1 George Reed Most Outstanding Player candidate from every team

CFL.ca's Marshall Ferguson projects the current clubhouse leaders for Most Outstanding Player from each CFL team through six weeks of the 2026 season.

The CFL’s George Reed Most Outstanding Player award is a prestigious accolade, but there are layers to it. Local media vote on nominees for each team nomination, which takes those players into the divisional voting round and then up against the top player as voted by the other division. What I find most interesting about projecting likely team nominees is what it says about the team as a whole through six weeks.

If you can’t reasonably nominate your quarterback, things likely aren’t going great. Some teams have such great quarterback play, but one of their receivers feels like the reason for it, so they get the recognition. Meanwhile, teams with a defensive standout are likely to push that player, but it’s been a long, long time since a defender claimed the CFL’s marquee award.

With all that in mind, let’s take a look at the current clubhouse leaders for MOP from each team. RELATED » Play CFL Pick ‘Em presented by Old Dutch now! »

4 storylines to watch in Week 7 » Prediction Time: CFL.ca writers’ Week 7 picks » AMSOIL Power Rankings: Bombers ascending and stability at the top » Buy tickets for the 2026 CFL season » Subscribe to the CFL’s newsletter for exclusive offers and league updates BC LIONS NATHAN ROURKE | QUARTERBACK Rourke Jackson and the Lions take the lead! : Touchdown Kelowna: Stampeders vs. Lions LIVE NOW : TSN, CBSSN and CFL+ #CFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/y5NcIUvBU3 — CFL (@CFL) June 28, 2026 I guess?

Plenty of football remains for the Lions to become the beast we all expected this season, but at 1-3, with the defence and special teams struggling and the offence not reaching its perceived lofty expectations, it has to come from the offence. But where? The door is open for James Butler to grab the nod, but he’s seventh in CFL rushing currently, while Nathan Rourke ’s had some big games with more empty calories late in contests than anyone could have expected.

Keon Hatcher Sr.’s numbers have followed suit. EDMONTON ELKS JUSTIN RANKIN | RUNNING BACK He might be the front-runner regardless of positional perception.

Justin Rankin has been lightning in a bottle this season, except that bottle has no cap, and neither does Rankin’s potential for record-setting combinations of rushing and receiving . He also seems to score with ease, as defenders’ attempts to slow him down look half-hearted in response to his elusive open-field theatrics. CALGARY STAMPEDERS VERNON ADAMS JR.

| QUARTERBACK At 14 touchdowns and no interceptions, plus a CFL-high 38.8 points per game, you better expect Vernon Adams Jr. to play a big part in this discussion all season long. It’s a new and refreshing evolution of Adams Jr.’s game, where he seems more willing than ever to feel things out, take what he’s given and use his legs to open up big-play chances for the Stamps.

He used to force the ball downfield regardless of coverage because he knew, more often than not, he could make it work. SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS TREVOR HARRIS | QUARTERBACK Leadership, accuracy and intention. Trevor Harris gets rid of the ball so quickly that he changes defences’ entire approach to playing against the defending champions, which in itself is good enough reason to respect his impact on the overall game-day operation.

The stats are smooth too, and the variety of targets being used creates real headaches that Harris always seems to dictate. WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS JAKE CERESNA / WILLIE JEFFERSON | DEFENSIVE LINEMEN Willie Jefferson gets to Vernon Adams Jr. : Blue Bombers vs. Stampeders LIVE NOW! :

TSN, CBSSN, SiriusXM, and CFL+ #CFLKickoff pic.twitter.com/dvQae7HZ7w — CFL (@CFL) June 6, 2026 Brady Oliveira has been good but not monstrous so far. Could that lead to one of their dynamic duo defensive linemen getting the appreciation of local voters?

Both Jake Ceresna (four) and Willie Jefferson (three) currently sit inside the top five in CFL sacks, and their snap-to-snap impact is obvious, especially when working together. HAMILTON TIGER-CATS STAVROS KATSANTONIS / JULIAN HOWSARE | DEFENSIVE BACK / DEFENSIVE END Stavros said I’ll take that! :

Lions vs. Tiger-Cats LIVE NOW : TSN and CFL+ #CFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/Gl7ZVGu9FM — CFL (@CFL) June 20, 2026 Bo Levi Mitchell was a lock for this for the third year in a row, but you all know why that won’t be the case. Kenny Lawler ’s numbers will take a hit as a result, and the defence will be asked to do more.

It will take big numbers to get any serious consideration, but if Stavros Katsantonis or Julian Howsare play to their potential, I could see Hamilton’s nominee coming from the defence. Maybe even Wynton McManis if he starts to create his usual chaos. TORONTO ARGONAUTS CHAD KELLY | QUARTERBACK Chad Kelly has 1,800 yards through five games and is tied for the CFL lead with 14 touchdown passes?

Yes, that’ll do just fine with a limited ground game and no defender jumping off the stat sheet. OTTAWA REDBLACKS NYLES MORGAN | LINEBACKER Nyles Morgan ‘s impact on Ottawa’s defence has been felt through the first six weeks of the 2026 season (Minas Panagiotakis/CFL.ca) It could be Kalil Pimpleton , heck it could be Brett Lauther , but Nyles Morgan is their best player and is showing why trading for his services was the wisest thing Ottawa has done in quite some time.

Morgan missed practice on Wednesday , so it’s worth keeping an eye on his status to see whether he’ll have to miss time. MONTREAL ALOUETTES TYSON PHILPOT | RECEIVER Davis Alexander should be the nominee, but when you’re that good to one receiver in particular, it makes it hard not to see Tyson Philpot getting the recognition. Maybe Philpot could even end up being the East Division Most Outstanding Player nominee based on the projections and having a showdown with Justin Rankin for the George Reed Most Outstanding Player award.