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After a long offseason the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are on the verge of starting the pre-season for the 2026 season with rookies reporting to training camp, official training camp, two pre-season games, and final roster cuts. All of those processes must be completed over the course of the next three weeks so that Hamilton can construct their final roster for the 2026 season. That process will require the Tiger-Cats coaching staff to evaluate, assess, and decide which players will be the best for Hamilton to have a chance to go win a Grey Cup championship.
With that in mind, the Tiger-Cats have had a busy week so far with 8 out of their 10 CFL and CFL Global Draft picks signing with Hamilton in time to report to camp. In addition, the Tiger-Cats also signed Canadian offensive lineman Riley Schick and Canadian specialist Zach Copeland. However, that was only a portion of the players the Tiger-Cats added to their roster. In addition, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats also signed three American players including American wide receiver Kelly Akharaiyi, cornerback Gabriel Jeudy-Lally, and linebacker Inumidum Ayo-Durojaiye.
American wide receiver Kelly Akharaiyi comes to Hamilton after finishing his college football career at Mississippi State University in 2024. While playing for the Bulldogs, Akharaiyi played in 11 games, catching 25 passes for 391 yards and 2 touchdowns. Before transferring to Mississippi State, Akharayi played two season at Tyler Junior College in Texas in 2020 and 2021, and at UTEP during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
While playing at UTEP and Mississippi State, Akharaiyi developed a reputation for being an effective deep threat. However, Akharaiyi lacks elite top-end speed so to get home down the field, Akharaiyi relies on play-action schemes and double moves. Early in his college career, Akharaiyi was known for dropping passes, but while playing at Mississippi State Akharaiyi showed that he was able to overcome that reputation and become a dependable receiver.
American Gabriel Jeudy-Lally is a 6'1", 189-pound defensive back who most recently spent time with the Tennessee Titans during the 2024 and 2025 NFL seasons. Jeudy-Lally played college football at Vanderbilt University from 2019 to 2021, where he appeared in 23 games and recorded 46 solo tackles, 18 assists, and 2 interceptions. After finishing his degree, he transferred to BYU for the 2022 season, playing in 13 games and recording 30 solo tackles, 16 assists, and 0.5 quarterback sacks. In 2023, he transferred again, joining the University of Tennessee for one season. Jeudy-Lally's best college season was at Tennessee in 2023. He had 29 solo tackles, 12 assists, 1 sack, and 1 interception. In the CFL, his prototypical 6'1" frame could let him fill a field-side cornerback role. Jeudy-Lally excels at zone defense but struggles with man coverage, especially deep.American Gabriel Jeudy-Lally is a 6'1", 189-pound defensive back who most recently spent time with the Tennessee Titans during the 2024 and 2025 NFL seasons. Jeudy-Lally played college football at Vanderbilt University from 2019 to 2021, where he appeared in 23 games and recorded 46 solo tackles, 18 assists, and 2 interceptions. After finishing his degree, he transferred to BYU for the 2022 season, playing in 13 games and recording 30 solo tackles, 16 assists, and 0.5 quarterback sacks. In 2023, he transferred again, joining the University of Tennessee for one season. Jeudy-Lally's best college season was at Tennessee in 2023. He had 29 solo tackles, 12 assists, 1 sack, and 1 interception. In the CFL, his prototypical 6'1" frame could let him fill a field-side cornerback role. Jeudy-Lally excels at zone defense but struggles with man coverage, especially deep.
American linebacker Inumidum Ayo-Durojaiye comes to the CFL after finishing his college football career at Yale University. Ayo-Durojaiye played four seasons for the Yale Bulldogs from 2022 until 2025. During that time, the 6'1", 210-pound native of Damascus, Maryland, was a dynamic playmaker. While playing at Yale, Ayo-Durojaiye recorded 55 solo tackles, 54 assists, 2.0 quarterback sacks, 2 quarterback hurries, 3 pass breakups, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery.
While playing at Yale, Ayo-Durojaiye displayed the versatility to play as an inside linebacker along with playing safety. Ayo-Durojaiye plays with a high motor and is known to the physical in the run game. For Hamilton to utilize Ayo-Durojaiye, it is projected that the Tiger-Cats will have Ayo-Durojaiye work at the field-side half-back position, also known as the Sam linebacker.
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