Week 2 of the CFL preseason schedule gets underway on Saturday when the Ottawa Redblacks jump across the provincial border to visit the Montreal Alouettes at 4:00 p.m. EST.
Both teams are expected to play their projected starting lineups early but that doesn’t mean there won’t be plenty of opportunities for unproven prospects to state their case for a roster spot. 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.
“N” denotes National players (ie. Canadians), “A” denotes American players, and “G” denotes Global players.
Montreal Alouettes
DB Tiawan Mullen, Indiana University (A)
You can’t teach speed but Mullen shows that you can definitely inherit it. The five-foot-10, 180-pound defensive back is a cousin of NFL superstar Lamar Jackson and ran a 4.42 forty-yard dash at his pro day to prove it. Despite his tiny frame, Mullen’s tremendous quickness and instincts made him an All-American corner with the Hoosiers, and his skill set could be even better suited as a CFL halfback. Lucky for him, the Alouettes are looking for depth at that spot.
REC Jordan Veasy, University of California (A)
It is no small feat to try to crack a CFL roster for the first time at 29 years of age, but Veasy brings an enticing combo of size and physicality for which there is no equivalent on the Alouettes’ roster. That’s also the reason that the six-foot-three, 221-pound target spent time with seven different NFL teams despite never cracking a game-day squad. His last stint as a contested-catch mismatch in the XFL showed that the talent isn’t just theoretical, but he’ll need a strong preseason to dismiss any doubt that it is too late for his breakout.
DE Byron Vaughns, Baylor University (A)
Length and speed can be the ultimate cheat codes as a pass rusher and Vaughns has plenty of both, boasting 35-inch arms and 4.66 speed. That might explain why the six-foot-four, 242-pound defensive end is the only raw rookie listed in Montreal’s starting lineup. His disruption in college didn’t always translate to sacks but his impact on the game was larger than the stat sheet would suggest and the things he did well matter even more in the Canadian game.
OL Tiger Shanks, University of Nevada-Las Vegas (N)
Shanks was one of the most challenging evaluations in the 2025 CFL Draft, with some people seeing a potential ratio-breaking tackle and others wondering if the flaws in his game were shielded by UNLV’s offensive system. We can guess which side the Alouettes came out on based on the fact that they selected him fifth overall, but Saturday will mark the first time their hypothesis is tested. The two-time All-Mountain West honouree will need to demonstrate an ability to survive on an island at six-foot-five and 325 pounds or face a transition inside to guard.
Ottawa Redblacks
REC Keelan White, University of Montana (N)
White will be thrust into the spotlight much earlier than expected due to the season-ending injury to Nick Mardner, but anyone who watched him in the draft process knows he’s pro-ready. The former Montana walk-on lacks jaw-dropping measurables like the man he’s replacing but answered the bell at every turn for the Griz, becoming a program legend and a fan favourite. Even so, stealing targets in the Redblacks’ offence will be a difficult challenge with so many star American mouths to feed and he’ll need to produce in the preseason to win trust.
DB Gavin Heslop, Stony Brook University (A)
Finding upgrades in the secondary has to be the Redblacks’ top priority this preseason and Heslop would appear to have the inside track on a job by virtue of being listed with the starting unit. The six-foot, 195-pound cover man was a dominant shutdown player for the Seawolves in college and was carving out an NFL role when he shattered his leg on his first defensive snaps. The 27-year-old is still trying to overcome that setback from 2021 and Ottawa hopes that a lockdown talent has slipped through the cracks as a result.
RB Jaylen Samuels, North Carolina State University (A)
The Redblacks experienced what it’s like to go without a running game last year and have refilled the stables with exciting options to avoid a repeat. None are more intriguing than Samuels, a former fifth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The five-foot-11, 225-pounder was an All-American tight end who set NC State’s all-time receptions record before earning his pro shot as a ball carrier and later racked up over 1,000 NFL yards from scrimmage. If there is any tread left on his tires at 28 years old, the options for Tommy Condell to utilize him are endless.
DB Craig James, Southern Illinois University (A)
Did I mention that the Redblacks need to get better in the secondary? Another NFL veteran in the latter half of his career, James arrives having played 23 games south of the border, including a start at cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles. The 29-year-old was so coveted by Ottawa that they executed a trade with Toronto to acquire him before he’d even stepped foot on a CFL field. He’ll get plenty of opportunities to prove he hasn’t lost the explosive burst that got him here.
The post Preseason watchlist: eight rookies to know in Montreal Alouettes vs. Ottawa Redblacks appeared first on 3DownNation.
