Last week we began this weekly review of Most Outstanding Player nominees and everyone agreed with all of my picks! It was wild, I opened the app formerly known as Twitter a couple times throughout the week and was blown away by all the positivity and consensus.
Nope, that wasn’t the case, but it’s not surprising in a year when the MOP conversation is clear as a foggy Vancouver morning where the award will be given out this November.
I mentioned last week that the award is typically given to quarterbacks who win the most games as a way of appreciating their impact on the win-loss column, but as we know in the ultimate team game wins are not a quarterback statistic, they are a team metric, which opens the door to other positions getting a shot.
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The most interesting question in this year of intrigue becomes what would a defender or receiver have to do to win the CFL’s top award? It’s been since before the pandemic a receiver (Brandon Banks in 2019) won it all and a full decade (Solomon Elimimian in 2014) since a defender at any level took it home.
I had plenty of people telling me a defensive back like Rolan Milligan Jr. HAS to win it all, but what kind of unquestionable resume would a defensive back have to put together to garnish that kind of credit?
Those are all thoughts to chew on along with this week’s top 10 MOP Watch rankings.
10. JAKE CERESNA | DL | TORONTO ARGONAUTS
Jake Ceresna has seven tackles and 22 defensive tackles so far this season for Toronto (Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca)
While we’re talking about under the radar and against the odds defensive players, Jake Ceresna has – somewhat quietly – had a stellar campaign. He’s tied for the league lead in sacks with seven while owning the middle of the line in his first season with the Double Blue.
9. WALTER FLETCHER | RB | MONTREAL ALOUETTES
Walter Fletcher is leading the CFL in YAC yards with 537 (Minas Panagiotakis/CFL.ca)
While Brady Oliveira has more yards from scrimmage, combining his gaudy rushing totals with some catches out of the backfield, no player has been more of an equal threat than Walter Fletcher this year.
He enters this week with 630 rushing yards and 587 receiving yards showing incredible balance and open field playmaking ability, but could he really find a way to take away Fajardo’s MOP nominee from the Als?
8. JUSTIN HARDY | REC | OTTAWA REDBLACKS
Justin Hardy is one of two CFL receivers to pass 1,000 yards (1,130) on the season (James Paddle-Grant/CFL.ca)
Perhaps the best statistical season with the least amount of hype around it is Justin Hardy in Ottawa.
Hardy leads the CFL in targets (115) and catches (85) while supplying six games of 100 yards or more which is DOUBLE the next closest receiver.
7. JANARION GRANT | RET | TORONTO ARGONAUTS
Janarion Grant has had an excellent first season in Toronto, leading the CFL in combined yards (1,900) (Minas Panagiotakis/CFL.ca)
Janarion Grant has four return touchdowns to his name this season while no other CFL return man has more than one. That in itself is incredibly outstanding, but to dethrone any of the names ahead of him on the remainder of this list, he would likely have to add at least a few more magical moments to his 2024 highlight reel.
If he got to half a dozen touchdowns via return would it be enough?
6. TYRICE BEVERETTE | LB | MONTREAL ALOUETTES
Tyrice Beverette leads the CFL with 114 total defensive plays (Peter McCabe/CFL.ca)
While Darnell Sankey certainly can make an argument to take this spot, Tyrice Beverette is the best defensive player on the best defence in the CFL.
He plays at every level and is as likely to get a strip-sack as he is a tackle for loss or an interception 40-yards from the line of scrimmage.
5. ROLAN MILLIGAN JR. | DB | SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
In addition to his stats on defence, Rolan Milligan Jr. leads the league in special teams tackles (18) (James Paddle-Grant/CFL.ca)
Leading the CFL in special teams tackles while being a standout starter tied for the CFL lead in interceptions is an incredible feat, but once Rolan Milligan Jr. gets the team nominee for MOP, how far does he go in the vote before running up against Justin McInnis or Oliveira?
4. BO LEVI MITCHELL | QB | HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
Bo Levi Mitchell leads the CFL in passing yards (4,044) and passing touchdowns (24) (Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca)
I’m not sure if Bo’s win at Toronto did it, or me asking Matt Dunigan on Saturday in Ottawa on TSN, but Bo Levi Mitchell’s odds to win the MOP jumped massively this week.
He has more touchdowns, completions and yards than anyone else and that means he has to be in the conversation, but how much will team success and playoff seeding determine voter decisions becomes the real question.
3. JUSTIN MCINNIS | REC | BC LIONS
Justin McInnis sits on top of the receiver leaderboard with 1,169 yards (Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca)
I really hope Justin McInnis doesn’t get pigeonholed as the Most Outstanding Canadian and get ignored for this award nomination. Far too often we spread the love around and play politics where the eye test and numbers should be guiding votes.
William Stanback and Vernon Adams Jr. have been great, Nathan Rourke has shown flashes of his usual brilliance, but McInnis has been both BC’s best Canadian AND best player when the full length of the season is taken into account.
2. BRADY OLIVEIRA | RB | WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
Brady Oliveira scored his first two touchdowns of the season in Week 16 against Edmonton (Arthur Ward/CFL.ca)
Arguably the leader of Winnipeg’s 2024 turnaround, Brady Oliveira leads the CFL in rushing yards again this season and if Winnipeg takes top seed in the West, he will be tough to deny as the West nominee thanks to BC’s quarterback room splitting reps and sliding which creates opportunity for other positions to split the votes.
1. CODY FAJARDO | QB | MONTREAL ALOUETTES
Cody Fajardo and his Alouettes have a chance to clinch the East Division title with a win this weekend (Dave Chidley/CFL.ca)
Cody Fajardo has the most wins, his team was the first to clinch a playoff spot, he has the highest completion percentage and has lots of explosive plays early in the season, plus the momentum of a Grey Cup from last fall.
Fajardo just about has it all, but the last couple of weeks have left lots on the table and I think he’s cracked the door open for someone to jump through and take away this top spot.