For the second off-season in a row, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are looking to restructure their front office as they work to find a new GM after Ed Hervey left Hamilton to return to the Edmonton Elks. Hervey’s decision to leave Hamilton puts the Tiger-Cats in the familiar position of needing to replace key personnel as they look for pathways to improving their disappointing 7-11 record during the 2024 season. Despite the change in the GM position, the Tiger-Cats continue their efforts to build their 2025 roster.
Hamilton’s most recent additions to their active roster include four recent CFL draft picks. The CFL Transactions list shows that Hamilton has recently signed offensive linemen Dayton Black and John Kourtis, defensive back Jonathan Giustini, and linebacker Mitchell Townsend. Signing the four recent CFL draft picks is the next wave of signings for the Tiger-Cats after starting the off-season by signing American wide receiver OJ Hilliare and backup quarterback Harrison Frost.
Offensive lineman Dayton Black rejoins the Tiger-Cats active roster after being released by Hamilton near the end of the Tiger-Cats 2024 CFL season. The 6’6″, 295-pound native of Brandon, Manitoba, was the first-round draft pick of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats during the 2023 CFL draft after he was a standout player at the University of Saskatchewan, where he was named a Canada West All-Star. During the 2023 season, Black played in 17 games for the Tiger-Cats.
Offensive lineman John Kourtis is another former University of Saskatchewan player selected by the Tiger-Cats during the CFL draft. In 2024, the Tiger-Cats selected Kourtis in the 7th draft round after playing for the Huskies during the 2023 and 2024 USports seasons. The 6’4″, 275-pound native of Toronto, Ontario, started his college football career at Liberty University, where he played in 34 games for the Flames on their offensive line from 2018 until 2022.
Defensive back Jonathan Giustini is another recent CFL draft pick for the Tiger-Cats, who is getting another opportunity to compete for a spot on the Tiger-Cats 2025 roster. The 6’0″, 200-pound defensive back was selected in the 6th round of the 2024 CFL draft by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats after previously being selected as a Canada West All-Star. Giustini played U Sports football at the University of Alberta, and while playing for the Golden Bears, he recorded 149 tackles, seven interceptions, and 17 pass deflections as a defensive back. In addition, Giustini also punted the football 147 times for a net average of 39.8 yards/punt, and he successfully made 80 out of 109 field goals.
Linebacker Mitchell Townsend was another defensive player the Tiger-Cats selected during the 2024 CFL draft. Hamilton selected Townsend in the 8th round of last year’s draft. Townsend is a 6’4″, 235-pound native of North Vancouver, BC, who played U Sports football at the University of British Columbia from 2019 until 2023. While playing at UBC, Townsend played in 36 games, where he recorded 130 tackles, nine tackles for loss, six quarterback sacks, one forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries.
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