Who Will Mop Up At The CFL Team Awards?
By Chris Lawton
It is awards season in the CFL. Which means that each of the league’s nine teams get to name their own winners in each category. So, while teams are either preparing for the playoffs or already looking to next year, people are now thinking about which players have had the biggest impact on the 2024 season.
During ‘awards season’ the CFL hands out a number of awards, including Most Outstanding Player, Most Outstanding Canadian, Most Outstanding Defensive Player, Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman, Most Outstanding Special Teams Player, and Most Outstanding Rookie.
Now that the CFL has announced each team’s winners in each of these categories, they go on to be the nominee of that team for the league wide award. Which means that six player nominations are made from each team. Sometimes the nominations overlap, like this year where Winnipeg have nominated Brady Oliveira for MOP and MOC or where Saskatchewan have nominated Rolan Milligan for MOP, MODP and Most Outstanding Special Team’s Player.
Let’s keep it simple here however and look at the nine players nominated for the Most Outstanding Player (MOP) award, and the credentials they are bringing to the table.
BC Lions: Justin McInnis, Wide Receiver
McInnis is a double nominee for the Lions, having been selected as the team’s MOP and Most Outstanding Canadian.
He has 92 receptions for 1469 yards and 7 touchdowns. His yardage is league-leading, and if it stays that way, he will be the first Canadian to lead the league in receiving since Andy Fantuz in 2010. His yardage receiving is also the second highest recorded by a Canadian playing for the BC Lions, bested only by Matt Clark’s 1530 yards in 1991.
92 receptions for 1469 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Edmonton Elks: Eugene Lewis, Wide Receiver
Back in 2022 Lewis was the East Division’s MOP nominee, and as they say class is permanent so here he is as the Elks leading player this season.
Lewis has scored a touchdown in each of his last seven outings in green and gold and leads all non-quarterbacks when it comes to scoring majors with 10, (nine receiving, one rushing).
69 receptions for 982 yards with 9 touchdowns. He also has 1 carry for 15 yards and a touchdown.
Calgary Stampeders: Reggie Begelton, Wide Receiver
Begelton has been a fixture for the Stampeders, in this his seventh season with the team. He passed 5000 career yards receiving with them this year too. He was the team’s unanimous selection for MOP.
On the season he has 89 receptions for 1112 yards and 4 touchdowns. He has 32 second-down conversion catches and a two-point conversion to go with his touchdowns. Begelton is well respected by his teammates as evidence by him being awarded the Stamps’ Presidents Ring for 2024.
89 receptions for 1112 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Saskatchewan Roughriders: Rolan Milligan Jr, Defensive Back
Milligan Jr was a unanimous selection for team MOP for the Roughriders. He has also been nominated by the team for Most Outstanding Defensive Player and Most Outstanding Special Team’s Player.
Milligan has made 111 defensive plays so far this season, including a league leading 8 interceptions and 10 knockdowns. He has 71 defensive tackles as well as 20 tackles on special teams.
111 defensive plays made ranks him fourth in the CFL, and first amongst non-linebackers. He was named the top DB for Weeks 1, 5 and 17 and the outstanding special teams’ player for June.
111 defensive plays, 8 interceptions and 10 knockdowns. 71 defensive tackles, 20 tackles on special teams.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers: Brady Oliveira, Running Back
This is the second year in a row that Oliveira has been nominated in both categories, (MOP and MOC), by the Blue Bombers. Last year he went on to be named the league’s Most Outstanding Canadian.
With one game left to play Oliveira leads the league in rushing and is aiming to be the CFL rushing leader for the second consecutive season. Oliveira also leads the league in combined yards from scrimmage with 1,783 yards in total. He was the team’s unanimous selection for MOP.
228 carries for 1318 yards (5.78 yards per carry) and 3 touchdowns, as well as a career high 54 receptions for 465 yards and a touchdown.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats: Bo Levi Mitchell, Quarterback
Whilst this is Mitchell’s first MOP nomination with the Ticats, he was nominated three times before, (2015-16 & 2018), winning twice.
The veteran pivot is the only QB in the league this year to pass for over 5000 yards. He leads the league in passing yards and touchdowns and will not be caught in the former and it is highly unlikely he will be caught for the latter.
The irony is that Mitchell was benched for ‘throwing too many picks’ earlier in the season, only to come back when his replacement was injured and play at a vintage level and taking Hamilton on a run of 5-1. He was the team’s unanimous selection for MOP.
395 completions on 578 attempts for 5026 yards, 31 touchdowns and 17 interceptions, with 16 carries for 124 yards too.
Toronto Argonauts: Ka'Deem Carey, Running Back
Carey, who arrived from Calgary has had a great first year in Toronto. He is 28 yards away from breaking his own single-season high for rushing (1088 yards in 2022 with the Stamps) and has 7 touchdowns – most in the league for a running back.
191 carries 1060 yards, 7 touchdowns & 37 receptions for 356 yards and a touchdown.
Ottawa RedBlacks: Justin Hardy, Wide Receiver
Hardy was the team’s unanimous selection for MOP. The 32-year-old RedBlacks receiver is on the cusp of making some team history. His 97 receptions currently lead the CFL, whilst with a game left to play, he is 126 yards off league-leader McInnis of the Lions. Should Hardy overtake him he would be the first Ottawa player to lead the CFL in receiving since Tony Gabriel.
Should he add 117 yards to his tally he would surpass the RedBlacks record set by Greg Ellingson in 2017. If he were to add 128 yards receiving, he would surpass Gerald Alphin’s 1989 season and have the most receiving yards in a season for any Ottawa franchise (RedBlacks, Renegades or Roughriders).
97 receptions for 1343 yards and 5 touchdowns
Montreal Alouettes: Tyrice Beverette, Linebacker
Beverette was the team’s unanimous selection for MOP. He is also their nominee for Most Outstanding Defensive Player. The Linebacker has started every game this season for the Als and along the way recorded 132 defensive plays. It has often been the D that has led the way for Montral this season, and Beverette has been at the heart of that.
98 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 2 interceptions, six knockdowns and 1 fumble recovery. 9 Special teams tackles
Who Will Be The MOP For 2024?
Last time out the final pairing was Brady Oliveira (West) and Chad Kelly (East), with Kelly going on to win an award that felt more about the Argos season. This time, we have some strong candidates for MOP and MOC up against each other. My feeling is that this will come down to three choices, Rolan Milligan Jr, Brady Oliveira, and Bo Levi Mitchell.
Given that in the history of this award it has been won by a defensive player only once ever, when Solomon Elimimian won it in 2014, the likes of Milligan Jr and Beverette are up against it here. The award has gone to a quarterback 40+ times which is why Mitchell may be favoured in the East, despite the Ticats not making the playoffs.
The West is tougher as it could go either way with Milligan Jr or Oliveira. Again, it would be tough for Milligan Jr to come through here, but his season has been outstanding, and I think he has a chance. If the final pairing for MOP is Milligan Jr and Mitchell, then I believe we could see the second ever defensive player winning the award.
CHRIS LAWTON
CFL ANALYST
Chris originally started following the NFL with the ‘first wave’ of fans when it was shown on Channel 4 in the 1980’s. He has been a keen supporter of the Miami Dolphins since 1983. Chris first encountered the CFL in 2016 and instantly fell in love with the Canadian game. He has been writing about the CFL 2017. Chris has a degree in history, postgraduate degree in librarianship and can be found on twitter as @CFLfanUK