During the Hamilton Tiger-Cat’s disappointing 2024 season, Hamilton struggled on the defensive side of the ball in all areas. Although the Tiger-Cat’s offence had a big season while being led by quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell and a talented group of receivers featuring Tim White, the Tiger-Cats struggled to match their energy to the Tiger-Cats offense. For most of the season, Hamilton’s defence ranked near the bottom of the league in all defensive areas.
As new Tiger-Cats general manager Ted Goveia works to find answers to the problems that plagued the 2024 Tiger-Cats, Hamilton has spent much of December working on adding playmakers to their defensive depth chart. Earlier this month, the Tiger-Cats signed American defensive back Quavian White and American defensive lineman Spencer Waege. The Tiger-Cats continue this trend; the CFL Transactions list shows that National Defensive Lineman Owen Hubert is the next addition to the Tiger-Cats 2025 roster.
Owen Hubert is a 6’4″, 263-pound defensive lineman who moved to Norwood, Ontario, from Champaign, Illinois, when he was six. Hubert comes from an athletic family and is considered to have the measurables of a prototypical defensive end in the CFL. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers drafted the Ontario native in the 8th round of the 2024 CFL draft.
Hubert had several opportunities to contribute to the Blue Bombers’ defensive efforts in the 2024 CFL season. During the 2024 season, Hubert recorded eight defensive tackles, but he is still considered a high-quality National prospect at defensive end. Before being drafted by Winnipeg, Hubert played U Sports football for the McMaster Marauders from 2019 until 2023.
During his career at McMaster, Hubert recorded 65 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, seven quarterback sacks, deflected three passes, forced one fumble, and recovered one fumble while playing 27 games for the Marauders. While Hubert’s ceiling may contribute to a defensive line in the CFL, the Tiger-Cats greatly need contributors. As the Tiger-Cats move into 2025, it will be necessary for players like Hubert to find a way to make a positive impact for a Tiger-Cats defensive that needs more playmakers, especially on the defensive line.
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