A review of CFL players to watch for the 2024 season | Globalnews.ca

Brady Oliveira It's hard to emulate.

The 5-foot-10, 222-pound Winnipeg native is Compact fluorescent lampOliveira was a Canadian All-Pro and finalist last season with a league-high 1,534 rushing yards, second all-time in Canada behind Calgary’s Jon Cornish’s 1,813 in 2013. Oliveira also led the league in rushing yards (2,016) and touchdowns (13).

Oliveira rushed for 100 yards in seven games, which was the most in the league, while also setting career highs in receptions (38) and receiving yards (482). Oliveira was awarded a new two-year contract with a reported salary of $230,000 this season and $240,000 in 2025.

But Oliveira's stellar performance came to an end as the Montreal Alouettes defeated Winnipeg 28-24 in the Grey Cup. While the Bombers are looking to win their fifth consecutive championship, their last win came in 2021.

Here are some other CFL players to watch this season:

William Stanback, BC Lions

The 6-foot-3, 233-pound running back signed with BC after being released by Montreal after five seasons with the CFL club. Stanback has twice rushed for 1,000 yards or more and helped the Alouettes win the Grey Cup last season after racking up 800 yards on 147 carries despite missing four games due to injury. He is the 2021 Eastern Conference Player of the Year.

AJ Ouellette, Saskatchewan Mounted Police

The 5-foot-9, 208-pound running back rushed for a career-best 1,009 yards (5.7 average) and eight touchdowns last season with Toronto, while also catching 16 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns. Now joining Saskatchewan, Ouellette should help bolster a ground attack that ranked eighth in yards allowed last year (84.4 per game) and last in yards per rush (4.4).

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James Butler (Hamilton Tiger-Cats)

The 5-foot-9, 210-pound Butler is on pace for his third straight season to rush for 1,000 yards. Last year, he rushed for a career-best 1,116 yards, becoming the first Ticats player to do so since 2009. If he can repeat that mark in 2024, Butler will become the first Hamilton player to rush for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons since DeAndra' Cobb in 2009-10.

DeMerio Houston, Calgary Stampedes

The cornerback was the CFL's top ballhawk last year and led the league in interceptions (seven) and defensive tackles (10) while in Winnipeg. The 5-foot-10, 173-pound defender signed with Calgary as a free agent in the offseason. In three seasons and 30 regular-season games with the Bombers, Houston had 84 tackles and nine interceptions (one of which was returned for a touchdown).

Tim White, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Last season, White led the CFL in receiving yards (1,269) and averaged 16.9 yards per catch. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound White has reached 1,000 receiving yards in the past two seasons and has 224 catches for 3,308 yards (1,178 after the catch) and 18 touchdowns in 47 games for Hamilton.

Eugene Lewis, Edmonton Elks

Lewis had 91 catches for 1,303 yards and 10 touchdowns with Montreal in 2022. Last year, he made his debut with Edmonton, catching 48 passes for 844 yards and three touchdowns. But new Elks quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson leads the CFL in passing games in 2022, which bodes well for the speedy Lewis.

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Adarius Pickett, Ottawa Redblacks

The linebacker was a Canadian Football League All-Star last season with Toronto before signing with Ottawa as a free agent. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound Pickett was the Eastern Conference's top defensive player with 105 tackles (five for loss), 19 special teams tackles, six sacks, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. He had 73 tackles, four sacks and an interception last season with Montreal.

Darnell Sankey, Montreal Alouettes

The 6-foot-1, 245-pound defender had 31 tackles, a sack and an interception in six regular-season games with Montreal. But he was outstanding in the playoffs, recording 22 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions and a forced fumble during the Als' Grey Cup march. Before leaving for the XFL, Sankey led the CFL in tackles in 2021 (Calgary) and 2022 (Saskatchewan).

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Grey Cup Champions Montreal Alouettes

Cameron Judge, Calgary Stampedes

Calgary extended the Montreal native through 2025, and for good reason. The 6-foot-2, 234-pound defender had a career-high 90 tackles last season and led the team with five interceptions. In 64 games with Saskatchewan, Toronto and the Stamps, Judge has 283 tackles (11 for loss), 14 sacks, six forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries and nine interceptions.

Bryce Carter, Ottawa Redblacks

The Ottawa defensive lineman had 12 sacks last season, second in the Canadian Football League. The 6-foot-1, 252-pound Carter also recorded 31 tackles and two forced fumbles. He teamed up with defensive lineman Lorenzo Mauldin IV (the 2022 Canadian Football League Defensive Player of the Year) to give the Red and Blacks a strong presence up front.

Christian Covington, BC Lions

Nine years after being drafted by the BC Lions, the Vancouver native signed with the CFL team. The six-foot-two, 300-pound defensive lineman came north after playing in the NFL with the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions.

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Jake Ceresna, Toronto Argonauts

Toronto acquired the 6-foot-5, 295-pound defensive lineman from Edmonton in the trade that sent Curry Gittens II to Alberta. Seresna set career highs with 48 tackles and 12 sacks last season after earning 22nd CFL All-Star honors. He should provide a solid 1-2 pass rush for Toronto along with Folarin Orimolade (team-high 10 sacks).

Javon Leake, Edmonton Elks

The speedy returner signed with the Edmonton Elks as a free agent after a stellar 2013 stint with Toronto. Leake was the CFL's top special teams player last season, leading the league with four punt return touchdowns. That mark is second only to that set by former Edmonton standout Henry (Gizmo) Williams in 1991 and tied by Hamilton's Chris Williams in 2012.

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