Receivers are often the highest profile players on a football team. Many have huge personalities, while some are labeled as “divas,” pass catchers who demand the football and complain publicly when they’re not getting it.
Dejon Brissett and Dave Ungerer III don’t fit into either category.
Often overshadowed by Damonte Coxie and DaVaris Daniels, the pair of Toronto Argonauts both flirted with 100 receiving yards in last week’s game in Edmonton. Each finished with 96 yards; Brissett reaching that total on seven catches, Ungerer on four.
“You never know how active you’re going to be in a game,” Ungerer told Argonauts.ca. “Sometimes you’ll have a week of practice where it feels like you’re going to get a ton of touches and you don’t, and then there’s weeks where you’re not getting the ball at all in practice; you feel like you’re not going to be really involved in the game and all of a sudden you get a bunch of targets. It’s just about being in the mindset that it’s always coming.”
The football found its way to both players in Edmonton, with Brissett targeted eight times, Ungerer six. It was a busy night for players who don’t usually see the ball as often as players who line up on the short side.
“Any play you have to be ready, you never know,” said Brissett. “It’s always nice to be as active as we were, you just have to hope that happens every week. You definitely feel like you’re more in a zone when you’re more involved. When you haven’t had any touches, sometimes it can get in your head a little bit and it’s just a mental battle you have to go through as a professional athlete.”
Ungerer is the receiver most likely to have a game where he sees the fewest touches. It’s not because of talent, but because of his position. The Pullman, Washington native – who qualifies as a National because his mother Sylvia was born in Toronto – almost always lines up in the “Z” spot, or flanker position. It’s the receiver lined up closest to the sideline on the wide side of the field, the one furthest away from the quarterback.
The Z used to be an exceptionally lonely spot, seeing few targets, but three years ago the CFL reduced the distance between the hash marks by nine yards. It made throws to the wide side shorter, bringing the once ignored position back into play.
The days of Z tedium are over.
“I don’t think is very boring in this offence,” Ungerer explained. “I’ve been a part of offences where it can get pretty mundane, nothing’s really being created for you, but I think RD (head coach Ryan Dinwiddie) has done a nice job of getting the Z position involved. I don’t get bored doing my job.”
The receiving duo has now played next to each other for three seasons. In this case familiarity hasn’t bred contempt, but rather an increased level of comfort.
“All it takes is a look to know that we’re good,” Brissett told Argonauts.ca. “But at the same time, we’re so far away from Nick (Arbuckle, the Argos starting quarterback) that we’ve got to have each other. Communication is our number one priority before every play.”
The fact that Ungerer can act as a coach on the field shouldn’t surprise anyone. His father is a football lifer, coaching at multiple Power Five schools including Alabama and Cal, where he was instrumental in recruiting Aaron Rodgers to the program from Butte Community College.
Argonauts.ca put Ungerer’s football genetics to the test, asking him to give a scouting report on Brissett.
“Big catch radius, great route runner, very smart,” said one receiver of the other. “He’s going to make contested catches, make guys miss. If he gets the ball in the open field he can run away from guys, so he’s got great top-end speed. Those are all the things that would be on the scouting report. Off the scouting report it’s his toughness, his heart, and how much he cares about the game. He’s willing to play any and all special teams. He’s going to do anything necessary to help the team win, that’s the type of person he is.”
Brissett is also from a sports family; his brother Oshae won an NBA championship with the Celtics in 2024. The receiver was asked to transition from athlete to scout and give his breakdown of Ungerer’s game.
“He’s going to be where he needs to be when he needs to be there. He’s going to make the play that needs to be at any clutch moment. Grit, hustle, everything you’d want in a guy. Speed and his physicality at the top of the route, he can create separation. He runs one of the best comebacks I’ve ever seen.”
The pair can be counted on in the biggest moments. In last year’s Eastern Final in Montreal, the Argos desperately needed a first down when facing a second-and-eight with under two minutes left. Arbuckle hit Ungerer for 20 yards to all but seal the game, while two plays later on another second-and-eight, Brissett drew a pass interference call to cement a trip to the Grey Cup, where the Mississauga native would catch a touchdown pass and be named the game’s Most Outstanding Canadian.
The Argos passing game has been effective this season, ranking second in the CFL with 308 yards per game through the air. Brissett and Ungerer will continue to do their jobs, fly under the radar, and provide Arbuckle with a pair of security blankets when they’re needed the most.