Last offseason, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats had a critical need for upgraded personnel on their defensive line and linebacking units. In 2024, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats had one of the worst defensive performances in the CFL. Hamilton had failed to have a plan to rebuild their linebacker depth chart when Tiger-Cats icon Simoni Lawrence moved to an off-field role for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats organization.
During the 2025 CFL Draft, the Tiger-Cats took a shot at improving their linebacker unit by drafting U Sports standout Devin Veresuk. Veresuk made an immediate impact for Hamilton due to his ability to force turnovers while in pass coverage. In addition, the Tiger-Cats added some impact players back to their defensive line, like defensive end Julian Howsare. The result of the Tiger-Cats’ attempts to upgrade their front seven helped them build one of the best defensive units in the CFL at defending the pass.
Unfortunately for Hamilton, their new additions to their defensive front seven paid off with a better pass defense, but they still struggled to stop the run. During the East Finals, the Tiger-Cats were exposed by the Montreal Alouettes, who ground and pounded their way to a victory and a Grey Cup championship game appearance. With that in mind, the Tiger-Cats need to use their resources this off-season to add more skilled run defenders to create a more balanced defensive unit. According to the CFL Transactions, the Tiger-Cats have signed American linebacker Craig Young.
American linebacker Craig Young comes to the CFL after spending time with several NFL teams the last two years. During the 2024 NFL season, Young was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent, but near the end of training camp, Young was cut by the Colts. Soon after being cut by Indianapolis, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Young to their practice squad. In 2025, Young joined the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad during the 2025 NFL season.
The 6’3″, 225-pound linebacker from Frisco, Texas, started his college football career at Ohio State University. From 2019 until 2021, Young played in 24 games for the Buckeyes, where he recorded 14 solo tackles, 11 assists, 2 interceptions, and one defensive touchdown. In 2022, Young transferred to the University of Kansas, where he played in 26 games for the Jayhawks from 2022 until 2023. While at Kansas, Young posted 81 more solo tackles, 30 assists, 6.0 quarterback sacks, and 2 additional interceptions.
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