The Calgary Stampeders have signed American defensive lineman Brandon Maina.
The five-foot-11, 270-pound interior pass rusher appeared in 44 games over five years at Wofford College, finishing his collegiate career fifth on the Terriers’ all-time list with 19.5 career sacks. He also accumulated 181 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and a blocked kick.
The native of Hiram, Ga., earned second-team FCS All-American honours in 2025 after registering 58 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 11 sacks in 10 games. He was also named first-team all-Southern Conference, as well as second-team all-conference in 2023.
Maina is eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft, but has elected to sign with the Stampeders early rather than wait for that process to play out.
The Calgary Stampeders finished third in the West Division standings in 2025 with an 11-7 record, but lost the West Semi-Final to the B.C. Lions. Vernon Adams Jr. threw for 4,247 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions over 17 regular-season starts, posting an 11-6 record as the team’s starting quarterback.
The Stampeders ranked fourth in net offence, seventh in net defence, and second with a turnover differential of plus-nine. Dedrick Mills won the CFL’s rushing title with 1,409 yards, while the team’s leading receiver was Dominique Rhymes with 886 yards, and the leading tackler was Jacob Roberts with 102 tackles. Calgary finished fifth in attendance with average crowds of 22,295, which was a 3.5 percent increase from the previous year.
