In fact, there are multiple snubs. We can probably put an All-CFL team together of players who could make a case they belong there.
The all-snubbed list I’ve put together is a group of 10, including one from each team. The extra one spot goes to the player I think was the biggest snub of them all.
MARC-ANTOINE DEQUOY | DEFENSIVE BACK | MONTREAL ALOUETTES
Marc-Antoine Dequoy swoops in for the blocked punt, sticks with it and scores the TD! 😮💨@WestJet Thanksgiving Weekend
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— CFL (@CFL) October 13, 2025
We start out with Montreal’s Marc-Antoine Dequoy. After back-to-back years as the league’s All-CFL safety, Dequoy is potentially hitting the open market. I would guess all nine teams would take a long look at their safety and ponder if Dequoy was a better fit. Well, maybe not the Tiger-Cats with the year Stavros Katsantonis had.
Dequoy was deployed a bit differently this year as Noel Thorpe brought him closer to the line of scrimmage a bit more, allowing Dequoy to actually register his first three sacks of his career this past season. The hard-hitting, impactful safety would have made my top 30 list.
KIAN SCHAFFER-BAKER | RECEIVER | SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
I triple checked to make sure Kian Schaffer-Baker wasn’t on the top 30 list. I know he had a down year due to injuries, but the six-foot-four, sure-handed receiver has 1,000-yard potential.
When healthy, Schaffer-Baker is a top receiver in the CFL. I get the out-of-sight, out-of-mind mentality of his season with only 177 yards to show for it, but he makes some highlight-reel catches almost every game.
Trevor Harris was spoiled this season with three of his top receivers making the top 30 list in Dohnte Meyers, KeeSean Johnson and Samuel Emilus. But Harris trusts Schaffer-Baker just as much as those three when he’s in the lineup.
MICHAEL WAKEFIELD | DEFENSIVE LINEMAN | OTTAWA REDBLACKS
DL Michael Wakefield (#96) finished 2025 with three sacks for the REDBLACKS (Minas Panagiotakis/CFL.ca)
It wasn’t a great season for Michael Wakefield in 2025, but that is the case for a majority of the Ottawa REDBLACKS. Wakefield, however, is a defensive tackle who is an absolute menace in the interior of the defensive line for Ottawa.
While he only had three sacks this season, he has averaged over five sacks in the last three seasons. He hit a career-high of eight in 2024, which earned him a nod as an East Division All-CFL defensive lineman. It also got him more attention from offensive coordinators to game-plan around. With a lack of edge pressure in Ottawa this year, it was easy for teams to pay closer attention to Wakefield in the middle. He’s still among the best defensive tackles in the game, however.
ISAAC DARKANGELO | LINEBACKER | TORONTO ARGONAUTS
LB Isaac Darkangelo had a career-high 60 defensive tackles in 2025 (Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca)
You can definitely say ‘really?’ on this one as a ‘snub’ for the top 30 free agents, but let me give you my thoughts on the best free agents in the league. There are those who are proven, like Michael Wakefield, but there needs to be room on here for a player who has a lot of future star power.
Isaac Darkangelo is only 25 years old and had 60 defensive tackles while compiling 22 special teams tackles.
In the last two games without Wynton McManis, Darkangelo had 11 and seven tackles, respectively. There is definitely a lot of potential value here for a lot of general managers who see a young guy who has no problem getting his nose dirty, as evidenced by his 22 special teams tackles.
ISAIAH WOODEN | RETURNER | HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
The return game in the CFL is absolutely critical. If you don’t have a player to flip the field, it’s probably going to be a long season.
Isaiah Wooden would have been my vote for East Division Most Outstanding Special Teams Player. He had three return touchdowns and better punt and kick return average than the eventual winner, Trey Vaval of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Wooden is electric! He is the best return man available this off-season and that includes a group with Mario Alford and Janarion Grant.
WILLIE JEFFERSON | DEFENSIVE LINEMAN | WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
WILLIE JEFFERSON STRIPS THE BALL AND JAY PERSON PICKS IT UP FOR THE DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWN!#CFLGameDay
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— CFL (@CFL) August 2, 2025
I refuse to live in a world where Willie Jefferson is a potential free agent and is not on the list of top 30 of potential free agents.
Jefferson is still an absolute menace for offensive linemen and quarterbacks. While his sack totals aren’t among the elite of the CFL, he still finds new and creative ways to impact offences. He led the league in pass knockdowns this year with 16!!!
Everyone else in the top of the league were defensive backs or linebackers. Sure, his numbers have tapered off, but he’s still a freak athlete and is still a valuable commodity on the defensive line of the Blue Bombers.
ERIK BROOKS | RECEIVER | CALGARY STAMPEDERS
Like Darkangelo, Erik Brooks is a rising star in the CFL who nearly got to 1,000 yards in his first full season as a starter.
In fact, Brooks was fifth in the league in 2025 in combined yards as he also returned punts and kickoffs for the Stampeders. The speedy wideout can definitely take the top off a defence and looks primed to be a breakout candidate in 2026 in the CFL.
When you look around the league it’ll cost general managers a lot of money to bring in the star receivers in free agency as we’ve already seen with the extensions of Keon Hatcher Sr. and Tyson Philpot, but Brooks is a receiver that won’t cost you as much, yet may be just as good in a year or two.
One more year of chemistry with Vernon Adams Jr. in Calgary and I expect we’ll see an even bigger year from Brooks in 2026.
KURLEIGH GITTENS JR. | RECEIVER | EDMONTON ELKS
Cody Fajardo connects on the DEEP pass with Kurleigh Gittens Jr.for the TOUCHDOWN!#CFLGameDay
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— CFL (@CFL) July 14, 2025
I’ve landed on Kurleigh Gittens Jr. out of Edmonton as the former 1,000-yard receiver has found out what other free agents find out. Sometimes it’s not always greener on the other side. The inconsistencies at quarterback in Edmonton over the last two years has really taken a hit on Gittens’ production.
After a big year in 2022, he signed in Edmonton and it just hasn’t worked out. The offence is not prone to really air it out so Gittens had a lot of underneath routes which took a bit out of his big-play ability. I still view Gittens as an All-CFL calibre receiver, when put in the right situation.
Wherever he lands, I think Gittens will be of value and be back in the top of the receiving numbers in the CFL.
JONAH TAVAI | DEFENSIVE LINEMAN | BC LIONS
Jonah Tavai is one of my favourite defensive linemen in the league to watch. He is a strong, quick, tenacious defensive lineman! When he is at his best, he could be the best defensive lineman in the league. He is one of those guys who can take over a game. We watched him do it against Calgary in early October!
He’ll be a top priority to bring back for the Lions because he opens up so much for Mathieu Betts as he needs to be double-teamed on every play. If the Lions can’t bring him back, someone’s defensive line will be better next season.
I will now present the snub of the year award from the top 30 list to …
GREG BELL | RUNNING BACK | HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
A COMPLETE PERFORMANCE!
One major through the air and now one on the ground for Greg Bell! #CFLGameDay
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— CFL (@CFL) September 13, 2025
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats running back was outstanding for Hamilton this season as he topped 1,000 yards rushing and added 400 yards receiving!
He has more yards of offence than Kenny Lawler did in Hamilton and was eight yards back of AJ Ouellette in yards from scrimmage, who landed at No. 21 in the top 30.
His average yards per carry was second-highest in the league, tied with Brady Oliveira – who is No. 1 on the pending free agent list.
I guess they didn’t want to load up the list with running backs as Dedrick Mills and James Butler were also on the top 30 list, but where’s the respect for Bell who was just as good as the rest of them??