Quarterback Rankings: Who is the No. 1 pivot heading into Week 11?

Quarterback Rankings is a bi-weekly series that breaks down the top signal-callers in the CFL. The ranking of starters heading into each week reflects recent performance, statistical indicators, team success, and overall on-field evaluation.

Before moving on to Week 11, let’s all give another tip of the cap to Week 10.

It was one of those special weeks of football you won’t forget. I almost felt like lighting a cigarette right after that René Paredes last second, game-winning field goal giving the Calgary Stampeders a 28-27 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

We had four games decided by nine points and saw the return of Vernon Adams Jr. and Zach Collaros!

On to this week’s Quarterback Rankings.

1. (1) BO LEVI MITCHELL | HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

A three-point loss to the BC Lions is no where near enough to knock Bo Levi Mitchell off as King of the CFL Quarterback Castle.

Mitchell was incredible in the second half of that 41-38 defeat and Hamilton was a Tim White fumble away with the comeback win. A week earlier Bo passed Doug Flutie for ninth on the CFL’s all-time passing list.

If you have a moment, go back to Hamilton’s 28-24 win over the Edmonton Elks and check out Mitchell’s first quarter, 26-yard completion to Kiondré Smith. He somehow fights through Tyreek Johnson and uncorks a deep pass to Smith.

2. (2) TREVOR HARRIS | SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS

BACK SHOULDER BEAUTY!

Trevor Harris connects with KeeSean Johnson for the score! #CFLGameDay
🗓️: @sskroughriders vs. Alouettes LIVE NOW!
🇨🇦: TSN, RDS
🇺🇸: CBSSN
🌎: CFL+ pic.twitter.com/hMmFBRkLKj

— CFL (@CFL) August 3, 2025

Spoiler alert, there will not be any major shakeups in the top three.

If I let recency bias creep in, I would be tempted to elevate Dru Brown and knock down Trevor Harris for the sole crime of the Saskatchewan Roughriders being on a bye for Week 10.

Two weeks ago, Harris dissected the Montreal Alouettes secondary with a deadly mix of short and deep passes in a 34-6 beatdown. The highlight was that 14-yard back shoulder beauty touchdown to KeeSean Johnson, giving the Riders an insurmountable lead.

3. (3) NATHAN ROURKE | BC LIONS

Nathan Rourke passed for over 400 yards in his performance last night against the Tiger-Cats. 😮‍💨#CFL | @BCLions pic.twitter.com/uIwsqTcpZV

— CFL (@CFL) August 8, 2025

Sorry Lions fans, I know Nathan Rourke put up over 400 yards and beat Hamilton on their home turf, but he was fortunate to not be picked off early in the first quarter. Plus, his 15-yard touchdown to Jevon Cottoy was all about Cottoy powering his way through three defenders and finally, Nathan was fooled by Julian Howsare with less than three minutes left as the Ticats defensive linemen came up with the pick-six.

Having said all that, wow, Rourke had some elite deep tosses to Ayden Eberhardt early and late in the game and was brilliant on the team’s late game-winning touchdown drive.

As critical as the first couple sentences were, I was tempted to move him to the top spot just for his clutch 43-yard connection to Justin McInnis on third-and-12 with a minute left.

4. (7) DRU BROWN | OTTAWA REDBLACKS

The Ottawa REDBLACKS are the most dangerous 3-6 team in the league as long as Dru Brown is healthy.

He defeated Calgary in Week 9 with a flurry of short and medium passes and put up a bonkers stat line last week against the Toronto Argonauts.

The only thing hotter than the Toronto weather was the Ottawa quarterback, who finished with as many incompletions (five) as he did touchdown passes. His best throw, a 19-yard scoring strike to Justin Hardy, was a classic thread-the-needle pass that gave Ottawa a 32-31 lead.

5. (-) VERNON ADAMS JR. | CALGARY STAMPEDERS

What a difference a quarterback makes.

Calgary scored just 11 points a week earlier against Ottawa with Vernon Adams Jr. sidelined. After an ineffective first quarter, Adams Jr. and Tevin Jones took over that second quarter, hooking up for two touchdowns.

The first score, that over-the-top, 78-yarder, is a credit to Jones for shaking off a tackler but the touchdown doesn’t happen without that pinpoint throw allowing Jones to run right into the catch without slowing down.

6. (4) NICK ARBUCKLE | TORONTO ARGONAUTS

I feel bad for Nick Arbuckle, who quietly is putting up a solid season, ranking second in passing yards and touchdowns.

The running game was non-existent in the Argonauts Week 9 loss to the Bombers and Willie Jefferson was an absolute nightmare. The following week Toronto’s defence gave up 429 yards to the REDBLACKS.

7. (-) ZACH COLLAROS | WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS

It was a high-risk pass, but there may not have been a better throw in Week 10 than Zach Collaros’ 42-yard deep hook up with Brady Oliveira in the second quarter against the Stamps.

Zach got bailed out by Sergio Castillo’s crazy 63-yard field goal that briefly gave Winnipeg a 26-25 lead. That impressive kick overshadowed a Collaros sack, ending what could have been a clock-killing, game-winning drive.

8. (8) CODY FAJARDO | EDMONTON ELKS

The Edmonton quarterback must have been a little extra thrilled after his last second touchdown to Kaion Julien-Grant with under 30 seconds left took down his former team.

That catch by Julien-Grant had a pinch of redemption to it after his drop late against Hamilton cost his team a potential win and Cody Fajardo a potential rise in the rankings.

9. (6) MCLEOD BETHEL-THOMPSON | MONTREAL ALOUETTES

McLeod Bethel-Thompson scrambles and throws it down to Theis as Montreal continues to surge!#CFLGameDay
📅: @MTLAlouettes vs. Stampeders LIVE NOW
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— CFL (@CFL) July 25, 2025

I hate to base a ranking based on one play, and to be honest it has been a difficult season for McLeod Bethel-Thompson, but I have to wonder if his interception and subsequent return for a touchdown by Tyrell Ford at the end of the first half against Edmonton could be his last throw of the season.

To be fair to Bethel-Thompson, I have no idea if the turnover was the result of miscommunication between quarterback and receiver, but we could see Caleb Evans starting until Davis Alexander is ready to go.

Quarterback Rankings: Who is the No. 1 pivot heading into Week 11?

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