Daniel Crump/CFL.ca
After back-to-back 12-win seasons and trips to the Western Final the BC Lions took a step back in 2024.
It wasn’t a massive drop off, but after a 9-9 season concluded with a 28-19 Western Semi-Final loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the team decided to part ways with head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell.
Enter longtime coach and former quarterback Buck Pierce. Several longtime Lions were let go, most notably T.J. Lee and Sukh Chungh and there has been a massive overhaul on the offensive line.
Let’s take a closer look at a Lions team that has Grey Cup aspirations but has several critical questions that must be answered before it can win it all for the first time since 2011.
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OFFENCE
| Receiver | Running Back | Quarterback | Fullback | Offensive Line |
| Justin McInnis* | James Butler | Nathan Rourke* | Riley Pickett* | Jarell Broxton (LT) |
| Keon Hatcher Sr. | David Foucault* (LG) | |||
| Jevon Cottoy* | Michael Couture* (C) | |||
| Ayden Eberhardt | Chris Schleuger (RG) | |||
| Stanley Berryhill III | Dejon Allen (RT) |
* denotes National
** denotes Global
QUARTERBACK
The ceiling for Lions starting quarterback Nathan Rourke is winning MOP. The last time a Canadian quarterback accomplished this was the great Russ Jackson back in 1969. No pressure on you Nathan but we will all be watching.
Of course, expectations need to be tamped down as Rourke did have a rocky return to the CFL last season, but we have seen the heights this young man can hit so it’s difficult to not get excited.
RECEIVER
At this point there really isn’t much left to say about Justin McInnis, your 2024 CFL leader in receiving yards. My only question is what can he do for an encore? His 1,469 yards more than doubles any of his previous four seasons.
We’re all curious to see what a fully healthy Keon Hatcher Sr. looks like. An Achilles injury in the 2023 playoffs kept Hatcher out of action until Week 8. Before the injury Keon had put up a career best 1,226 yards. He and McInnis could form the most dangerous duo in the CFL.
Injuries also hampered Jevon Cottoy to 12 regular season games. We did witness the best version of the big guy with his 56-yard touchdown against the Roughriders in the playoffs. Ayden Eberhardt went from an afterthought as a rookie in 2023 to 639 yards and two touchdowns last season.
Speaking of rookies, Stanley Berryhill III put together a solid first year in the CFL catching 34 passes for 360 yards and a pair of scores. The big question beyond health is who will step up and fill the hole after the departure of Alexander Hollins?
RUNNING BACK
James Butler is back in Vancouver after spending the last two seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. A two-time 1,000+ yard rusher, Butler may have set a CFL record for fastest signing after being let go by his previous team.
Butler has averaged 50 receptions per season in his four-year career and will add much needed balance. With so little proven depth behind him the Lions will be counting on James to carry the load for the first part of the season.
FULLBACK
When Riley Pickett is not busy long snapping, helping with special team’s coverage or providing depth on the defensive line he spends his time in the Lions backfield blocking for teammates.
OFFENSIVE LINE
This was a group in need of a facelift after allowing the most sacks in the CFL at 43. A combination of internal development and off-season aggression should lead to a healthy Nathan Rourke.
For the second year in a row left tackle Jarell Broxton was the team’s nominee for Most Outstanding Lineman. Look for David Foucault to line up next to Broxton at guard after spending three years as part of the always exciting Edmonton Elks offence. Centre Michael Couture and right guard Chris Schleuger are both back for their third year with the Lions.
The big change is of course the arrival of two-time All-CFL right tackle Dejon Allen. The league’s best offensive linemen in 2023, Allen was a key figure for an Argonauts team that has won the Grey Cup two of the past three seasons. His experience and talent will be transformative.
DEFENCE
| Defensive Line | Linebacker | Defensive Back |
| Mathieu Betts* (DE) | Josh Woods (WLB ) | Garry Peters (CB) |
| Jonah Tavai (DT) | Micah Awe (MLB) | Ronald Kent Jr. (HB) |
| Christian Covington* (DT) | Adam Auclair* (SLB) | Christophe Beaulieu* (S) |
| Sione Teuhema (DE) | Deontai Williams (HB) | |
| Jalon Edwards-Cooper (CB) |
* denotes National
** denotes Global
DEFENSIVE LINE
What Rourke means to the Lions offence is similar to Mathieu Betts and his impact on the defence. In many ways these two Canadians have had recent similar careers. Both hit career highs recently, took a step back reintegrating themselves last year and both are poised for a dominant long-term run. If healthy, Betts will easily hit double digit sacks while giving his teammates plenty of one-on-one situations.
Jonah Tavai became a fixture in the middle for the Lions by Week 11 all the way into the playoffs. Christian Covington falls into the “good things come to those who wait” category. Drafted in 2015 by the Lions, Covington finally made his debut after playing in over 100 games in the NFL finishing second on the team with six sacks. The only player with more sacks was Sione Teuhema who has missed just five games during his three years in BC.
LINEBACKERS
This is the hardest positional group to nail down. With several off-season signings and depth all over the place I could easily see names like Ben Hladik, Adam Konar and Mike Smith Jr. replacing my projections.
After playing in 35 out of 36 games heading into the 2024 season, Josh Woods was poised to build on a year that saw him put up 45 tackles and two interceptions until a late June knee injury ended his season. Micah Awe, who signed a two-year deal in the early moments of free agency, will be expected to patrol the middle of the defence. The 2023 All-CFL returns to the team where his career got started.
Rounding out this group is another newcomer, Adam Auclair, who posted 37 tackles and three interceptions in 15 games for the Roughriders while also providing stellar coverage on special teams.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
It will be strange watching Lions games without seeing T.J. Lee in the secondary, a fixture in BC for the past decade.
The one name we can still count on is two-time All-CFL cornerback Garry Peters who is the veteran of this defence at 33. Don’t let the age fool you, Peters has not missed a game since joining BC in 2018, which is an incredible streak.
Look for Jalon Edwards-Cooper to man the other corner position. Edwards-Cooper finished the season strong with three tackles and a couple of pass breakups in the playoffs.
Ronald Kent Jr. in his first year at halfback finished with 51 tackles and his first interception came against Bo Levi Mitchell.
Drafted in the third round, it’s fair to say rookie safety Christophe Beaulieu over delivered, appearing in 15 games and recording three tackles in that Western Semi-Final.
Finally, Deontai Williams is yet another former Roughrider making his way West to join the Lions after playing in 27 games over his first two seasons in the CFL.
SPECIAL TEAMS
| Kicker/Punter | Long Snapper | Returner |
| Sean Whyte*/Carl Meyer** | Riley Pickett* | Jermaine Jackson |
* denotes National
** denotes Global
KICKER
Sean Whyte is so good it’s kind of spooky. For consecutive years Whyte attempted 53 field goals and nailed 50 of them for an identical 94.3 per cent conversion rate. Whyte has made the All-CFL team in consecutive seasons.
PUNTER
The world needs more professional rugby players punting professionally in football like Carl Meyer. Check out this feature on Meyer from the Lions website.
LONG SNAPPER
Riley Pickett is your stereotypical former collegiate defensive lineman, turned fullback while also taking care of long snapping duties. You know, that old cliché.
RETURNER
With Terry Williams no longer on the team the job is wide open. Receiver Jermaine Jackson, who spent last season with the New Orleans Saints signed with the Lions in April. Jackson was given several opportunities in the team’s preseason opener against the Calgary Stampeders.
