The B.C. Lions have added American quarterback Cole Gonzales to their negotiation list.
The six-foot, 200-pound passer spent the first three seasons of his collegiate career at Western Carolina University, an NCAA FCS program located in Cullowhee, N.C.
Gonzales completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 6,682 yards, 51 touchdowns, and 22 interceptions over 27 games with the Catamounts. He also rushed 161 times for 562 yards and three scores.
The native of Salt Lake City, Utah initially transferred to the University of Oklahoma in 2025, though he entered the transfer portal again during the spring and ended up at the University of Pittsburgh. He played three games with the Panthers, completing 50.0 percent of his passes for 118 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Gonzales entered the transfer portal again after the 2025 season and has committed to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte for the upcoming season.
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 B.C. Lions finished second in the West Division standings in 2025 with an 11-7 record and beat the Calgary Stampeders in the West Semi-Final before losing the West Final to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Nathan Rourke threw for 5,290 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions over 16 regular-season starts, posting an 11-5 record. He was also named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player.
The Lions ranked first in net offence, fourth in net defence, and sixth with a turnover differential of minus-four. James Butler rushed for 1,213 yards, Keon Hatcher led the CFL with 1,688 receiving yards, and Micah Awe led the league with 117 tackles. B.C. finished third in attendance with average crowds of 27,124, which was a 0.9 percent increase from the previous year.
