Week 2 of the CFL preseason schedule wraps up on Saturday night when the Calgary Stampeders host the Edmonton Elks at 9:30 p.m. EST.
The Stamps are rolling with mostly starters in their final preseason appearance, while the new-look Elks are travelling south with mostly rookies in tow. That only increases the chances for an unproven prospect to impress, though the challenge for CFL fans is figuring out in advance who they should have their eyes on.
Whether you are watching from the stadium or on CFL+, 3DownNation is teeing up every preseason game with a handful of rookies you should know. The only rule: those with CFL game experience need not apply. As this is Calgary’s second exhibition game, you can click here to read the players to watch from the preseason opener and gain double the insight.
“N” denotes National players (ie. Canadians), “A” denotes American players, and “G” denotes Global players.
Calgary Stampeders
REC Kaylon Horton, University of North Texas (A)
Horton will get a chance to run with the ones at McMahon after being held without a catch in the preseason opener, but there is intrigue behind his lack of production. A former defensive back at Tarleton State, he hasn’t taken a lot of snaps at receiver since converting in 2021 but has some serious wheels. The five-foot-nine, 173-pounder has mostly excelled as a return specialist and flashed in that capacity in his CFL debut, with a clear path onto the roster if he can win that job.
DB Jaydon Grant, Oregon State University (A)
Grant is one of several players pushing for a job in the Stampeders’ revamped secondary and gets the nod to start at field halfback for his final audition. The six-foot, 190-pound defender has played a ton of football in his career, suiting up in 57 career games with the Beavers. Though not considered an elite athlete by defensive back standards, his instincts and physicality elevated him to All-PAC 12 status as a senior and kept him on the Raiders practice roster for a year.
LB Kelechi Anyalebechi, University of the Incarnate Word (A)
Anyalebechi was surprisingly quiet in the Stamps’ first game but the former Southlands Conference Defensive Player of the Year can’t be counted out in the battle for jobs at linebacker. The six-foot, 240-pounder was one of the top defenders in the FCS and was credited with an absurd 50 defensive stops — plays which constitute a win for the defence — by ProFootballFocus in each of his last two seasons. He also showed much greater comfort in coverage than your average MAC backer, which should translate in the CFL.
REC Joseph Ngata, Clemson University (A)
Listed at six-foot-three and 217 pounds, Ngata looks twice as big in person and could offer an imposing target for Vernon Adams Jr. The former five-star recruit never established himself as a star with the Tigers but still has untapped athletic upside and will benefit from the waggle due to his past difficulties releasing off the line. He caught just one of the four targets thrown his way in Victoria for 21 yards but has a skill set that is tough to forget.
Edmonton Elks
K Campbell Fair, University of Ottawa (N)
Highlighting kickers on this list isn’t much fun for anybody but the Elks are pretty much hooped if one of the two on their roster doesn’t step up. Vincent Blanchard saw some regular-season action last year but Fair still hasn’t two years after he was drafted by Calgary. He showed all the leg to be a successful CFL kicker when with the Gee-Gees, nailing a career-long 55-yarder to win the Panda Bowl in 2023.
REC Binjimen Victor, Ohio State University (A)
There is at least one spot up for grabs in the Elks’ receiving corps and Victor arrives with a pedigree that few can match from his time with the Buckeyes. Standing at six-foot-four and 200 pounds, his 34-inch arms give him an impressive catch radius and his long, gliding strides can catch defenders off-guard. Still, the former four-star recruit has never fully delivered on his potential and may be staring down his last shot at 28 years of age.
DB Roterius Torrence, Arizona State University (A)
Chris Jones may be gone but the Elks are keeping his spirit alive with the inclusion of Torrence on their training camp roster. The six-foot-three, 200-pound cornerback offers all the length that their previous head coach coveted, with ridiculous 34-inch arms for the position that allow him to make plays even when beaten. That physical advantage goes a long way to covering up some other deficiencies in his game and it will be interesting to see how he holds up without being able to man-handle opponents off the line, as he so often did in college.
REC J.J. Laap, State University of New York at Cortland (A)
The Elks already have one star player from Division III SUNY Cortland in Jake Ceresna, so why not add a second? Laap is a classic CFL small-school slotback prospect, racking up 3,125 yards and 32 career touchdowns in a man-against-boys scenario. He has the potential to be dangerous with the waggle and ate up cushion like an appetizer in college, blowing past flat-footed defenders for an average of 18.7 yards per reception.
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