- Winnipeg's Brady Oliveira headlines the CFL's best backfield: Oliveira led the CFL with a 93.4 rushing grade last season and has been the league’s most dominant back over the past three years, racking up 4,530 rushing yards and forcing 153 missed tackles over that span.
- Toronto's Ka’Deem Carey is nipping at Oliveira's heels: While Oliveira holds the title of the league’s top back, the gap between him and Carey isn’t as wide as some might think. Carey finished last season with the CFL’s third-best rushing grade at 92.4. He led the league in both first-down/touchdown rate (33.0%) and missed tackles forced (63).
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Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes
With the 2025 CFL regular season fast approaching, teams are finalizing their depth charts in preparation for Week 1. We're taking a closer look at how each team's position groups compare across the league. Today, we’re focusing on the running back units.
Looking for more preseason insight? Check out our 2025 CFL Quarterback Rankings to see how every team stacks up under center.
1. WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
- Projected Starter: Brady Oliveira
- Projected Backup: Peyton Logan
When the starting running back is the reigning Most Outstanding Player, it’s no surprise that the team claims the top spot in these rankings. Oliveira led the CFL with a 93.4 rushing grade last season and has been the league’s most dominant back over the past three years, racking up 4,530 rushing yards and forcing 153 missed tackles. No other running back has even surpassed 3,000 yards in that span. He’s the definition of a bell cow, and there’s no indication he’s slowing down. Oliveira remains the best back in the league. In the rare instances he needs a breather, Logan is more than capable, having forced 47 missed tackles on just 140 carries over the past three seasons.
2. TORONTO ARGONAUTS
- Projected Starter: Ka’Deem Carey
- Projected Backup: Kevin Brown
While Oliveira holds the title of the league’s top back, the gap between him and Carey isn’t as wide as some might think. Carey finished last season with the CFL’s third-best rushing grade at 92.4. He led the league in both first-down/touchdown rate (33.0%) and missed tackles forced (63). He’s also one of the most secure runners in the game, with just two fumbles on 502 carries since the 2022 season. The presence of Brown as a backup only strengthens this backfield. Just one year removed from a 1,141-yard season in Edmonton, Brown has averaged an impressive 3.7 yards after contact across his three-year career.
3. OTTAWA REDBLACKS
- Projected Starter: William Stanback
- Projected Backup: Daniel Adeboye
Stanback, the last of the 200-carry backs from 2024, delivered a standout season in British Columbia. His 91.6 rushing grade ranked fourth in the CFL, and his 52 forced missed tackles were the third-most among running backs. He’s also one of just three backs over the past three seasons to post a stuff rate (the percentage of carries stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage) below 11.0%. Behind him, Adeboye has been a dependable backup in limited action during his time in Toronto, averaging 3.0 yards after contact per carry and forcing 21 missed tackles on 121 attempts.
4. SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
- Projected Starter: A.J. Ouellette
- Projected Backup: Mario Anderson
Just a year ago, Ouellette would have ranked much higher on this list, but injuries limited his impact in his first season with Saskatchewan. His 76.2 rushing grade in 2024 was among the lowest in the league. However, he posted rushing grades of 91.1 and 85.1 in the two seasons prior and led the CFL with 64 forced missed tackles in 2023. If he can stay healthy and return to that form, Ouellette can potentially be one of the league’s top backs. Rookie Anderson could develop into a solid backup if he adapts well to the Canadian game. In his final college season at Memphis, he rushed for 1,362 yards and forced 58 missed tackles on 236 carries, earning an 85.1 rushing grade.
5. EDMONTON ELKS
- Projected Starter: Justin Rankin
- Projected Backup: Javon Leake
Rankin took over as the starting running back last August and quickly established himself as one of the most dynamic backs in the CFL. He racked up 764 rushing yards on just 98 carries, earning a 92.9 rushing grade, second-highest in the league. He also led the CFL in yards after contact per carry (5.5) and broken tackle rate (36.0%). While he still needs to prove he can sustain that level of production over a full season, his upside is undeniable. Javon Leake adds home-run potential to every touch, with touchdown runs of 51 and 61 yards last year and a league-best 88-yard carry. Together, Rankin and Leake form the most explosive running back tandem in the CFL.
6. MONTREAL ALOUETTES
- Projected Starter: Walter Fletcher
- Projected Backup: Sean Thomas Erlington
If this ranking were based solely on rushing ability, the Alouettes might fall a bit lower. Fletcher earned a 77.7 rushing grade last season — the fourth-lowest among qualified backs — with 30 forced missed tackles on 149 carries and an average of 3.0 yards after contact. Solid, but not standout.
Where Fletcher truly shines is as a receiver. He led all CFL running backs in receptions (74), receiving yards (717), first downs (31), missed tackles forced after the catch (28), yards after catch (805) and receiving grade (86.2). He’s the league’s top receiving back by a wide margin. Behind him, Erlington has shown flashes in limited action, forcing 28 missed tackles on 96 carries over the past three seasons.
7. HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
- Projected Starter: Greg Bell
- Projected Backup: Johnny Augustine
Bell took over as the starting running back midway through last season and made an immediate impact. He rushed 95 times for 628 yards, earning an impressive 88.6 rushing grade. His 4.0 yards after contact per carry ranked second in the league, and his 24.0% broken tackle rate reflected his physical running style. Despite limited opportunities, Bell recorded 23 explosive runs, the fifth-most in the CFL.
The 2025 season will be the true test of whether he can maintain that level of production over a full year as the lead back. Augustine offers reliable depth, with 139 carries for 697 yards and 27 forced missed tackles over the past three seasons, but this is clearly Bell’s backfield now.
8. CALGARY STAMPEDERS
- Projected Starter: Dedrick Mills
- Projected Backup: Jeshrun Antwi
Mills has flashed high-level potential throughout his three CFL seasons, but injuries and a crowded backfield have kept him from reaching the 1,000-yard mark. His broken tackle rate dipped to 18% last season, down from 29% across the previous two years, a sign of the inconsistency that has held him back. The tools are there for a breakout campaign, but Mills has yet to prove he can sustain top-tier production over a full season.
He’ll get every opportunity to do so in 2025, with Antwi as the only other running back on Calgary’s roster with more than one career CFL carry. Antwi has logged just 61 carries for 339 yards and 10 forced missed tackles over the past two seasons in a limited backup role.
9. BRITISH COLUMBIA LIONS
- Projected Starter: James Butler
- Projected Backup: Jordan Terrell
It was a tough season for Butler, who lost his starting role in Hamilton to Greg Bell midway through the year. He finished with 110 carries for 520 yards and a 76.9 rushing grade. His broken tackle rate fell from 25.0% in 2023 to 20.0%, and his average yards after contact dropped from 3.5 to 2.7. His receiving production also declined significantly. A return to the Lions may offer a fresh start and a chance to recapture the form that saw him post a 1,000-yard rushing and 500-yard receiving season.
Terrell is the only other running back on the Lions roster with CFL experience, and he has just four career carries.
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