Running backs Mills, Oliveira among CFL players to watch during ’26 season

The 2026 CFL season kicks off Thursday night with the Montreal Alouettes visiting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Here are some of the top players (excluding quarterbacks) worth keeping tabs on this year:

Brady Oliveira, RB, Winnipeg — The Winnipeg native looks to crack the 1,000-yard rushing plateau for a fifth straight season after finishing fourth last year with 1,013 yards. He ran for a career-high 1,534 yards in 2023 to earn the CFL’s top Canadian honour before claiming it and the MVP award in 2024 with 1,353 yards on the ground.

Dedrick Mills, RB, Calgary — He was the CFL rushing leader last season with 1,409 yards (5.6-yard average) with 11 touchdowns. Both were also career highs for the 29-year-old. Calgary led the league in rushing (126.7 yards per game) and finished third in the West Division (11-7) to return to the playoffs after missing out in 2024.

Mathieu Betts, DE, B.C.– The former Laval star was the CFL’s top defensive player for a second time last year after posting a league-high 15 sacks. He also won it in 2023 with a record 18 sacks (most ever by a Canadian). Betts, 31, of Montreal, has 44 sacks in 79 career regular-season games and has reached double digits in two of the last three seasons.

Keon Hatcher Sr., WR, B.C. — The veteran receiver, entering his sixth CFL season with the Lions, led the league in 2025 in targets (145), yards (1,688), 100-yard games (seven) and yards after catch (611) and finished tied for first in catches (102). All were career highs, as were his nine TD grabs. The 31-year-old Hatcher will chase a fourth career 1,000-yard campaign in 2026.

Kenny Lawler, WR, Hamilton — Lawler’s first season with the Tiger-Cats was a memorable one. He led the CFL in TD catches (14), was second in targets (144), tied for third in receptions (86) and was second in yards (1,443). Hamilton signed Lawler to a three-year extension reportedly worth $1 million this off-season.

Wynton McManis, LB, Hamilton — The veteran middle linebacker dons the black and gold after four seasons with the Toronto Argonauts which saw him win two Grey Cups and earn two league all-star nods. McManis replaces Canadian Devin Veresuk (Indianapolis, NFL) as Hamilton chases its first CFL title since ’99, the league’s longest championship drought.

Adarius Pickett, LB, Toronto — The veteran linebacker rejoins the Argos after two seasons with the Ottawa Redblacks. Pickett was stellar with Toronto in 2023, earning the East Division’s outstanding defensive player honour after posting career highs in tackles (105), special-teams tackles (19) and sacks (six) with a forced fumble.

Micah Awe, LB, Montreal — The veteran linebacker is back with the Alouettes after appearing in 13 games (12 starts) with them in 2022. Awe had a league-high 114 tackles in 2025, with the B.C. Lions. He added three special-teams tackles, a forced fumble and two interceptions. Awe became expendable after the Lions signed veteran Darnell Sankey upon his release by Montreal.

Tyrice Beverette, LB, Montreal — The 31-year-old was a CFL all-star last season after registering 83 tackles, seven special-teams tackles, seven sacks and four interceptions. It marked the third straight year he’d registered at least 80 defensive tackles. The four interceptions were also tops among linebackers and the four forced fumbles were a league-high.

A.J. Allen, LB, Ottawa — The six-foot, 235-pound Burlington, Ont., native begins his first season with the Redblacks. Last year Allen had 87 tackles, four special-teams tackles, three interceptions and four sacks in 18 regular-season games for Grey Cup-champion Saskatchewan. He capped his season with six tackles and a special-teams tackle in the Riders’ title victory over Montreal.

Trey Vaval, KR, Winnipeg — Last season, Vaval became just the third CFL player to earn top rookie and special-teams honours in the same season. The cornerback scored a league-high four return TDs and led it in punt-return yards (957) and missed field goal yards (391). Vaval’s 2,266 total return yards left him third in all-purpose yards while adding 21 tackles, four special-teams tackles and an interception.

Josh Rankin, RB, Edmonton — The five-foot-10, 210-pound Rankin ran for 1,013 yards and had a league-high 12 runs of 20 or more yards. He added 56 catches for 713 yards with four touchdowns. Rankin is a viable threat to become the first CFL player to record 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in a season.

Tevaughn Campbell, DB, Saskatchewan — The 32-year-old Toronto native finished tied for the CFL lead in interceptions last season with six, a career high. Campbell led the league in yards (205) and longest return (112 yards for TD). He also played a big role in Saskatchewan’s Grey Cup win over Montreal with three tackles, an interception and key forced fumble late in the fourth quarter.

Darnell Sankey, LB, B.C. — The six-foot, 242-pound Sankey posted 101 tackles, two special-teams tackles and two sacks last season with Montreal. It was Sankey’s second straight season of 100 or more tackles and marked the third time in his five CFL campaigns that he’s reached the 100-tackle plateau.

Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund, DL, Montreal — The six-foot-two, 244-pound defensive lineman had a breakout ’25 season. He was the East Division’s top Canadian after posting a career-high 11 sacks. The Dartmouth, N.S., native has recorded a combined 18 sacks the last two seasons with Montreal after starting his CFL career with the Calgary Stampeders (2021-23).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2026.

The Canadian Press