The Canadian Football League has unveiled the finalists for each of its major awards, including a couple of players who will have two opportunities to take home hardware.
B.C. Lions’ quarterback Nathan Rourke will be the West Division nominee for both Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canadian, looking to become the fifth player in CFL history to win both awards. Meanwhile, Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ returner Trey Vaval is representing the West for both Most Outstanding Special Teams Player and Most Outstanding Rookie.
The finalists were selected by each team’s head coach and the voting members of the Football Reporters of Canada from a list of team award winners. Voters were tasked with selecting the Coach of the Year, as well as players whose on-field performances best represent the Most Outstanding Player, Most Outstanding Canadian, Most Outstanding Defensive Player, Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman, Most Outstanding Special Teams Player and Most Outstanding Rookie.
A full list of finalists can be found below.
George Reed Most Outstanding Player: Nathan Rourke (BC) | Bo Levi Mitchell (HAM)
Nathan Rourke passed for a career-high 5,290 yards and 31 touchdowns to lead BC to a second-place standing in the West Division. On the ground, the former Ohio Bobcat rushed for 564 yards to lead all quarterbacks – an average of 9.2 yards per carry, while adding 10 majors. Rourke has never before been named a finalist for the award.
Bo Levi Mitchell has been named a finalist for a second consecutive year, and he has become the fourth player to contend for the award on five or more occasions. The 13-year veteran established a new career-high with 36 touchdown passes in leading Hamilton to the East Division title. He eclipsed the 5,000-passing yard mark for the fourth time in his career, en route to a league-leading 5,296 yards. Mitchell is a two-time George Reed Most Outstanding Player (2016, 2018).
Most Outstanding Defensive Player: Mathieu Betts (BC) | Julian Howsare (HAM)
For the second time in his career, Mathieu Betts led the league in sacks, with his 15 being two clear of second-place. The Montreal native registered 68 defensive plays, including 42 defensive tackles, four forced fumbles, four pass knockdowns, two tackles for a loss and one fumble recovery. He was named Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2023.
Julian Howsare finished second with a career-high 13 sacks, besting his previous total of seven. He added 43 defensive tackles, seven pass knockdowns, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. In Week 4, the seven-year veteran scored his first career touchdown with a fumble recovery in the end zone.
Most Outstanding Canadian: Nathan Rourke (BC) | Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund (MTL)
Rourke has earned his second nod for Most Outstanding Canadian after capturing the honour in 2022. In setting his new career-best in passing yards (5,290), he also established a new single-season CFL record for future generations of Canadian pivots to chase. The Victoria native’s 31 touchdown passes were the second-most in a single season by a Canadian, trailing only Russ Jackson’s 33 set in 1969.
Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund is a back-to-back finalist for the award. The Dartmouth, N.S., native totalled 46 defensive plays, including a career-high 11 sacks to lead the Alouettes, 29 defensive tackles, two pass knockdowns, two fumble recoveries, one special teams tackle, one tackle for a loss, and his first career touchdown.
Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman: Jermarcus Hardrick (SSK) | Brandon Revenberg (HAM)
Jermarcus Hardrick helped lead Saskatchewan to its first West Division title since 2019. He anchored an offensive line that ranked second in net offence (382.6 yards per game), featuring Trevor Harris’s 4,549 passing yards. The team averaged over 100 rushing yards per game, highlighted by A.J. Ouellette’s 1,222 yards. Hardrick is a two-time finalist for Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (2023).
One of the leaders of Hamilton’s offensive line, Brandon Revenberg helped pave the way for Bo Levi Mitchell to lead the CFL in passing yards (5,296) and touchdowns (36), while Greg Bell notched 1,038 rushing yards. Revenberg has been a finalist for the league’s top offensive lineman on three previous occasions (2018, 2021-22).
Most Outstanding Special Teams Player: Trey Vaval (WPG) | Lirim Hajrullahu (TOR)
First-year player Trey Vaval collected a league-high four returns for touchdowns, while accumulating 11 total big plays. Across 17 games, his 2,266 return yards – an average of 133.3 per contest – ranked him third in total combined yardage. He established a single-game CFL record with 199 missed field goal return yards in Week 16.
Lirim Hajrullahu made an Argonauts’ team-record 57 field goals, equaling the fifth-best mark in league history. His 12 made field goals from 50+ yards set a new single-season CFL benchmark. He finished second in the league with 208 points scored, while making 57-of-64 attempts (89.1 per cent) and averaging the longest distance for successful attempts at 35.4 yards.
Most Outstanding Rookie: Trey Vaval (WPG) | Devin Veresuk (HAM)
In addition to his impact in the return game, Trey Vaval collected 21 defensive tackles, four special teams tackles and an interception in his rookie campaign.
Devin Veresuk, the second-overall selection in the 2025 CFL Draft, earned the starting linebacker position and went on to start 15 games. The former Windsor Lancer finished second on the Tiger-Cats with 66 defensive tackles, while adding two sacks, one interception and two touchdowns.
Coach of the Year: Corey Mace (SSK) | Jason Maas (MTL)
In his second year at the helm, Corey Mace led Saskatchewan to a CFL-best 12-6 record to capture the team’s ninth West Division title in franchise history. The Roughriders led the CFL in points allowed (22.7 per game) and rushing yards allowed (76.0), while notching the second-best net offence (382.6 yards per game). Mace is a back-to-back finalist for Coach of the Year.
Jason Maas led Montreal to its fourth consecutive postseason appearance, finishing with a 10-8 mark, despite injuries forcing the team to start four quarterbacks. The Alouettes’ defence finished first in net yards allowed (338.4 per game), passing yards allowed (256.9 per game) and big plays yielded (37). Maas captured the award in 2024.
The full slate of player award winners will be crowned at the sold-out CFL Awards on Thursday, November 13 as part of the 2025 Grey Cup Festival. Tickets and details for the event can be found at GreyCupFestival.ca. Coach of the Year will be handed out at a separate event during the CFL Combine.
The 112th Grey Cup will be played in Winnipeg at Princess Auto Stadium on Sunday, November 16, with kickoff slated for 6:00 p.m. EST. The game will air live across Canada on TSN, CTV and RDS; it will be available in the U.S. on CBS Sports Network and internationally on the league’s free livestreaming platform, CFL+.
