It sure was fun watching the CFL’s new generation lead the way in Week 9 action over the weekend.
For instance, Tyson Philpot became the fastest Canadian receiver in league history to reach 1,000 yards with his 184-yard outing in Montreal’s 34-13 win over Ottawa. Additionally, Edmonton’s Justin Rankin added another touchdown to his season tally while Zander Horvath of the Lions went for three majors to push his season total to eight.
It’s important to note, though, players like Philpot and Rankin are having their best seasons yet but have been knocking on this door for multiple seasons. But here are four players having breakout campaigns we didn’t necessarily see coming.
TYREIK MCALLISTER | RUNNING BACK |CALGARY STAMPEDERS
After two seasons south of the border, Tyreik McAllister signed with the Stampeders in March and has been a one-man highlight reel ever since. McAllister’s marquee night came in Week 8 when he became the first player in CFL history to score a touchdown in three different ways (missed FG return, rushing, receiving) in the same half. But that only starts to tell the story.
The way Calgary is using McAllister this year reminds me of two players in recent memory. The first is Javon Leake at different times over the last few years with the Elks. The other is Brandon Banks in his first couple years with Hamilton when he was splitting duties as a receiver and a returner.
McAllister has scored a touchdown in almost every conceivable way in 2026. He picked up his second rushing touchdown as the Stamps rolled over Hamilton 44-20 on Saturday afternoon. That goes along with one receiving touchdown, two triple-digit missed field goal returns, and one punt return touchdown.
With the way McAllister is impacting games, I’d expect Calgary to continue keeping him involved in every way they can.
ANTOINE BROOKS JR. | DEFENSIVE BACK | SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
Now the rare owner of both a Grey Cup and Super Bowl ring, Antoine Brooks Jr. has used 2026 to establish himself as one of the most important pieces of the league’s premier defence. The former sixth-round pick in the NFL became a regular with the Riders late last season and started the 112th Grey Cup at SAM.
And Brooks Jr. has continued that momentum this year. Brooks Jr. is tied for fourth overall with 41 defensive tackles to go along with two special teams tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. When you consider the two interceptions and one defensive touchdown he recorded last year, you get the full picture of just how much Brooks Jr. can impact a game.
TRAVIS THEIS | RUNNING BACK | MONTREAL ALOUETTES
TOUCHDOWN THEIS 💥
That’s 6 straight games with a touchdown!
🗓️: Alouettes vs. REDBLACKS LIVE NOW
📺: TSN, RDS, CBSSN and CFL+#CFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/jD7V1tqgDl— CFL (@CFL) August 1, 2026
After being used sparingly early, Travis Theis has emerged as one of the league’s most consistent weapons since Week 3. Anyone playing CFL Fantasy presented by theScore Bet can attest to just that. Case in point: Theis extended his touchdown streak to six games by finding the end zone in Montreal’s 34-13 win over the REDBLACKS on Friday.
Theis’s overall numbers are impressive. In six games since cementing his role as Montreal’s starting tailback, Theis has racked up 549 rushing yards and six touchdowns while adding 109 receiving yards on 18 catches. The emergence of Theis has made the Alouettes even more intimidating as they already boast one of the league’s deadliest passing attacks.
ZY ALEXANDER | DEFENSIVE BACK | CALGARY STAMPEDERS
CALGARY’S D IS COOKING 🧑🍳
Zy Alexander comes down with the Stampeders’ fourth pick of the night!
🗓️: Stampeders vs. Blue Bombers LIVE NOW!
📺: TSN, RDS and CFL+#CFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/DJWiBHLZMU— CFL (@CFL) July 25, 2026
For a guy who started the season on the practice roster, first-year phenom Zy Alexander sure has made the most of his playing time. In just six games, Alexander leads the CFL with four interceptions to go along with 20 defensive tackles as he solidifies his spot in Calgary’s rapidly improving defensive backfield.
Now a mainstay at boundary halfback, the emergence of Alexander has allowed the Stamps to shift Damon Webb back to safety where he excelled last year as a West Division All-CFL team member. Calgary has wins in back-to-back games to get back to .500 and solidifying things on defence is a big reason why.
QUICK HITS
I sure do hope Edmonton and Saskatchewan still have something to play for in Week 21. That’s when the third and final meeting is scheduled for, and I’m selfishly hoping there’s something on the line that night after watching these two go head-to-head the last couple weekends.
The Roughriders evened the season series with a tight 28-26 win to wrap up Week 9 Saturday night. That comes after the Elks walked off a 36-34 win the week before thanks to a 57-yard Vincent Blanchard field goal as time expired. A combined winning margin of four points in two games shows you just how close the top two teams in the West Division really are.
