Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca
All-Stars are *almost* always a contentious discussion. Players have pride, coaches love ‘their guys’ and traditionally would defend them against almost any criticism and fan bases can often turn a blind eye to the facts, washing down their homer picks with a solid swig of regional bias.
Criticisms fly around social media (shocking I know) ranging from too many votes coming from certain places, to players stats being inflated based on system or there being a minimum games played requirement to be All-Star eligible.
All of it is one, big, fun, mess full of discussion. Through this mess we can often find nuggets of interesting points that might open our minds to think about our game and its players in a different way. With that as preface, let’s begin my alternate reality All-Star team to recognize those who also deserve the honour.
CFL All-Star 2023
» Learn more about CFL All-Star
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» Stars of the Show: 2023 CFL All-Star, fan favourite unveiled
Quarterback
After seeing the way Vernon Adams Jr. blew up the Western Semi-Final last Saturday you could make the argument for VA over anybody, but Zach Collaros was rightfully voted the West nominee as passer after leading the CFL in touchdowns thrown (33) and explosive pass completions of 30 yards or more (35).
Collaros was also the most efficient quarterback in 2023 (112.8) had the best touchdown per pass percentage (7.8%) and touchdown to interception ratio (2.20). There is no wrong choice here, but Collaros is right to feel a tremendous year didn’t earn him some hardware that many, many other years would be his.
Running Back
Brady Oliveira got the nod for Winnipeg after a wild 2023 season, but AJ Ouellette of the Toronto Argonauts was more than worthy as well! If Chad Kelly gets the credit as CFL All-Star quarterback for the win-loss excellence of the double blue then Ouellette should be given similar credit in a year he went from nice alternative option to a focal point of the Argos offence that continuously set the tone in dominant Argos first quarters and almost always landed the final punch to finish games.
Receiver
The group of Dalton Schoen, Keon Hatcher, Tim White, Austin Mack and Reggie Begelton represent the CFL proudly as an elite starting five All-Star pass catchers from the 2023 season, but this is not a league limited to five elite performances. In another world you could easily have had my alternate selections of BC’s Alexander Hollins, Saskatchewan’s Shawn Bane Jr., Toronto’s DaVaris Daniels, Ottawa’s Justin Hardy and Winnipeg’s Nic Demski.
Bane led the CFL in targets (139) and catches (93) but was left off the list while Demski was the most efficient receiver in the CFL when targeted (131.2). Hardy finished third in catches this season while buoying a hurting Ottawa offence, no surprise from a man who led the NCAA in career catches when leaving Eastern Carolina. Daniels was skipped over in Divisional All-Star voting by teammate Damonte Coxie for reasons beyond me as the veteran had 22 more targets and three more targets while Alexander Hollins was the only receiver in the top five of reaching yards (1,173) to be left off the CFL All-Star recognition.
Offensive Line
Even with the assistance of Pro Football Focus this season, line play remains a difficult evaluation unless you are grinding the tape. While I believe few errors in judgement were made in the actual All-Star group, it’s not hard to imagine a world in which Calgary’s Sean McEwen is the All-Star centre, surrounded by guards Brandon Revenberg (Hamilton), Sukh Chungh (BC) and tackles Nick Callender (Montreal) and Stanley Bryant (Winnipeg).
Of that group Revenberg has the highest run blocking grade according to PFF (77.3) good for sixth in the CFL amongst all lineman with 100 snaps played while also ranking highest in pass blocking grade (74.9) to rank eighth in the CFL.
Defensive Line
Of all discussions that have the most validity I believe Folarin Orimolade not making All-Star in a group featuring BC’s Mathieu Betts and Winnipeg’s Willie Jefferson has the most teeth. Montreal’s Mustafa Johnson could have earned a nod as well over Casey Sayles of Hamilton or Mike Rose of Calgary, but Orimolade is one of the rare Argos on the outside looking in after a wonderful campaign.
Linebacker
Cam Judge is a victim of his own teammates’ excellence, it’s that simple in the current format of CFL All-Star and award voting. Saskatchewan’s Larry Dean likely earned the hat tip over Judge with Micah Awe and Wynton McManis going on to get the eventual round of applause.
If Awe doesn’t set the Calgary franchise record for tackles Judge might have squeaked into a CFL All-Star award, but that’s all revisionist history now.
Secondary
Winnipeg’s Demerio Houston had to be on the final list bumping standout Toronto rookie Qwan’tez Stiggers and Ottawa’s Brandin Dandridge. The latter supplied a much needed boost for the REDBLACKS defence and return game through the year which just wasn’t enough to topple BC’s Garry Peters. Wesley Sutton also feels under appreciated this year as both he, and the Winnipeg duo of halfback Evan Holm and safety Brandon Alexander could have easily made the top of the ballot.
Kicker
Sean Whyte had a historic season, made more field goals from 40-yards or more than anyone in the CFL and was just 0.6% behind Boris Bede for the best make percentage in the CFL on 14-more attempts, but if you want to go off game changing kickoffs and raw league leader data Bede is your man.
Punter
Richie Leone had another awesome year but might have been the beneficiary of Saskatchewan’s Adam Korsak having limited name brand notoriety. Korsak finished the regular season with a longer max punt (90-yards) average (47.9) and as many punts inside the ten yard line but the Riders gave up significantly more return yardage which could speak to poor punt placement in comparison to Leone.
Returner
Javon Leake is the choice here over Mario Alford, even as the two combined for FOUR return touchdowns in the month of July. Leake held the lead in most statistical categories but Alford did squeak out a 203-yard final advantage in total yards by season’s end.
