Eastern Washington quarterbacking greats Bo Levi Mitchell, Vernon Adams Jr. open CFL seasons this weekend

The first two games of the 2026 CFL season will feature a couple of star quarterbacks who made their names at Eastern Washington University.

EWU legend Bo Levi Mitchell and his Hamilton Tiger-Cats will open the season at 4:30 p.m. Thursday against the visiting Montreal Alouettes. At 6 p.m. Friday, in Game 2 of the CFL regular season, Eagles great Vernon Adams Jr. will lead the Calgary Stampeders against the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Eastern is well represented in the CFL, with two of the league's most notable QBs plus a longtime standout in the BC Lions secondary. Here's a look at players from area colleges to watch for as the CFL season gets underway.

Eastern Washington

Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell (Hamilton) - A highly decorated CFL mainstay and two-time Grey Cup champion, Mitchell landed at No. 2 on TSN's annual ranking of the top 50 active CFL players, released Tuesday.

The 36-year-old fell just short of his third CFL Most Outstanding Player award in 2025, leading the league with 5,296 passing yards and a career-best 36 touchdowns against just 11 interceptions, guiding a prolific Tiger-Cat offense to 11 wins and into the Eastern Final. Mitchell signed a two-year extension with Hamilton in December.

Mitchell has passed for over 4,000 yards in six seasons. He's coming off back-to-back 5,000-yard seasons and is one of four QBs in league history to have at least four 5,000-yard seasons. For his career, he has passed for 44,319 yards - No. 8 on the CFL's all-time passing list - and 262 touchdowns.

Mitchell spent his first 10 CFL seasons with Calgary, guiding the Stampeders to Grey Cup titles in 2014 and 2018 - he was the game's MVP both times. Mitchell won the CFL MOP award in 2016 and '18.

Mitchell spent his final two collegiate seasons at EWU, leading the Eagles to their first FCS national title in 2010. As a senior, Mitchell topped the FCS in passing yards (4,009) and TDs (33) and won the Walter Payton Award. Mitchell went unselected in the NFL draft, then signed a CFL free-agent contract and, by his third year in the league, had become a distinguished player up North.

Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. (Calgary) - A CFL vet and one of the league's most productive passers, Adams is entering his second season as the starting QB for Calgary.

Adams, ranked No. 16 on TSN's Top 50 CFL players list, threw for 4,247 yards and 21 touchdowns against 14 interceptions on a 65% completion rate last year, leading the Stampeders to an 11-7 record. Last month, he signed an extension to remain with Calgary through 2028.

For his CFL career, Adams has passed for 20,437 yards and 117 touchdowns over 122 games. He led the league with 4,769 passing yards in 2023 with the BC Lions, tossing 31 TD passes. Adams earned East Division All-Star honors with Montreal in 2019, when he passed for 3,942 yards and 24 TDs against 13 picks. Three years later, he left the Alouettes to join the BC Lions, then cemented himself as a consistent CFL standout.

At EWU, Adams was a two-time Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year who led the Eagles to three straight conference titles. He earned first-team FCS All-America honors in 2014 before finishing his collegiate career at Oregon. After going unselected in the NFL draft, Adams pursued a CFL career, which has proved fruitful.

Defensive back TJ Lee III (BC Lions) - The 35-year-old halfback - a cornerback/safety hybrid - is entering his 12th year in the CFL, all with the BC Lions.

One of the longest-tenured players in BC history - and also one of the most notable defenders in Lions history - Lee is a two-time All-CFL honoree (2018, '23) and a three-time All-West Division selection who ranks second in BC history in tackles (655) and seventh in interceptions (29). He's added nine forced fumbles and seven sacks over 144 career games.

Lee could move up to No. 20 on the franchise's all-time games played list this season.

The Seattle product parted ways with the Lions before the 2025 campaign, but the team brought him back midway through the season to captain a young secondary. Lee started at halfback in five straight victories after returning, then signed a one-year extension with BC in February.

Lee was a three-time first-team All-Big Sky performer at Eastern. He was part of the national championship 2010 team. Lee totaled 182 tackles across 49 games at EWU.

Defensive lineman Da'Marcus Johnson (Toronto) - Johnson is entering his second year with the Argonauts after compiling 18 tackles and a sack in 16 games during his debut CFL season in 2025.

Johnson signed with Toronto in early 2025 after concluding his collegiate career at EWU in 2023. He tallied 52 tackles (nine for loss), 5 1/2 sacks and two forced fumbles for the Eagles during his lone season with the program after three years at Fresno State.

Wide receiver Nolan Ulm (Toronto) - The rookie will miss the first six games of the season after being placed on the injured list Sunday.

The Kelowna, B.C., native was selected by the Argos in the fourth round of the CFL draft in April. Ulm played at EWU from 2020-25, totaling 1,330 yards and 11 touchdowns on 117 catches in 57 games during his Eagles career.

Ulm had a 6-yard reception in Toronto's 20-10 preseason win over Hamilton last week, but missed the preseason finale and was then placed on the six-game IL with an unspecified injury.

Washington State

Linebacker Parker McKenna (BC Lions) - WSU's leading tackler last year, McKenna signed with the Lions in April and made the roster.

McKenna appeared in 25 games with 13 starts over the past two years at WSU, posting a team-high 83 tackles (five for loss) with two sacks and one interception last season.

He recorded nine tackles (one for loss) in two preseason games for BC.

Offensive lineman Christy Nkanu (Calgary) - The Montreal native has started 29 games at right guard for Calgary over the past two seasons and is expected to hold down that role again in 2026.

Selected eighth overall by the Stampeders in the 2024 CFL draft, Nkanu worked his way into the starting lineup by the midway point of his rookie season. Last year, he was part of an O-line group that paved the way for Dedrick Mills' CFL rushing title (1,409 yards).

Nkanu was mostly a reserve during his grad season at WSU in 2023. He spent the previous five years at Southern Utah.

Idaho

Wide receiver David Ungerer III (Toronto) - The Pullman High graduate has carved out a solid CFL career since wrapping up his University of Idaho career in 2018.

The slot receiver, now entering his seventh season in the league, is coming off his best season. He had career highs of 653 yards and 53 catches, adding two TDs, in 18 games last year.

Ungerer has 2,113 yards and eight TDs on 159 catches over 86 CFL games since he was selected by Hamilton in the second round of the 2019 draft. He spent his first three seasons with the Ticats before signing with Toronto in early 2023, and he's emerged as a standout since, logging 1,657 yards and six TDs over the last three years with the Argos.

The veteran pass-catcher has appeared in two Grey Cups, winning one - Ungerer had 29 yards on four catches for the Argos during their championship win in 2024.

Ungerer registered 1,225 yards and 10 TDs on 116 catches over 34 games at UI. He landed on the All-Big Sky third team in 2018 after producing 697 yards and four scores.

Defensive backs coach Aaron Grymes (Edmonton) - After a long career in the CFL as a player, Grymes became the Edmonton Elks' DBs coach in early 2025.

The Seattle native was a defensive back in the CFL for 10 years, most notably helping Edmonton to a Grey Cup title in 2015 and earning CFL All-Star honors that season.

Grymes appeared in 95 games during his CFL career - 79 with Edmonton, 16 with BC - accumulating 313 tackles and 13 interceptions.

Grymes played for the Vandals from 2009-12, helping Idaho win the Humanitarian Bowl as a freshman.

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