Former Tigers in the CFL

Memphis has done a great job in recent years putting players in a position to play at the next level. Most people pay attention to the players who go on to NFL careers, but there are a handful of players who have continued their careers north in Canada.

The Canadian Football League is Canada’s professional football league, and it runs from June to November. Canadian football is slightly different from American football, but it’s mostly a similar game. 

The league has nine teams, and there are currently five former Tigers on CFL rosters. With the season just getting underway, here’s a look at which former Memphis players are continuing their careers in Canada.

WR Tevin Jones

Tevin Jones spent five seasons at Memphis from 2011-2015, and he recorded 1,215 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on 90 receptions. After finishing his collegiate career, he spent time with four NFL teams, mainly on offseason or practice-squad deals, but he did record 61 yards on four receptions with the Steelers.

In 2021, he went to Saskatchewan, but he was released before the season started. He returned in 2022 and spent two seasons with the Roughriders. In 2023, he recorded 882 yards and three touchdowns on 65 receptions, which is his most receiving yards in a season in the CFL.

Jones spent 2024 in Edmonton before signing with Calgary ahead of the 2025 season.

He is now in his second season with the Stampeders, and he recorded 40 yards on four receptions in the first game of the season.

LB Wynton McManis

McManis signed with the Tigers out of Olive Branch High School, and he became a starter during his freshman season. The linebacker spent four years with Memphis, recording 111 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.

McManis spent time with three NFL teams, and he appeared in three NFL games. The linebacker first played in Canada in 2017, with the Calgary Stampeders, before returning to the States to play for the Saints in 2020. 

He returned to Canada in 2022, joining the Toronto Argonauts, and he has played the last four seasons in the CFL. He’s currently in his first season with the Hamilton Tigers-Cats.

DL Jalen Bell

Jalen Bell spent only one season at Memphis, but he played in all 13 games, making 12 starts. He finished the 2025 season with 36 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.

After his final collegiate season, Bell signed with the Toronto Argonauts, and this will be his first season in the CFL.

WR Damonte Coxie

Damonte Coxie spent five seasons with the Tigers and finished his career with 2,948 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns on 185 receptions, including 1,276 yards during his junior season.

The receiver joined the CFL in 2022, and he is in his fifth season with the Argonauts. In four full seasons, the receiver has recorded 2,711 yards and 15 touchdowns, including 854 yards and six touchdowns last year.

LB Geoffrey Cantin-Arku

Geoffrey Cantin-Arku is from Quebec, Canada, and he started his collegiate career at Syracuse. The linebacker spent three years with the Orange before transferring to Memphis. 

He spent two seasons with the Tigers and recorded 107 tackles, nine tackles for loss and five sacks. Following his senior season, he was drafted in the first round of the CFL draft by the Montreal Alouettes. 

In two full seasons, he recorded 71 tackles, nine sacks, two interceptions and forced three fumbles, and he has recorded 14 tackles through two games this season.