect to them, Milligan was the best defensive player in the CFL in 2024. Milligan’s 90.6 overall defensive grade was the second-highest in the CFL, as was his 90.4 coverage grade. He made 102 total tackles, the fifth-most among secondary players in the CFL.
It wasn’t just that Milligan led the league with eight interceptions. He also had 11 pass breakups and didn’t allow a single touchdown after Week 8. Milligan allowed just 0.62 yards per coverage snap on average, the lowest average among all defensive halfbacks. Quarterbacks targeting Milligan had a passer rating of just 48.9, the lowest in the entire CFL. While any of the honourable mentions could win in other years, this year belongs to Milligan.
MOST OUTSTANDING OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: LG PIER-OLIVIER LESTAGE, MONTREAL ALOUETTES
Honorable Mentions: LT Martez Ivey, RT Joshua Coker, LG Brandon Revenberg
Edmonton’s Martez Ivey led the CFL this year with an 85.8 run-blocking grade. Calgary’s Joshua Coker allowed just 11 total pressures all season and paced the league with an 83.2 pass-blocking grade. Hamilton’s Brandon Revenberg ranked inside the top 10 for both run- and pass-blocking. All three players had excellent seasons.
But it was Montreal LG Pier-Olivier Lestage who had the most consistent and all-around dominant season. As a run blocker, Lestage finished with the fifth-highest grade among offensive linemen at 77.0. He had a very impressive 14.3% impact run block rate. As a pass-blocker, he was even better: his 77.2 pass-blocking grade ranked fourth. He allowed pressure on just 1.7% of his pass-blocking snaps, the lowest mark in the league.
Lestage finished the year as the only offensive lineman to have both a run- and pass-blocking grade above 77.0. He was as consistent as an offensive lineman can be in the CFL, and this award belongs to him.
JOHN AGRO SPECIAL TEAMS AWARD: P JAKE JULIEN, EDMONTON ELKS
Honorable Mentions: PK René Paredes, PK Sergio Castillo, KR Janarion Grant
It was an incredible year for some special teams players in the CFL. Paredes went 23-for-25 on field goals beyond 40 yards. Castillo set a CFL record with 11 field goals beyond 50 yards, including two 60-yard kicks. Grant returned four kicks for touchdowns. All are more than deserving of this award.
However, what we saw Jake Julien do as a punter this season was historic. Julien’s 53.95 yards per punt average didn’t just shatter the CFL record. It was the highest season average for a punter in any North American league ever. That includes the NFL, college football, USFL, XFL, you name it. He did that despite scoring 15 singles, more than double second place.
Julien’s 95.3 punting grade was the highest we’ve ever given out in a season since we started grading punts for the NFL and NCAA in 2013. What Julien was able to do as a punter this season wasn’t just historic for the CFL. Julien may well have just had the greatest punting season we’ve ever seen in all of football.
ANNIS STUCKUS TROPHY (COACH OF THE YEAR): COREY MACE, SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
Honorable Mentions: Jason Maas, Mike O’Shea
Jason Maas coached his Montreal Alouettes to the No. 1 seed in the CFL this year. Mike O’Shea coached Winnipeg through a struggling start to finish the season with wins in nine of its final 10 games and the No. 1 seed in the West Division. Both coaches are deserving of a mention for this award.
But, Corey Mace took over a Saskatchewan team that missed the playoffs last season after losing its final seven games to finish 6-12. All he did was lead the Roughriders to a home playoff game with a 9-8-1 record. Saskatchewan was in the race for the No. 1 seed in the West Division until the very last week of the season.
Mace guided Saskatchewan through injuries to star players like QB Trevor Harris, RB A.J. Ouellette, Edge Anthony Lanier II and CB Amari Henderson. He took a defence that was, by many accounts, the worst in the CFL last year, and turned it into one of the best in the league. That defence allowed 30.6 points per game last season (last), and this season, permitted just 24.1 (third). The Roughriders also had the fewest offensive turnovers to go along with the most defensive takeaways. What Mace did for Saskatchewan was phenomenal, and he deserves the award for Coach of the Year.
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