1 under the radar Canadian on every CFL team

[IMPORTANT: Make this 4 times longer with much more detail]

CFL.ca Staff TORONTO — It’s a testament to just how much Canadian talent there is around the league that Matthew Cauz wasn’t able to fit all of them in his high-impact Canadian players list . That means it’s our job to highlight even more Nationals who could be impact players for all nine teams. Without further ado, here’s a list of one National player on each team who’s flying under the radar. RELATED » 5 noteworthy Canadian free agent signings » The way too early AMSOIL Power Rankings are here » 3 high-impact Canadian players from every CFL team » Subscribe to the CFL’s official YouTube channel » Subscribe to the CFL’s newsletter for exclusive offers and league updates TORONTO ARGONAUTS DEJON BRISSETT Brissett’s presence here has a lot to due with the fact that he was limited to only six games in 2024. The 28-year-old receiver was coming off his best season in the CFL in 2023, when he caught 38 passes for 594 yards and five majors. In the 111th Grey Cup against the Bombers, Brissett led the Argos in receiving with three catches for 45 yards and a touchdown and was named the game’s Most Valuable Canadian. MONTREAL ALOUETTES JOSHUA ARCHIBALD DL Joshua Archibald signed with the Als this off-season (Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca) Archibald finally saw more playing time on defence in his third season in the CFL and began showing he can provide a nice pass rush option for any team. So much so that the Alouettes brought the Montreal native home in free agency, hoping he’ll be able to build on his four-sack, two forced fumbles season. HAMILTON TIGER-CATS LUTHER HAKUNAVANHU Hakunavanhu is yet another player that was limited in 2024 with injury, leading to reduced production compared to his previous career achievements. Regardless, the 28-year-old receiver was targeted 18 times and scored four majors, highlighting just how dangerous of a scoring threat he can be. Listed at six-foot-four, 198 pounds, Hakunavanhu’s wingspan is a threat in the red zone and should be able to bring down a few majors playing for the high octane Tiger-Cats offence. OTTAWA REDBLACKS NICK MARDNER Speaking of big receivers, Mardner gives us the impression that the sky is the limit. The six-foot-six receiver brought home 26 passes for 300 yards and three majors as a rookie, including the 64-yard touchdown above. Still only 25 years old, the pass-catcher is surrounded by one of the most talented groups in the CFL with Justin Hardy , Eugene Lewis and Bralon Addison , giving him a great opportunity to learn from the best to build his own legacy. BC LIONS SEAN WHYTE Ok, everyone knows just how good Whyte is, but he’s still a bit under the radar when talking about the best National players in the game. That said, the kicker has made incredible 50 of 53 kicks two years in a row, good for a 94.3 percentage. Last time Whyte didn’t hit at least 92.3 per cent of his kicks was 2021, his last season with the Edmonton Elks. Since joining BC, Whyte has only missed nine of his 145 attempts. SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS KIAN SCHAFFER-BAKER This one might be more a product of being in one of the most talented groups in the league over the specific player being under the radar. Samuel Emilus made Cauz’ high-impact list, but Schaffer-Baker can be just as dangerous of a piece for Saskatchewan’s aerial offence. The 26-year-old caught 52 passes for 735 yards and four touchdowns in only 14 games in 2024, bringing his career total to 205 catches for 2,688 yards and 14 majors. With another year playing with veteran pivot Trevor Harris , the sky is the limit for both Schaffer-Baker, Emilus and the offence as a whole. WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS KEVENS CLERCIUS REC Kevens Clercius totalled 352 yards in 2024 (Jason Halstead/CFL.ca) Clercius had a good first season in Winnipeg, catching 32 passes for 352 yards and a touchdown. The rookie played a complementary role for the Bombers in 2024, but should have more opportunities going forward with the departures of Kenny Lawler and Drew Wolitarsky. The 2024 CFL Draft second round pick has the size (six-foot-two, 217 pounds) and ball skills necessary to improve upon his successful rookie year in Winnipeg. CALGARY STAMPEDERS CLARK BARNES Since we’re on the subject of players who improved on their rookie years, Barnes delivered an intriguing second season as the fourth leading receiver in Calgary with 590 yards and four touchdowns. The Brampton, Ont. native also returned 18 kickoffs for 379 yards and has more than enough speed to provide a great weapon for new quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. EDMONTON ELKS ROYCE METCHIE Metchie also didn’t make Cauz’ list for the Elks due to an abundance of National talent in Edmonton. Despite that, Metchie can stack up with anybody as one of the most reliable secondary players in the CFL. With six seasons under his belt, Metchie has made at least 72 tackles in each of the last three years, while catching four picks and winning three Grey Cups with the Stampeders (2018) and Argonauts (2022, 2024). Get all the top stories from across the league delivered to your inbox.