{"id":883976,"date":"2026-09-05T06:38:57","date_gmt":"2026-09-05T06:38:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/883976\/"},"modified":"2026-09-05T06:38:57","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T06:38:57","slug":"tyler-kahmann-emerging-as-a-top-cfl-rookie-for-toronto-argonauts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/883976\/","title":{"rendered":"Tyler Kahmann Emerging as a Top CFL Rookie for Toronto Argonauts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Time was running out in the first half when Toronto Argonaut quarterback Chad Kelly dropped back, the line of scrimmage six yards away from the Saskatchewan end zone. When he released the ball, a bullet over the middle, it looked like it was going to be too high for the intended receiver. A Roughrider defender was lurking behind the target and seemed to be in a better position to make the catch.<\/p>\n

Instead, Tyler Kahmann, a 6\u20193\u201d rookie from Division II Emporia State, launched himself at the football. His body was fully extended and at a 45-degree angle when he got his hands on the ball, then became parallel to the ground as he secured it. Kahmann then maintained control as he survived a collision with another Rider defensive back, before completing the catch after crashing to the ground.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In a season filled with jaw-dropping catches, this one was at, or at least near the top of the list.<\/p>\n

Related Content<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you\u2019re just playing ball right there,\u201d Kahmann recalled for Argonauts.ca. \u201cI didn\u2019t feel like it was that high. It looks pretty high on film, but honestly, coming out of my break I didn\u2019t feel it was that high, it was almost as perfect as you could throw it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kahmann knew the route well; he had just run almost the exact same pattern.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe ran a similar play like that before,\u201d the receiver explained. \u201cPre-snap, I knew there was a chance he was going to rip it in there. Knowing Chad, those timing routes are going to be on you right out of your break. He threw a perfect ball, there\u2019s nowhere else he could have thrown it.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The highlight catch in Regina was his second touchdown of the game, fourth against the Riders, and seventh of the season, leaving him tied for third most in the CFL. He\u2019s also on pace for 1,078 yards after his eight-catch, 115-yard effort last week. <\/p>\n

So where is his confidence level almost two-thirds of the way through his first year?<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really high,\u201d he confessed. \u201cWith Kai (injured teammate Makai Polk) being out, I\u2019ve switched positions and played some more of the boundary the past couple of games. I\u2019m extremely confident and Chad gives me that confidence. The coaches have a lot of confidence in me, which gives me confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kierrie Johnson is the team\u2019s receivers coach. He had a brief stint with the Argos in 2015 at the back end of a four-year CFL career that landed him a couple of Grey Cup rings, highlighted by a 66-yard touchdown pass from Travis Lulay in the 2011 championship game. <\/p>\n

He was a different type of receiver than Kahmann, who is six inches taller and 40 pounds heavier than his coach. Johnson studied receivers of all sizes and skillsets when he was younger and enjoys helping players learn the nuances of the position.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Johnson loves that Kahmann is poised and is diligent about learning the playbook. He also appreciates the receiver\u2019s versatility.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s definitely valuable,\u201d Johnson told Argonauts.ca. \u201cI always tell the receivers the more you can do the more valuable you are, when you know what you\u2019re doing and can move around to different positions. He came from the Y to the W (field to boundary side) to where he\u2019s now getting a lot more opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kahmann was a superstar at Emporia State University. Before he finished, he would set virtually every receiving record in Hornet history. In his final two seasons in Emporia, he would total 201 catches, 2,722 yards, and a remarkable 40 touchdowns; all in just 23 games. He received First Team All-American recognition in 2024, Second Team the season prior. <\/p>\n

Technically, it\u2019s the Haysville, Kansas native\u2019s rookie season, though he first arrived in Toronto last September, signing with the Argonauts a couple of weeks after being released by the Indianapolis Colts. He never got into a game, but the several weeks of exposure to the Canadian game gave him a head start on other American rookies heading into this year\u2019s training camp.<\/p>\n

Now, he gets a chance to become a part of a Canadian tradition; the Labour Day Classic.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey say it\u2019s a fun environment,\u201d he said, perhaps not knowing what \u201cfun\u201d means to some Ticat fans on Labour Day. \u201cThis is really the fifth time we\u2019ve played Hamilton if you count the pre-season games. We know them, they know us. I\u2019m excited, it should be a fun game. It\u2019s pretty incredible, I\u2019ve never played a team more than one time in a season, so it\u2019s different this year, it\u2019s really different.\u201d<\/p>\n

With his Regina performance, Kahmann moved into the CFL lead among rookie receivers, passing Edmonton\u2019s TJ Luther in yards, and now leading the Elk in touchdown catches 7-3. If he continues at this pace, the 25-year-old Argo will definitely be in the conversation for the CFL\u2019s Most Outstanding Rookie award. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Time was running out in the first half when Toronto Argonaut quarterback Chad Kelly dropped back, the line…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":883977,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":[49,48,521,522,520,82],"class_list":["post-883976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cfl","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-canadian-football-league","tag-canadianfootballleague","tag-cfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/883976","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=883976"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/883976\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/883977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=883976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=883976"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=883976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}