Hicks, Pickett, Sankey eye top defensive award; Blanchard, McAllister, Vaval up for top special teams player

TORONTO (October 28, 2026) – A first-timer will capture the Canadian Football League’s most coveted individual honour this season. Montreal quarterback Davis Alexander and his primary target, wide receiver Tyson Philpot, have never before emerged as finalists for the George Reed Most Outstanding Player award, while Edmonton Elks pivot Cody Fajardo was a runner-up in 2019.

The Most Outstanding Defensive Player will come down to Toronto linebacker Adarius Pickett, a finalist in 2023, Calgary defensive lineman Clarence Hicks and BC linebacker Darnell Sankey. Winnipeg returner Trey Vaval is in the running to be the CFL’s first-ever back-to-back Most Outstanding Special Teams Player, but fellow returner Tyreik McAllister out of Calgary and Edmonton kicker Vincent Blanchard are hoping to block his path.

As part of a revamped awards process, every player who received a vote for team awards advanced to the final ballot for the corresponding CFL Award. The finalists were voted on by the same 36 local members of the Football Reporters of Canada (FRC) who determined team award winners, as well as 20 national members of the FRC, for a total of 56 votes.

The finalists for Most Outstanding Canadian, Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman and Most Outstanding Rookie can be found here.

In lieu of a traditional awards ceremony, the league will introduce a fresh new approach to recognizing the winners of CFL Awards. Recipients will be honoured through special surprise presentations as the season draws to a close and during the postseason, creating more personal and intimate moments to celebrate players’ outstanding seasons. The moments will be shared online, offering fans a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the people and stories behind the statistics and accomplishments. In an effort to increase transparency, the complete ballots for each of the 56 voters will be disclosed.

GEORGE REED MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER FINALISTS

QB | DAVIS ALEXANDER | MONTREAL ALOUETTES
Alexander entered rarified air in his second year as the full-time starter in Montreal, becoming the second Alouette to pass for 5,000+ yards, joining legend Anthony Calvillo. Across 16 starts, he compiled 5,257 yards and a 72.1 completion percentage, while throwing 35 touchdowns to just four interceptions. The former Portland State Viking topped the league with 37 completions of 30+ yards.

QB | CODY FAJARDO | EDMONTON ELKS
Fajardo led the way as the Elks claimed their first West Division crown since 2015. In his second season at the team’s helm, he set new career-highs in passing yards (4,788) and touchdown passes (25). His prowess on the ground was on full display, rushing for 517 yards (5.7 yards per carry) and eight majors.

WR | TYSON PHILPOT | MONTREAL ALOUETTES
In 16 games, Philpot set multiple career-highs en route to a historical campaign. The former Calgary Dino led the league in receptions (124, the third-most all-time), receiving yards (1,809), 30-yard+ receptions (14) and yards after catch (750), while sharing the top-spot in receiving majors (13).

MOST OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE PLAYER FINALISTS

DL | CLARENCE HICKS | CALGARY STAMPEDERS
In his third season, Hicks matched his career-best in sacks (12) to lead the league. Across 18 games, the Pensacola, Fla., native added 24 defensive tackles, four tackles for a loss, three pass knockdowns and two forced fumbles.

LB | ADARIUS PICKETT | TORONTO ARGONAUTS
Pickett led the league with 116 total tackles on the strength of his second career 100-defensive tackle+ campaign (103). The UCLA alum finished second in defensive plays (134), adding 13 special teams tackles, six tackles for a loss, five pass knockdowns, three sacks and two forced fumbles.

LB | DARNELL SANKEY | BC LIONS
In his first season with BC, Sankey topped the CFL in defensive plays (136) and defensive tackles (114). The San Jose, Calif., native established career-highs in tackles for a loss (four) and pass knockdowns (12), while matching his personal best with three sacks.

MOST OUTSTANDING SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER FINALISTS

K | VINCENT BLANCHARD | EDMONTON ELKS
Blanchard converted on 55-of-59 field goal attempts for a league-best 93.2 per cent success rate. The Laval product set a CFL record with nine field goals in a single contest on September 26. He connected on 16-of-19 attempts from 40+ yards, including six-of-seven from 50+. The Quebec City native topped the league in scoring with 211 points.

RET | TYREIK MCALLISTER | CALGARY STAMPEDERS
In his first season with Calgary, McAllister tallied three kick returns for a major (two missed field goals and one punt). The native of Dillon, S.C., set a personal-best with 2,691 kick return yards, including nine big kick return plays.

RET | TREY VAVAL | WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
In his sophomore campaign, Vaval led the league with 2,868 total kick return yards, while averaging returns of 13.8 yards per punt and 24.2 yards per kickoff. The Minnesota State University, Mankato, product notched two return majors on an 88-yard kickoff return and a 120-yard missed field goal return. The native of Blue Springs, Mo., finished with 13 big-play returns.