5 dark horse All-CFL candidates

In the opinion of this humble scribe, there are some guys who are automatics when it comes to the conversation — dare we say debate — over membership on the All-CFL team.

Hamilton quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell is one. Saskatchewan offensive lineman Jermarcus Hardrick is another. And the same goes for receiver Keon Hatcher Sr., who is scripting a comeback season for the ages in BC.

But every year, there are some players who emerge as dark horses — sleeper picks who rise through grit, determination and, sometimes, being in the right place at the right time.

Here’s a handful of such potential dark horses in 2025 for the Divisional All-CFL and All-CFL team:

DEVIN VERESUK | LINEBACKER | HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

Devin Veresuk muscled his way into the starting job as middle linebacker just two games into the regular season. In a sign of things to come, the Windsor Lancers product amassed nine tackles (eight on defence, one on special teams) and one pick-six in his first CFL start.

The second-overall pick in the 2025 CFL Draft is a sure tackler with the speed and strength necessary to disrupt the play behind the line of scrimmage and in coverage. Do we deserve a procedure flag for mentioning the possibility of All-CFL in his first season? Perhaps. But the six-foot-two, 240-pounder is a force in the heart of the Hamilton defence. If not this season, expect to hear his name in the conversation for years to come.

JARELL BROXTON | OFFENSIVE LINEMAN | BC LIONS

A five-year CFL veteran, Jarell Broxton is tasked weekly with protecting quarterback Nathan Rourke’s blindside. And while he might not generate headlines, Broxton deserves plenty of credit for the Lions averaging 423.9 net yards per game, the highest total in the CFL since 2010.

Broxton, 32, consistently drives defensive ends to the inside and calmly controls the point of attack. For evidence, look no further than his back-to-back Honour Roll monthly selection in August and September, powered by Pro Football Focus, and his status as the CFL’s highest-graded offensive lineman on pass-block snaps (82.3 PFF grade).

So why do we call him a dark horse? Well, for some reason, the Baylor product has been overlooked by the voters in the past. There’s no way it can happen again, right?

TREY VAVAL | RETURNER | WINNIPEG BLUE BOMERS

The Blue Bombers opened training camp with other plans for their return game, namely three-year CFL veteran Peyton Logan. But Logan got hurt, opportunity knocked, and Trey Vaval — all five-foot-11, 163 pounds of him — ran right through the open door — and straight into the hearts of the Bomber faithful.

The Minnesota State Mankato product may be diminutive in size, but he doesn’t shy away from contact. His average on punt returns (12.6 yards) is lower than other contenders’, but he’s returned two punts for touchdowns, a missed field goal for a touchdown and took the opening kickoff all the way to the house in last week’s 40-3 drubbing of the Hamilton-Tiger-Cats

CHIRSTOPHER FORTIN | CENTRE | CALGARY STAMPEDERS

Offensive linemen fresh out of college normally need to pay their dues and apprentice as a backup for at least one season, maybe even two or three, before their names drift anywhere near the All-CFL conversation.

But Christopher Fortin, the eighth-overall pick in the 2025 CFL Draft, seized the opportunity when starting centre Bryce Bell got hurt before the first snap of the regular season. The Stampeders drafted Fortin, a six-foot-four, 303-pound guard with the hope he could step in and play as a rookie. The 25-year-old Connecticut product has done exactly that — and then some.

KIONDRÉ SMITH | RECEIVER | HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

Receiver Kiondré Smith has caught 69 passes for 906 yards and five touchdowns in 2025 (Thomas Skrlj/CFL.ca)

With his big personality, big volume and big-play ability, Kiondré Smith is not one to toil in anonymity. But the receiver stealing the headlines in Hamilton this season is definitely Kenny Lawler. There’s simply no disputing that No. 89 is Bo Levi Mitchell’s top target. But that also means Lawler attracts the most attention from opposing defences.

And with three games remaining on the docket, Smith needs just 27 yards to match his career high and 94 yards to eclipse 1,000 for the first time. Having never missed a game in his first three seasons, Smith is durable, dependable and likely to see more than his share of the football down the stretch — maybe even enough to join Lawler in that exclusive All-CFL company.

5 dark horse All-CFL candidates

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