Breaking Down Latest CFL Winter Negotiation Lists for 2025 Season
The CFL is back to work looking for the next generation of talent to join the league, releasing the winter negotiation lists on Friday.
Every September and December since 2018, CFL teams have been required to release a list of 10 players they would have first rights to sign if they choose to play in the CFL. Teams can add up to 45 players and can remove or add them if they want to.
In the past, teams have had success with negotiation lists. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are an example of a club that has found great talent through this route, including wide receivers Tim White and Shemar Bridges and quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa.
Here is a closer look into the 10 players each team added.
2024 Winter Negotiation Lists
(Name | Position | School)
BC Lions
- Ahmarean Brown | WR | South Carolina
- Hank Bachmeier | QB | Wake Forest
- Devin Carter | WR | West Virginia
- Efton Chism III | WR | Eastern Washington
- Ben DinNucci | QB | James Madison
- Zander Horvath | RB | Purdue
- Jermaine Jackson | WR | Idaho
- John Mateer | QB | Washington State
- Chris Oladokun | QB | South Dakota State
- Kaidon Salter | QB | Liberty
Oladokun is currently in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs, having spent most of his time on the practice squad since 2022. DiNucci is also in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints.
Edmonton Elks
- Daniel Arias | WR | Colorado
- Kawaan Baker | WR | South Alabama
- Darien Butler | LB | Arizona State
- Azizi Hearn | DB | UCLA
- Tyler Huff | QB | Jacksonville State
- Cameron McCutcheon | DB | Western Carolina
- Keith Randolph Jr. | DL | Illinois
- Cameron Rising | QB | Utah
- Aidan Robbins | RB | Brigham Young
- Connor Watkins | QB | Villanova
Rising leads the name of players for the Elks as a member of the Utah Utes in college since 2019. He has had success when he has been on the field, but injuries have lowered his stock in the NFL, making him a perfect candidate for the CFL.
Calgary Stampeders
- Eno Benjamin | RB | Arizona State
- Deshaun Fenwick | RB | Oregon State
- Garrett Greene | QB | West Virginia
- Lideatrick Griffin | WR | Mississippi State
- Josh Love | QB | San Jose State
- Tommy Mellott | QB | Montana State
- Joseph Ngata | WR | Clemson
- A.J. Thomas | DB | Western Michigan
- Trenton Thompson | DB | San Diego State
- Ben Wooldridge | QB | Louisiana Lafayette
Benjamin has NFL experience, having played for three teams in four years. He rushed for 431 yards and three touchdowns while also racking up 235 receiving yards and 342 return yards. Thomas led the UFL in interceptions last season with the Birmingham Stallions and previously racked up four tackles in NFL regular season games for the Chicago Bears.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
- Tyrie Cleveland | WR | Florida
- Snoop Conner | RB | Mississippi
- Kalen Deloach | LB | Florida State
- Lewis Kidd | OL | Montana State
- Michael Ojemudia | DB | Iowa
- John Paddock | QB | Illinois
- Austen Pleasants | OL | Ohio
- Will Rogers | QB | Washington
- Thomas Rush | DL | Minnesota
- Payton Thorne | QB | Auburn
After spending the previous four seasons with Mississippi State, Rogers is finishing up his final season in college with the Washington Huskies. He has over 14,000 yards passing and 108 touchdowns in his college career. Conner played for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022 with 42 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- Chase Artopoeus | QB | Tennessee Chattanooga
- Ian Book | QB | Notre Dame
- Malik Fisher | DL | Villanova
- Eric Garror | DB | Louisiana
- Tay Gowan | DB | Central Florida
- Mark Gronowski | QB | South Dakota State
- Anderson Hardy | OL | Appalachian State
- Haynes King | QB | Georgia Tech
- Diego Pavia | QB | Vanderbilt
- LaJohntay Wester | WR | Colorado
Book started one career NFL game in 2021 with the New Orleans Saints, throwing for 135 yards and two interceptions. Wester has been a playmaker for Coach Prime in Colorado this season, with 880 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. King and Pavia both had stellar seasons for their teams. Pavia led Vanderbilt to its first bowl game since 2018, and Georgia Tech's seven wins this season are tied for the most since 2016.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- Brevin Allen | DL | Campbell
- Judge Culpepper | DL | Toledo
- Jalon Daniels | QB | Kansas
- Ethan Fernea | WR | UCLA
- Jack Heflin | DL | Iowa
- Jalen Jackson | RB | Villanova
- Tyler Murray | LB | Memphis
- Badara Traore | OL | Louisiana State
- Spencer Waege | DL | North Dakota State
- Nick Whiteside II | DB | Saginaw Valley State
Heflin is in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams practice squad after being an All-XFL selection with the Houston Roughnecks in 2023. Culpepper was a first-team All-MAC selection in 2023 after leading Toledo with nine sacks. Daniels is an elite dual-threat quarterback for Kansas, throwing for 2,454 yards and rushing for another 447 yards with 20 total touchdowns this season.
Toronto Argonauts
- Markaviest Bryant | DL | Central Florida
- Kyron Drones | QB | Virginia Tech
- Craig James | DB | Sothern Illinois
- Kevin Jennings | QB | Southern Methodist
- Michael Joseph | DB | Dubuque
- Donavan Mutin | LB | Houston
- Marcel Reed | QB | Texas A&M
- Breeland Speaks | DL | Mississippi
- E.J. Warner | QB | Rice
- Miyan Williams | RB | Ohio State
Jennings was a breakout star for SMU this season, leading the team to the College Football Playoffs and scoring 27 touchdowns. Reed is another Texas quarterback who broke out as a star, scoring 18 touchdowns as a freshman with Texas A&M.
Ottawa Redblacks
- Zack Annexstad | QB | Illinois State
- Andre Carter | DL | Indiana
- Isaiah Dunn | DB | Oregon State
- Vitaliy Gurman | OL | Toledo
- Miles Hastings | QB | California Davis
- Mikel Jones | LB | Syracuse
- Chris McDonald | DB | Toledo
- Sean Ryan | WR | Rutgers
- Ron Stone Jr. | DL | Washington State
- Hajj-Malik Williams | QB | UNLV
Williams is dangerous with the football and his first season in FBS with UNLV was successful. He threw 17 touchdowns and rushed for 824 yards with nine additional scores on the ground. Jones was a two-time All-ACC selection at Syracuse who has played for three NFL teams and the D.C. Defenders in the UFL.
Montreal Alouettes
- J.D. Direnzo | OL | Rutgers
- Daijun Edwards | RB | Georgia
- Brett Gabbert | QB | Miami (Ohio)
- Seth Henigan | QB | Memphis
- Jaray Jenkins | WR | Louisiana State
- Tiawan Mullen | DB | Indiana
- Daviyon Nixon | DL | Iowa
- Willington Previlon | DL | Rutgers
- Ja'Quan Sheppard | DB | Maryland
- Christian Young | LB | Arizona
Edwards followed in the line of successful running backs at Georgia, rushing for 881 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Bulldogs in 2023. Montreal has two quarterbacks on this list who have performed at high levels in college as Gabbert has been on the All-MAC team three times and Henigan has two straight years on the All-AAC team.
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