Photo: Purdue Athletics
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have re-signed Canadian defensive lineman Kail Dava and American linebacker Ryan Meed, while also signing American defensive linemen Branson Deen and Maalik Hall.
Dava was originally a fifth-round pick in the 2024 CFL Draft of the B.C. Lions, though he played eight regular-season games with the Calgary Stampeders that year, recording three defensive tackles. The native of Barrie, Ont. played collegiately at Tennessee Tech, where he made 87 total tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble. Dava finished the 2025 season on Hamilton’s practice roster.
Meed dressed for one regular-season game with the Tiger-Cats in 2025, making one special teams tackle. The six-foot-one, 239-pound native of Brooklyn, N.Y. played 53 collegiate games at the University of Illinois where he made 54 total tackles, two tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and one pass knockdown.
Deen played 39 collegiate games at Purdue University, where he made 74 total tackles, 7.5 sacks, 15.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and one pass knockdown. The six-foot-two, 280-pound native of Indianapolis, Ind. transferred to the University of Miami for his last year of collegiate eligibility where he made 18 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 5.5 tackles for loss over 11 games. The 25-year-old had a stint with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2024, dressing for one regular-season games.
Hall participated in training camp with Hamilton in 2025 and had two brief stints on the roster, though he was also a member of the New York Jets and Birmingham Stallions. The six-foot-three, 235-pound native of Athens, Texas was named the Great American Conference Defensive Player of the Year while playing collegiately at Southeastern Oklahoma State where he made 151 total tackles, 14 sacks, and three forced fumbles.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats finished first in the East Division standings in 2025 with an 11-7 record, though the team lost the East Final to the Montreal Alouettes. Bo Levi Mitchell led the CFL with 5,296 passing yards, 36 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions after starting all 18 regular-season games, earning the East Division’s nomination for Most Outstanding Player.
The Tiger-Cats ranked third in net offence, eighth in net defence, and first with a turnover differential of plus-ten. The club’s leading rusher was Greg Bell with 1,038 yards, leading receiver was Kenny Lawler with 1,443 yards, and leading tackler was Stavros Katsantonis with 69 tackles. Hamilton ranked fourth in attendance with average crowds of 22,858, which was a 3.9 percent increase from the previous year.