3DownNation’s definitive 2025 CFL award winners

Photo courtesy: Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The Canadian Football League unveiled its major award finalists on Thursday, honouring what is supposed to be the best of the best in the league. However, as usual, the end result left something to be desired.

Voting for year-end recognition in the CFL is a complex and sometimes flawed process that can be skewed by everything from locas bias to name recognition. That often leaves worthy players on the outside looking in.

We polled 13 3DownNation contributors to see who their 2025 all-star and award selections would be. Unlike the CFL, there were no divisional requirements here; the only requirement was to vote for the best players available.

Yesterday, we revealed our selections for the 2025 all-star team. Today, we unveil our major award winners.

Photo: Paul Yates/B.C. Lions
MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER: QB Nathan Rourke, B.C. Lions 

The Canadian revolution is upon us, as Rourke should easily become the fifth homegrown player in league history to take home its top honour. While Hamilton’s Bo Levi Mitchell won the CFL passing crown, the Lions’ Victoria-born pivot finished just six yards behind him with 5,290 despite starting two fewer games. Rourke also finished eighth in rushing with 564 yards on the ground — more than any player for Montreal or Toronto — while amassing 41 total touchdowns. He surpassed the 300-yard passing mark in 12 of his 16 appearances, connected on a league-leading 40 throws of over 30 yards, and finished with the second-most passing yards per attempt in CFL history. Sounds like an M.O.P. to us!

RUNNER-UPS: QB Bo Levi Mitchell, Hamilton Tiger-Cats | RB Justin Rankin, Edmonton Elks

Photo courtesy: Calgary Stampeders
MOST OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE PLAYER: DT Jaylon Hutchings, Calgary Stampeders

The top defensive player in the CFL this season didn’t even receive the team nomination for this award from the media in Calgary, which means you won’t see him walk the stage in Winnipeg. That’s an absolute travesty, because Jaylon Hutchings’ wire-to-wire dominance along the defensive interior was something to behold. The second-year man out of Texas Tech amassed 39 defensive tackles, three tackles for loss, and eight sacks despite being constantly double — and sometimes triple — teamed. At just 25 years old, he is not long for this league, and it is a shame he won’t leave with the appropriate laurels.

RUNNER-UPS: LB Tyrice Beverette, Montreal Alouettes | DE Julian Howsare, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Photo courtesy: Jeff Vinnick/B.C. Lions
MOST OUTSTANDING CANADIAN: QB Nathan Rourke, B.C. Lions 

Wait, didn’t we just go through this? Rourke is the no-brainer choice for the league’s top Canadian award for all the same reasons he is the rightful M.O.P., but it is worth highlighting just how ridiculous his accomplishments our compared to other homegrown passers. He shattered Russ Jackson’s 56-year-old Canadian passing record by 1,649 yards — or just less than double Tre Ford’s passing total. If Rourke continues on this pace, they’ll name this award after him by the time he is done.

RUNNER-UPS: DE Mathieu Betts, B.C. Lions | CB Tevaughn Campbell, Saskatchewan Roughriders

Photo courtesy: Saskatchewan Roughriders/Electric Umbrella/Liam Richards
MOST OUTSTANDING OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: RT Jermarcus Hardrick, Saskatchewan Roughriders 

For years in Winnipeg, Hardrick was always the bridesmaid and never the bride because he shared a locker room with Stanley Bryant. Now, at 35 years old, it is time for him to get his laurels. While Jarell Broxton’s pass-blocking prowess puts him firmly in the conversation here, Hardrick’s 2.9 percent pressure rate is still in a rarefied air amongst tackles, and he might be the best run blocker in the league right now. Combine those two factors, and you’ll learn why Saskatchewan had a thousand-yard rusher in A.J. Ouellette and a 39-year-old quarterback who stayed (mostly) upright.

RUNNER-UPS: LT Jarell Broxton, B.C. Lions | RG Liam Dobson, Hamilton Tiger-Cats 

Photo: Winnipeg Blue Bombers
MOST OUTSTANDING SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER: RET Trey Vaval, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

There is a strong argument to be made here for Lirim Hajrullahu and his 12 field goals of over 50 yards, but, as so often happens, flashy returns have captured our voters’ hearts. Vaval took four kicks to the house in his first CFL season, doing so in three different ways — two via kickoff, one off a punt, and one on a missed field goal. He totalled 11 big play returns and amassed 2,266 combined yards, while adding four special teams tackles in kick coverage.

RUNNER-UPS: PK Lirim Hajrullahu, Toronto Argonauts | LB Tyrell Richards, Montreal Alouettes

Photo: Winnipeg Blue Bombers
MOST OUTSTANDING ROOKIE: DB/RET Trey Vaval, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

At the risk of repeating ourselves, Vaval’s accomplishments as a returner were pretty remarkable for a rookie. He didn’t stop there, though, as he also pitched in at cornerback and made 21 defensive tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery. That combined impact in two phases tilts the tables in his favour for a second award.

RUNNER-UPS: DB Robert Carter Jr., B.C. Lions | OL Christopher Fortin, Calgary Stampeders

Photo courtesy: Electric Umbrella/Liam Richards/Saskatchewan Roughriders.
COACH OF THE YEAR: Corey Mace, Saskatchewan Roughriders

This was the tightest of all our award races, with just a single point separating Mace from the silver medallist Buck Pierce. Both are worthy candidates, but it is hard to argue against the man in charge of the top team in the CFL. Mace has fuelled an all-out culture change in Saskatchewan over the past two years, commands arguably the league’s most intimidating defence, and does it all with a smile in a media pressure cooker. It’s a good thing they aren’t handing out this award until the CFL Combine, because the Port Moody, B.C. native would probably stiff-arm it at the podium like a Gatorade shower.

RUNNER-UPS: Buck Pierce, B.C. Lions | Dave Dickenson, Calgary Stampeders