Another week has come and gone in the CFL and if you’re reading this, it means we haven’t talked Most Outstanding Canadian probabilities since OK Tire Labour Day Weekend, which feels like it was months ago with all the crazy finishes and games of note over the past two weeks.

The list below falls, as usual, with a top five, but it’s impossible to not recognize those on the outside looking in who have been playing at an elite level or had memorable moments recently.

Freshest in the memory is Tyson Philpot going absolutely crazy for the Montreal Alouettes in a road victory against Saskatchewan. I joked with Tyson following Labour Day as he watched fellow Canadian standout Kiondré Smith go crazy, asking if he dislikes the early September classics, since he has to sit around and watch others have big games.

Yep, he hated it and he made up for time lost to injury last week in a stunning statistical performance.

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A pair of Canadians are tied for the CFL lead in sacks currently as Mathieu Betts and Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund continue to be standout, and Montreal has a pair of elite special teams demons in Tyrell Richards and Alexandre Gagné, who top the third unit takedown list as Byron Archambault continues to get the best out of his crew.

Despite a tough stretch against Saskatchewan, Winnipeg running back Brady Oliveira continues to lead the CFL in yards per rushing attempt, while his Roughrider foe Tevaughn Campbell tops the CFL’s interception tally.

From coast-to-coast, offence to defence to special teams, it is undeniable that Canadians are having a special season, but only one can take home the crown come award season. Could it be a kicker?

1. NATHAN ROURKE | QUARTERBACK | BC LIONS

 

A pair of wins over the REDBLACKS has Nathan Rourke sitting third in CFL passing yardage and leading the league in average yards at 10.0. Aside from the numbers, I slid him to top spot after appreciating the sheer degree of difficulty and variety of approaches he can deliver the ball with when observed live, as I did in Ottawa.

I’m excited to be on the call of Rourke vs. Vernon Adams Jr. this Friday in Calgary as the MOP front runner goes into a place he’s enjoyed some epic battles, in his relatively short CFL journey to date.

2. NIC DEMSKI | RECEIVER | WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS

 

The unfortunate exit of Zach Collaros has clearly changed the way Nic Demski is used in Winnipeg’s offence, and he was understandably and visibly frustrated in Hamilton last Friday.

That being said, he’s still right there in the hunt and after an outstanding stretch leading to Labour Day, I believe in his odds. Buy low while you can, his stock won’t be this low for much longer.

3. CAMERON JUDGE | LINEBACKER | TORONTO ARGONAUTS

 

Cameron Judge is tied for third in the CFL with 84 total defensive plays.

The Argos stole one from Edmonton in Week 15 and while Judge didn’t have a massive game, he’s still making an impact. His five tackles for loss are tied with Adarius Pickett for the most in the top 10 of total tacklers, and the only statistical category he hasn’t registered at least one of yet is a fumble recovery.

4. JUSTIN MCINNIS | RECEIVER | BC LIONS

 

He sits fourth in the CFL right now with 888 receiving yards, and the game-to-game variance can be a bit rocky, but the talent and big play ability of Justin McInnis is a weekly joy to watch play out, especially when teams decide to give him a little bit of one-on-one treatment.

The one aspect of McInnis’ 2025 season that I think could push him quickly up the rankings is his explosive plays, as he’s currently collected just seven of 19 deep shot attempts. It will come.

5. LIRIM HAJRULLAHU | KICKER | TORONTO ARGONAUTS

 

Okay, he’s not going to win the award and there’s an argument to be made for perhaps two or three different Canadian kickers being more deserving if we were doing a super serious analysis of the third phase, but how can you not admire the clutch kicks of Lirim Hajrullahu?

Sure, the offence gets him the field position to make it happen, and game circumstances dictate the position he’s put in, but is there another foot in the CFL you’d trust more with the game on the line right now than Lirim?