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Game Zone October 10, 2024

Who’s in the lead? Early returns in All-CFL voting

Bailey McLean/CFL.ca

TORONTO —  Just past the two-week mark of having voting open for All-CFL, we have a playoff-type intensity battle at the quarterback position.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ pivot Zach Collaros is the leading vote getter at that spot, but Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ QB Bo Levi Mitchell is on his heels in the race. If it stays as close as it is now, every single vote — and remember, you can vote three times when you head to the CFL Game Zone — will count in the fan’s portion of All-CFL selection.

Regardless of your allegiances, the amount of Bombers you’ll see mentioned here should evoke some strong feelings, either way.

Bomber fans have been extremely active in the voting process early on and it’s showing, with five of their players leading in votes at their respective positions. The good news for everyone here is that there is still plenty of time to either double down on those Bomber votes or to try to swing things in a different direction. Voting is open until Oct. 26. When you vote, you have a chance to win the $4,000 cash prize that’s up for grabs.

Here’s the All-Star breakdown to this point, with the leading vote getters examined.

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The All-CFL Fan Vote is powered by the league’s official data and technology partner,

QUARTERBACK | ZACH COLLAROS | WPG

Bomber fans have come out in droves to push Collaros to the top of the list at the most high-profile position in the game. This comes in spite of Collaros having his least productive season in his outstanding four-plus years in Winnipeg. With 3,756 passing yards through 16 games, Collaros should get past the 4,000-yard mark for the third consecutive season. However, his passing touchdown count (16) is well under the 33 he threw last year and the 37 he threw in 2022. He’s tightened up on turnovers as the Bombers’ season has moved along, throwing just two interceptions in his last five games, after throwing 12 in his first 11 games this year.

 

Mitchell’s season has mirrored Collaros’ in some ways. Like the Bombers, the Ticats got off to a slow start and like Collaros, Mitchell was dogged by a high turnover rate through the first 10 weeks of the season. Mitchell separates himself in the conversation, though, when you look at his productivity. Mitchell leads the league in passing yards, with 4,576 through 16 games, which is 800 more yards than Collaros, who has moved into second as we head into Week 19. Mitchell has also thrown a league-leading 26 passing touchdowns this year.

If Mitchell and/or Ticat fans want to move him to the top of the list, they’ll have to get active over the next two-and-a-half weeks.

WIDE RECEIVER | JUSTIN MCINNIS | BC

The BC Lions’ receiver is a no-brainer pick, given how dominant he has been this season catching passes from both Vernon Adams Jr. and Nathan Rourke.

McInnis is in a neck-and-neck battle in the standings for the league lead in receiving yards. Heading into Week 19 he leads Ottawa’s Justin Hardy by just three yards, 1,244 to 1,241. The Pierrefonds, QC native is a draw for fans across the country that love to see a National player thriving. While Hardy is second in that tight receiving race, he’s not on McInnis’ trail in the fan vote. That distinction goes to another National, in the Bombers’ Nic Demski.

RUNNING BACK | BRADY OLIVEIRA | WPG 

Speaking of no-brainer selections, we arrive at running back and the league’s reigning Most Outstanding Canadian. Oliveira hasn’t duplicated his magical 2023 season, but his 1,254 rushing yards lead the league.

 

While shut out of the end zone for a long stretch of the season, Oliveira has been scoring in bunches the last few weeks. He has three rushing touchdowns and a receiving TD in his past three games, helping lead the Bombers out of their 0-4 start to the season that now sees them riding an eight-game win streak, with a first-place finish in the West Division in the team’s sights.

OFFENSIVE LINE | STANLEY BRYANT | WPG

Bomber fans have turned out for Bryant, who is a four-time winner of the league’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman award and a seven-time All-CFL selection. Bryant has suited up in 14 games this season and is the sixth-highest graded tackle by PFF (64.4). Collectively, the Bombers have allowed 28 sacks heading into Week 19, which is the league’s fourth-best total. Winnipeg’s 115 rushing yards per game is the league’s third-best total and their 369 rushing attempts lead the league.

DEFENSIVE LINE | WILLIE JEFFERSON | WPG

Jefferson, 33, has entered the fine wine mode of his career. At six sacks, he’s just one off the league lead and remains a constant threat to use his tremendous length to his disruptive advantage. He has a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries and as the Bombers continue to roll toward the playoffs, his ability to make a game-changing play is always something that opposing teams have to try to prep for.

LINEBACKER | TYRICE BEVERETTE | MTL

The heart-and-soul of the Alouettes’ defence has been an across-the-board stat stuffer in 2024. Beverette leads the league in total defensive plays, with 121. He’s fourth in tackles, with 89, is tied for second in tackles for a loss (eight), has four sacks and leads the league with four forced fumbles. If momentum has turned on the field for the Als this year, Beverette has almost certainly a part of it.

DEFENSIVE BACK | ROLAN MILLIGAN JR. | SSK

Milligan has been the league’s preeminent ball hawk in 2024. He has a league leading eight interceptions, going toe-to-toe with Winnipeg’s Tyrell Ford (second in fan votes to this point) and pulling away from him in the last couple of weeks.

Milligan is impacting the game in every way that he can. He leads the Riders and the league in special teams tackles, with 20. His 10 pass knockdowns are a league best and his 110 total defensive plays is the fourth-best total in the league. That strong play has pushed his name beyond All-CFL and defensive-exclusive accolades and into the Most Outstanding Player conversation. It’s only appropriate that he’s the top vote-getter thus far among DBs.

KICKER | SERGIO CASTILLO | WPG 

The Bombers’ kicker is third in the league in points scored (174, tied with Brett Lauther) and just four points back of league-leader Sean Whyte. Perhaps most impressive in Castillo’s resume this year is that he’s lined up the longest field goal of the season, cashing in — twice! — from 60-yards out, matching the league’s second-longest-ever make. Castillo also has the second-longest kickoff average this season, at 68.2 yards.

PUNTER | JAKE JULIEN | EDM

The only member of the Edmonton Elks to be a leading vote getter at this point, Julien owns the league’s longest punt average (54.7 yards), the best net punt average (40.4 yards) and has the second-most punts inside 10-yards (seven).

The second-year punter out of Eastern Michigan has the most punting yards in the league (5,138) and has given his team a league-leading 13 singles this year.

SPECIAL TEAMS | JANARION GRANT | TOR

Perhaps the least surprising early result is seeing Grant’s name here. The Argos’ return specialist brought dominance out of the gates of the 2024 season, quickly running in four punt/kick return touchdowns in his first nine games, including this year’s longest kick return TD, at 103 yards.

 

Heading into Thanksgiving Weekend presented by Purolator, Grant leads the league in punt return yards (908) and is tied for the lead in punt return average (15.7 yards). His 24.4-yard kickoff return average is second in the league and his 1,915 combined yards is third in the league. When he’s not finding the end zone, Grant is doing everything he can to get the Argos good field position. His seven punt returns of 30 yards or more is the league’s best.

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