Oliveira to face stiff competition from Rourke for CFL top player, Canadian awards

By: The Canadian Press Posted: 10:48 AM CDT Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025 Last Modified: 12:25 PM CDT Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025

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TORONTO - Brady Oliveira will have a chance to defend his CFL outstanding player and top Canadian honours.

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TORONTO - Brady Oliveira will have a chance to defend his CFL outstanding player and top Canadian honours.

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TORONTO – Brady Oliveira will have a chance to defend his CFL outstanding player and top Canadian honours.

The Winnipeg running back was the Blue Bombers’ nominee for both awards Wednesday. Voting was conducted by the Football Reporters of Canada and nine CFL head coaches.

Oliveira claimed both awards last year in helping Winnipeg make a fifth straight Grey Cup appearance.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros (8) hands off to Brady Oliveira (20) during first half CFL action against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Winnipeg, Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

Oliveira, 28, of Winnipeg, has rushed for 1,163 yards (5.8-yard average) to stand fourth overall in the CFL He has also run for three TDs and is tied for the league lead in 100-yard games (four).

Oliveira will face stiff competition in the West Division from quarterback Nathan Rourke, who was the B.C. Lions’ unanimous selection in both categories. Rourke, the league’s top Canadian in 2022, is second in CFL passing (4,922 yards) and TDs (28) but is the top-rushing quarterback (559 yards, 9.3-yard average, 10 TDs).

This season, Rourke set a single-season passing record for a Canadian, breaking the previous mark held by Russ Jackson (3,641 yards in 1969). Rourke is just the second Canuck in league history to eclipse 10,000 career passing yards.

Quarterback Trevor Harris (unanimous, Saskatchewan Roughriders) and running backs Justin Rankin (unanimous, Edmonton Elks) and Diedrick Mills (Calgary Stampeders) are the other West Division nominees.

Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the CFL leader in passing yards (5,032) and TDs (34), tops the East Division nominees. The others include quarterbacks Nick Arbuckle (Toronto Argonauts) and Davis Alexander (Montreal Alouettes), as well as receiver/returner Kalil Pimpleton (Ottawa Redblacks).

Joining Rourke and Oliveira as double nominees are Pimpleton (also special-teams), Montreal defensive lineman Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund (unanimous pick as top Canadian, defensive player), Hamilton kicker Marc Liegghio (Canadian, special-teams player) and Winnipeg returner Trey Vaval (unanimous pick for both special-teams and rookie). The remaining top Canadian selections include linebackers Joel Dublanko (Edmonton) and A.J. Allen (unanimous, Saskatchewan), receivers Jalen Philpot (Calgary) and Kevin Mital (Toronto), and Ottawa running back Daniel Adeboboye.

Defensive lineman Mathieu Betts, the CFL’s top defensive player in 2023, is B.C.’s nominee for the award. Toronto linebacker Cameron Judge was the lone unanimous selection for the honour.

Meanwhile, Winnipeg tackle Stanley Bryant, a four-time recipient of the league’s top lineman awards, was the Bombers’ selection for the honour.

The division finalists will be announced Oct. 30. The CFL will honour its top individual performers Nov. 13 in Winnipeg.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2025.