GUELPH, ON - MAY 31: The Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Toronto Argonauts compete in a CFL preseason game on Friday, May 31st, 2024 at Alumni Stadium in Guelph, Ontario.
While the offensive lineup for the Argos saw the majority of starters return, the defence has added several new front liners. Some of those players are from outside the organization, while others have more familiar names.
Argonauts.ca has looked at the offence, and now looks at the defence and special teams.
TACKLES (6): The Argos lost Dewayne Hendrix to free agency but added an elite CFL veteran via a trade with Edmonton.
Jake Ceresna: The Elks traded their Most Outstanding Defensive Player to the Argos in exchange for Kurleigh Gittens Jr. in a deal that shocked most observers. Ceresna was tied for second in the CFL with 12 sacks last season and can line up either inside or at end. He’s the team’s biggest off-season acquisition and was ranked No. 17 on TSN’s list of the Top 50 CFL Players.
Jared Brinkman: Perhaps the strongest player on the team, he’s especially effective against the run. Back for a third season, the Northern Iowa grad missed eight games last year. Brinkman was twice named the Missouri Valley Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. He was stellar in his limited action in the pre-season win over Hamilton.
Deionte Knight: The 10th overall pick of the 2022 CFL draft took a major step forward in his development last year and is poised to do likewise this season. He recorded the first two sacks of his career in ’23. The former Western star is an interior player who could also line up outside.
Shawn Oakman: The 6’8” Baylor product recorded his third consecutive 6-sack season. He was a force in the Eastern Final, recording 3 sacks. He’s poised to be a part of the interior rotation again this season.
Ralph Holley: He signed with the Argos in late October but didn’t see any action. He had stops in the USFL and NFL before signing with Toronto. He had 20.5 sacks in his career at Western Michigan.
Jordan Williams: The Virginia Tech and Clemson product had 5.5 sacks in 9 games with the USFL’s Memphis Showboats last year. Williams signed with the Argos in January and had an impressive pre-season game in Montreal where he registered a sack and a tackle for loss.
ENDS (6): This is a talented, fast, deep group that added a top Global player and a pair of rookies.
Folarin Orimolade: His first year in Double Blue was memorable as he led the team with 10 sacks. A high-energy player, Orimolade is one of the league’s top defensive linemen and was named an East Division All-Star last season. Ranked in TSN’s pre-season poll as the tenth best player in the CFL, he had a pair of sacks against Montreal in the Eastern Final.
Robbie Smith: The hero of the 2022 Grey Cup had his best regular season in 2023. The Laurier product worked on his quickness after the championship game and it showed as he set a career high with 6 sacks. He’s entering his fifth year as an Argo and appears to be even quicker.
Derek Parish: A player the Argos were thrilled to sign during the off-season. He possesses elite athleticism and a non-stop motor. The Houston product was a Jacksonville Jaguar draft pick a year ago. A classic NFL “tweener” who played both end and linebacker at Houston. He played some fullback with Houston, while the Jags worked him out at that position as well.
Benoit Marion: The Montreal product is a high-energy player who gives the team rotational flexibility as he can play inside or outside. He is also a major contributor on special teams.
Thiadric Hansen: The German comes to the Argos after starting his career in Winnipeg. He played four years with the Bombers, several more before that in the German Football League. He’s an extremely physical player. His name is pronounced tee-ADD-rick HAN-zen.
Tyson Hergott: The Argos second pick in the draft this year. The Waterloo product was the 24th overall selection after being named the OUA’s Lineman of the Year and a First-Team All-Canadian last season. He’s another Argo with a great burst.
LINEBACKERS (8): Jordan Williams out, Fraser Sopik in, Jonathan Jones promoted. For the purpose of this article, the strong side, or SAM linebacker, will be considered a defensive back.
Wynton McManis: The defence’s emotional leader, he brings an intangible that’s missing whenever he’s not on the field. Able to play the weak side or middle linebacker spots equally efficiently, but he’ll man the weak side. Ranked No. 8 on TSN’s list of the Top 50 CFL Players.
Jonathan Jones: The “Playmaker” showed enough last year that the club opted to trade Jordan Williams, last year’s starter at middle linebacker. Equally effective in the middle or on the weak side, he’ll start most games at middle linebacker, but expect to see him often flipping spots with McManis.
Jack Cassar: The Argos were able to re-sign Cassar, who they drafted 11th overall in the 2020 draft. The Mississauga native and Carleton product is a hard hitter who can play the middle linebacker spot and has become a tremendous special teams player.
Fraser Sopik: The Toronto native return home after CFL stops in Calgary and Hamilton. A tremendous player with Western, Sopik can play weakside linebacker and he’ll be a dominant special teams player for the Argos.
Daniel Kwamou: A fifth-round pick of the Argos in 2022, the UBC native was able to contribute on special teams last season. He had 3 special teams tackles in the Argos 150th Anniversary Game last year against Edmonton at BMO Field.
Brian Harelimana: After stops in Montreal and Saskatchewan, the Argos signed him just before last year’s Eastern Final to replace the injured Dan Adeboboye on special teams. The middle linebacker re-signed just before free agency opened. His last name is pronounced HARRY-lee-MANN-ah.
Isaac Darkangelo: The Illinois product was a tackling machine in college and showed during training camp he could become that kind of player in the CFL. He made six defensive tackles and as many special teams tackles in the two pre-season games. His sister was the captain of the Toronto 6ix when they won a league title and now plays for Ottawa in the PWHL.
Marquis Waters: First of all, don’t call him Marquis, he prefers to be called “Muddy,” or just “Mud”. A defensive back at the NCAA level with Texas Tech and Duke, he’s fitting in well at the weakside spot with the Argos. He was a final cut of the New York Jets last season.
DEFENSIVE BACKS (13):While this group lost several starters, there’s still a lot of talent on the roster.
DaShaun Amos: Amos has rebounded nicely from a serious leg injury that cost him the second half of the 2023 season. In his season and a half as an Argo he has 6 interceptions. He’ll once again start at halfback.
Royce Metchie: He’ll once again be the starting safety. Metchie brings a combination of athleticism and a high football IQ to the position. The Brampton native was named the team’s Most Outstanding Canadian last year. Note the change in the pronunciation of his name; he now want to be known by the traditional met-chee-ay.
Tunde Adeleke: The Carleton product joins the Argos after successful stops in Calgary and Hamilton. The former CFL all-star can be a Swiss army knife for the team as he can play safety, SAM linebacker, field corner, or halfback. His name is pronounced toon-day ah-DELL-eh-kay.
Mason Pierce: Pierce played at an exceptionally high level when asked to fill in after Amos was injured last year. Fast, aggressive, and possessing great ball skills, he’ll start at halfback this season opposite Amos. He also has the skillset to play cornerback or return kicks.
Quincy Mauger: Will begin the season as the strongside, or SAM linebacker. He signed on the first day of free agency after playing with the BC Lions last year, where he played SAM before moving back to safety. He’s another player who provides great versatility in the secondary. His last name is pronounced mo-ZHAY.
Leonard Johnson: Will start at boundary corner for the Double Blue this year. Johnson suffered a knee injury just before the 2022 NFL Draft. As a result, the Duke product went undrafted, then gave it a go with the Giants last year before being released and signing with the Argos in December. He had a tremendous training camp and pre-season, winning the starting job.
Darius Joiner: Brings versatility to the roster, but will likely start the season as a backup to Mauger at SAM. Like Johnson, he is a Duke product, transferring there from Western Illinois for the 2022 season. He was a final cut of the Texans last season.
Amani Dennis: A versatile back who can play virtually every spot in the secondary. Dennis played for Philadelphia in the USFL last season, where he intercepted a McLeod Bethel-Thompson pass and returned it 72-yards for a TD. He played mostly boundary half for the Argos in camp.
Kerfalla Exume: A spectacular special teams player, he had 17 ST tackles in just 14 games for Winnipeg last year. The Montreal native and University of Montreal product will back up Mauger at SAM on game days. His name is pronounced ker-FAHL-ah ex-OOH-may.
Jonathan Eduoard: A Floridian who is listed as a National because he played three years at Carleton and completed his degree. Edouard showed his skills last year when in Montreal he filled in for an injured Adarius Pickett at SAM and sacked Cody Fajardo. He’s a solid contributor on special teams and will start the season as a backup corner.
Jamie Harry: A tall corner at 6’2”, he was originally drafted by the Argos in 2019. After CFL stops in Edmonton and BC, he’s returned to the Boatmen where he’ll be a backup at field corner. He was spectacular at the University of Ottawa, where he was a two-time All-Canadian.
Benjie Franklin: He’s the starter at field corner. Franklin began training camp working with the Argos first team and never lost the job. He signed in 2023 after the UFL season concluded. The Houston native played one game with Toronto, the season finale in Ottawa, where he intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble.
Tyshon Blackburn: The final of the three draft picks the Argos had in this year’s second round of the CFL Draft. The University of Alberta product was an All-Canadian with the Golden Bears. His talent and versatility were noticed in camp by the coaching staff, and he will start the season backing up Metchie at safety. He had an interception in the pre-season game against Hamilton.
SPECIAL TEAMS
This group is, well, special.
PLACEKICKERS (2)
Lirim Hajrullahu: The man who kicked the last minute, game winning field goal for the Argos in the 2017 Grey Cup returns after spending time in the NFL and USFL. This time though he’ll be used exclusively as the place kicker, though he could capably fill in for Haggerty in a pinch. He has a strong, accurate leg.
Alfredo Gachuz Lozada: The Mexican league’s (UFA) all-time leading scorer is back for a second season. He had a long look from the Pittsburgh Steelers before heading north. He has a strong leg and has improved his punting since coming north. He was good on 3 of his 4 field goal attempts in a game against Saskatchewan last year.
PUNTERS (2)
John Haggerty: The Australian has been spectacular in his time in Toronto. He’s been an Argo for two years and has established the team’s career record with an average punt of 48.1 yards. He led the league in ’22 and had the highest average last year, but an injury kept him out of enough games that he didn’t have enough punts to qualify for the league title.
Jeremy Edwards: The Argos are hoping they landed Haggerty 2.0 in the first round of this year’s Global draft. A fellow Aussie, Edwards played his NCAA football at Eastern Kentucky.
LONG SNAPPER (1)
Adam Guillemette: The Cambridge native is a protégé of former Argo long snapper Jake Reinhart. The Argos third-round pick in the 2023 draft had a fantastic first season and should be even better with a year under his belt.
RETURN SPECIALIST (1)
Janarion Grant: How do you replace the player voted as the league’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player? Sign the man who has 8 return touchdowns in just 41 CFL games. Last year with Winnipeg, his punt return against Saskatchewan was unreal.
We’re onto the top 8!
Two plays against Sask opens up the quarterfinals. Will Janarion’s punt return or Drew’s diving TD move onto the semis?!
Vote 👇#ForTheW pic.twitter.com/cgKQgBFz0D
— Winnipeg Blue Bombers (@Wpg_BlueBombers) December 22, 2023