Photo: North Carolina Athletics

The Calgary Stampeders have added quarterback Jacolby Criswell to their exclusive negotiation list.

The 24-year-old played for East Tennessee State as a graduate student in 2025, completing 61.6 percent of his pass attempts for 1,130 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions over eight games. He also rushed 56 times for 277 yards.

The six-foot-one, 230-pound passer originally started his collegiate career at the University of North Carolina, where he attempted just 31 passes over three seasons. He transferred to the University of Arkansas in 2023, where he completed 63.0 percent of his passes for 143 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions over four games.

The native of Morrilton, Ark. transferred back to North Carolina in 2024 and became the team’s starter, completing 58.1 percent of his passes for 2,459 yards, 15 touchdowns, and six interceptions, going 3-7 as a starter. He also rushed 71 times for 103 yards and three scores.

CFL teams can claim the rights to up to 45 players via the negotiation list on a first-come, first-served basis, provided that they are not eligible for the Canadian or Global Drafts, and have never played in the league before. These players can be added, traded, or removed from the list at any time.

Being added to a negotiation list does not mean that the player has expressed interest in the CFL, and some are unaware that their rights have even been claimed. Players can only force their removal from the list if the team does not provide them with a minimum contract offer at their request.

The Calgary Stampeders finished third in the West Division standings in 2025 with an 11-7 record but lost the West Semi-Final to the B.C. Lions. Vernon Adams Jr. threw for 4,247 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions over 17 regular-season starts, posting a 11-6 record as the team’s starting quarterback.

The Stampeders ranked fourth in net offence, seventh in net defence, and second with a turnover differential of plus-nine. Dedrick Mills won the CFL’s rushing title with 1,409 yards, while the team’s leading receiver was Dominique Rhymes with 886 yards, and leading tackler was Jacob Roberts with 102 tackles. Calgary finished fifth in attendance with average crowds of 22,295, which was a 3.5 percent increase from the previous year.