In case anyone has been wondering, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats know they need to improve their defensive line coming into the 2025 season. Recently, the Tiger-Cats officially announced their coaching staff for 2025, and one aspect of that announcement that stood out shows how the Tiger-Cats view their team. Most of the coaching staff on the offensive side of the ball returns for the 2025 season, besides James Tuck, who is moving on from player to coach. They needed to acquire a new offensive line coach because the Tiger-Cats promoted Dennis McKnight to Special Teams Coordinator.
On the defensive side of the ball, all of the 2025 coaches are new to the Tiger-Cats except for their defensive backs coach. In case you didn’t know, the Tiger-Cats defensive backfield is one of the best in the CFL, and it would not make sense to replace a very successful coach. Excluding defensive backs, there is a new Defensive Coordination in Brent Monson, a new coach for linebackers, and a new coach for the defensive line. In addition to changing the coaching staff, the Tiger-Cats have been using their resources to add the best defensive linemen they can find.
This process is not complete, and according to the CFL Transactions list, Hamilton has added a new defensive lineman by signing American defensive lineman Tyshun Render. Render joins the Tiger-Cats roster after spending two seasons with the Miami Dolphins during the 2020 and 2021 NFL seasons but only appearing in one game for the Dolphins. In addition to spending time with the Dolphins, Render spent two seasons in the USFL with the New Jersey Generals and one season with the Memphis Showboats in the UFL.
While playing for the Generals in the USFL in 2022 and 2023, Render recorded 21 solo tackles, 22 assisted tackles, and five quarterback sacks. In 2024, Render played in nine games for the Memphis Showboats, recording 11 solo tackles, eight assisted tackles, and .5 sacks. Render is looking for the best possible situation to sustain a career in professional football, and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are his next best opportunity.
The 6’4″, 245-pound Edge player Render is a native of Newnan, Georgia. He played college football at Middle Tennessee State University from 2015 until 2019 and played in 49 games. While playing for the Blue Raiders, Render produced 73 solo tackles, 46 assists, and 6.5 quarterback sacks.
The best Edge players tend to produce a healthy amount of quarterback sacks, but Render’s history shows that he tends to be more of a run-stopper on the end of the line of scrimmage. While Render prepared for the NFL draft, scouts noted that Render had the prototypical build and speed for an Edge rusher, but his inside moves were superior to coming off the line of scrimmage. They also said he had body control issues in space, leading to missed tackles and lousy run fits. So, the Tiger-Cats coaches must make serious decisions to see where Render fits into their current defensive line.
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