Winnipeg Blue Bombers add NCAA Division III award-winning QB Kaleb Blaha to negotiation list

Photo: Wisconsin-River Falls Athletics

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have added American quarterback Kaleb Blaha to their negotiation list.

The six-foot-two, 200-pound passer played collegiately at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls where he rewrote the record book, completing 65.0 percent of his passes for 11,004 yards, 92 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions over 48 games. He also rushed for 3,735 yards and 60 scores.

The native of Coon Rapids, Minn. led the Falcons to an NCAA Division III National Championship last year when he was named the Most Valuable Player of the Stagg Bowl. He also won the Gagliardi Trophy, the NCAA Division III equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, and was named the AP NCAA Division III Offensive Player of the Year and an AFCA first-team All-American.

Blaha set a new NCAA Division III all-time record for single-season total offence with 6,189 yards in 2025. He originally committed Winona State University in 2020 where he played receiver.

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 Winnipeg Blue Bombers finished fourth in the West Division standings in 2025 with a 10-8 record, qualifying for the playoffs as the crossover team before losing the East Semi-Final to the Montreal Alouettes. Zach Collaros threw for 3,048 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions over 13 regular-season games, going 6-7 as a starter.

The Blue Bombers ranked fifth in net offence, third in net defence, and eighth with a turnover differential of minus-eleven. The club’s leading rusher was Brady Oliveira with 1,163 yards, leading receiver was Nic Demski with 1,001 yards, and leading tackler was Tony Jones with 104 tackles. Winnipeg ranked first in attendance with average crowds of 32,343, which was a 3.7 percent increase from the previous year.