The Montreal Alouettes have added Washington State quarterback Zevi Eckhaus to their exclusive negotiations list.
Eckhaus has appeared in eight games this season for the Cougars, completing 131-of-204 pass attempts (64 percent) for 1,392 yards, 10 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He has also rushed for 248 yards and six majors along the ground.
The redshirt senior from Culver City, Cal., transferred to Washington State in 2024 and appeared in just three games, starting the Holiday Bowl. He threw for 424 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions in that limited action, adding 28 yards and a rushing score.
The six-foot, 209-pound passer began his career at Bryant University, where he started 33 games over three seasons. Eckhaus amassed 8,527 passing yards, 75 touchdowns, and 25 interceptions, while running for 760 yards and five majors. He was named the NEC Rookie of the Year in 2021 and Big South Offensive Player of the Year in 2023, as well as a finalist for the Walter Payton Award as the top player in the FCS.
CFL teams can claim the rights to up to 45 players via the negotiation list on a first-come, first-served basis, provided that they are not eligible for the Canadian or Global Drafts, and have never played in the league before. These players can be added, traded, or removed from the list at any time.
Being added to a negotiation list does not mean that the player has expressed interest in the CFL, and some are unaware that their rights have even been claimed. Players can only force their removal from the list if the team does not provide them with a minimum contract offer at their request.
The Montreal Alouettes finished second in the East Division standings in 2025 with a 10-8 record and beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Final before losing the 112th Grey Cup to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Davis Alexander went 7-0 as a starter during the regular season, though he missed 11 games due to a hamstring injury.
The Alouettes ranked eighth in net offence, first in net defence, and third with a turnover differential of plus-eight. The club’s leading rusher was Stevie Scott III with 418 yards, the leading receiver was Tyler Snead with 1,129 yards, and the leading tackler was Darnell Sankey with 103 tackles. Montreal finished sixth in attendance with average crowds of 21,132, which was a 0.8 percent decrease from the previous year.
