There is so much high-end Canadian talent dominating from coast-to-coast.

That means I have to apologize to Nic Demski, Kiondré Smith and Cameron Judge who did not make my list of seven Canadians who need to find themselves on an All-CFL team.

All three of those players are having excellent seasons and it was difficult to leave them off, but I believe you will agree the seven on this list deserve to be here.

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MATHIEU BETTS | DEFENSIVE END | BC LIONS

 

Look who’s back to his 2023 form, when he took home the Most Outstanding Defensive Player award.

Mathieu Betts leads the league in sacks with 14 and is tied with Tyrice Beverette for the most forced fumbles. Betts has been on an absolute heater recently, amassing 10 sacks in his last four games, all BC Lions victories. There’s an excellent chance that by the end of the year, Betts will again be named the league’s best defensive player.

NATHAN ROURKE | QUARTERBACK | BC LIONS

 

The best quarterback in the Canadian Football League is Canadian. That’s a fun sentence to write. Nathan Rourke is second in passing yardage and leads the league in everyone’s favourite statistic, average yards per attempt.

The Lions’ leader is also getting it done with his legs. No quarterback has rushed for more yards, and Rourke is doing it with an impressive 8.4 yards per carry.

Despite being fourth in pass attempts, Rourke is also the king of the big play, with 33 completions of 30 or more yards. There isn’t a throw Nathan can’t make, and there isn’t a player harder to scheme against than the Canadian quarterback.

ISAAC ADEYEMI-BERGLUND | DEFENSIVE END | MONTREAL ALOUETTES

 

On the other side of the country, Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund is also wreaking havoc on opposing offences from the defensive end position.

Adeyemi-Berglund has already set a career high in sacks with 11, putting him second behind Betts. The defensive lineman kicked off the season in style with a sack and his first career touchdown in the Alouettes’ 28-10 win over the Toronto Argonauts.

Speaking of Toronto, Adeyemi-Berglund has certainly played a part in their losing season, registering a sack in all three games against the defending Grey Cup champs. As an added bonus, check out this recent video highlighting both Canadian defensive linemen.

JUSTIN MCINNIS | RECEIVER | BC LIONS

 

The 2024 leader in receiving yards is having another stellar season, currently sitting fourth in that all-important category. If you could boil down the primary goal of any receiver, it’s to make life easier for his quarterback, and Justin McInnis has done just that. Two recent examples stand out.

In a Week 14 loss to the Ottawa REDBLACKS, the Lions’ biggest play was a 51-yard touchdown to a wide-open McInnis in the third quarter. It’s odd to say Rourke “struggled” in a game where his team put up 31 points, but on a relatively off night, his best moment came thanks to McInnis blowing past every defender.

You can also see how in sync these two are in their recent 38-24 win over Calgary. As mentioned in my latest quarterback rankings, it’s difficult to make a 40-yard touchdown look easy, especially when the defensive coverage is solid, but that’s exactly what Rourke and McInnis did.

BRADY OLIVEIRA | RUNNING BACK | WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS

 

Based on rushing yards alone, some fans out West might raise their eyebrows at this pick, given how many other running backs are dominating. My counterpoint: Brady Oliveira is tied with Dedrick Mills for the most rushing yards per game, and his 5.6 yards per carry average is higher than the three backs ahead of him.

Brady is the key cog in the league’s best rushing attack and has been in peak form over the past month, racking up 431 rushing yards and 118 receiving yards in Winnipeg’s last four games.

TEVAUGHN CAMPBELL | DEFENSIVE BACK | SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS

 

This is another easy choice. Tevaughn Campbell is tied for the CFL lead with six interceptions and leads all defenders with over 200 return yards.

Let’s focus on those return yards. Back in Week 4, Tevaughn demoralized the BC Lions with an 89-yard interception return touchdown near the end of the first half, a 10-to-14-point swing, as the Lions were already in field goal range.

In Week 13, Campbell scored a pick-two by snuffing out a Zach Collaros two-point conversion attempt and going 112 yards the other way. A successful completion would have tied the game at 32; instead, Tevaughn helped deliver an OK Tire Labour Day Weekend victory.

LIRIM HAJRULLAHU | KICKER | TORONTO ARGONAUTS

 

This is yet another obvious candidate for one of the CFL’s highest honours. No kicker has attempted or made more field goals than Lirim Hajrullahu this season.

While others may have slightly higher accuracy numbers, check out what Hajrullahu has done from distance. The three-time All-CFL kicker has gone 9-for-11 from 50 yards and beyond, no one else has come close from such long range.