MAIER Fanfest PHOTO: James Paddle-Grant/Freestyle Photography
The wait is finally over…Sort of.
REDBLACKS fans will get their first look at the 2026 team in game action this Friday when the club heads to Montreal for their first preseason game of the new campaign.
While there will be some familiar faces in the lineup, the lineup is likely to feature plenty of younger players who are hungry for the opportunity to make an impact and show that they deserve a spot on this REDBLACKS roster.
“All three phases we want to make sure we’re executing at a high level, we want some guys to stand out and make some tough decisions for us. That’s always a good problem to have,” said coach Dinwiddie. “I always say when the lights are on, that’s when guys kind of separate themselves, so that’s what we’ll be looking for.”
Jake Maier will get the start at Percival Molson Stadium, but expect him to play somewhere between a couple of series and one quarter.
“For sure, we’re going to get two series, and we’ll see how that goes and potentially the first quarter, but I want to see the young guys. Jake’s going to get the majority of the reps with Dru next week,” said coach Dinwiddie.
Among the veterans who will make the trip to Montreal is receiver Geno Lewis, giving Maier a top-tier weapon in the offence and affording the pair an opportunity to build some chemistry in game action.
“We want to see him with Jake. Certain guys got a chance to sit, we couldn’t have gotten them all reps anyways so there’s no need to bring them all,” said coach Dinwiddie.
2022 Heisman runner-up Max Duggan and rookie pivot Bryson Barnes figure to see some action as well. Dinwiddie says that Duggan will likely have more of the playbook available to him, due to his familiarity with the system—he played three games with Toronto at the end of last season. However, they’ll still have a plan to get Barnes some looks against a live defence.
“Bryson just got here about a week ago, so he’s a little bit behind, but we just want to see him develop, and we like his skill set, and he’s going to get a chance to go out there, but we need to be smart about the plays we ask him to operate in. It’s a healthy competition just like any other position.”
As for other position battles to keep an eye on Saturday, Dinwiddie mentions the sixth and seventh offensive lineman positions. First overall pick Giordano Vaccaro will get the start at left guard, while last year’s 12th overall pick Samuel Carson slots in at centre. Second-year American DJ Jones gets the start at right tackle after making his CFL Debut in the third-to-last game of 2025, also at Molson Stadium in Montreal. All three figure to be key pieces for the REDBLACKS behind the starting five.
Ottawa native Luiji Vilain will make his REDBLACKS debut, getting the start along the defensive line. The Wake Forest product was acquired by the REDBLACKS last month in a trade with Toronto after spending a few seasons in the NFL.
“I came here for a reason to help contribute and I want to put my best foot forward and that’s just how I’ve been my entire career,” says Vilain. “It’s been great. Just being at home and being with my family, being able to go home at the end of the day and wake up in my own bed and not in a hotel somewhere else is truly a blessing and I don’t take it for granted at all.”
Expect plenty of the veteran players to get more of a look in a week’s time with the club returning home for the preseason finale at the Stadium at TD Place.
Fans can catch all of the preseason action including tomorrow nights meeting in Montreal for free on CFL+ or listen on TSN1200.
