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Massive changes made, including trade for 'Flo' Orimolade, as part of push for CFL team's turnaround
Published May 28, 2025 • 7 minute read
Folarin Orimolade
Calgary Stampeders DL Folarin Orimolade during practice at McMahon Stadium in Calgary on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia
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For the most part, the Calgary Stampeders were a wreck last year along the defensive line.
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Couldn’t stop the run …
And didn’t get enough pressure on opposition quarterbacks.
Cue 2025 and a commitment to turn that around, getting what lead lineman Folarin Orimolade calls ‘game-wreckers’ on the team to change the narrative up front defensively for the Red and White.
“Big game-wrecker — that’s how I see myself,” declared Orimolade, who returns to the Stampeders for his second Canadian Football League tour of duty after an off-season blockbuster trade brought him west from the Grey Cup-champion Toronto Argonauts.
“I know I want to wreck the game,” continued the edge star known as ‘Flo’. “I see myself as one of the best players in the league. I want to be player of the year.”
And Orimolade wants to lead a resurgence to help the Stamps sport one of the best d-lines in the CFL, with each position featuring a game-breaker …
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Or better yet, ‘game-wrecker.’
“I think you have to have guys that are what I call ‘game-wreckers,’” said an adamant Orimolade. “Those are the guys that I want on the edge as pass-rushers on my team. And not just in the pass game.
“The way I see it is you’ve got to be able to play the run, as well, so you’re not a liability in any part of the game.”
We’ll see once the 2025 CFL campaign kicks off for the Stamps in their first regular-season game Saturday, June 7, against the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats at McMahon Stadium (5 p.m., CHQR 770 AM/107.3 FM the Edge, TSN).
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The players
7 Folarin Orimolade* 5’11, 235 lb. 29 Dartmouth
47 George Idoko 6’1, 224 lb. 24 Saskatchewan
49 Ryan Leder 6’1, 243 lb. 25 McMaster
58 Shaun Peterson Jr.* 6’3, 240 lb. 25 Central Florida
71 Jason Janvier-Messier 6’2, 230 lb. 25 York
73 Alex Nobles* 6’2, 245 lb. 25 Florida International
73 Clarence Hicks* 6’2, 225 lb. 26 Texas at San Antonio
74 Josiah Coatney* 6’4, 325 lb. 29 Mississippi
75 Max von Muehldorfer 6’1, 290 lb. 22 Western
77 Kelon Thomas 6’4, 255 lb. 24 Okanagan Sun
90 Miles Brown* 6’1, 320 lb. 27 Wofford College
91 Cedric Wilcots II* 6’3, 249 lb. 27 New Mexico State
93 Charles Wiley* 6’3, 255 lb. 27 Texas at San Antonio
94 Anthony Federico 6’4, 235 lb. 27 Queen’s
95 Dashaun Mallory* 6’1, 290 lb. 25 Arizona State
96 Jaylon Hutchings* 6’0, 305 lb. 25 Texas Tech
97 Justin Sambu 6’2, 282 lb. 26 Baylor
99 Kail Dava 6’3, 281 lb. 24 Tennessee Tech
* — denotes American
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The scene
The Stamps made massive off-season changes along the defensive line, including stepping away from last year’s captain and nose-tackle, Mike Rose.
After underwhelming 2024 efforts — specifically on the stats sheet — both the interior star and fierce pass-rusher James Vaughters represented the most significant departures.
But the even bigger news was the bringing back of Orimolade, a top-shelf defensive end acquired in a surprise trade sending all-star linebacker Cam Judge to the Argonauts.
“I forget how good Flo is,” said Stampeders GM/head coach Dave Dickenson. “I guess when you don’t see him on a daily basis, you forget that.
“He works extremely hard,” continued the head coach. “Just watching him in person … how he handles himself, honestly, it’s just one of those things when you lose a guy and then he comes back to your team, it’s like, ‘Man, he is good.’
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“And that’s what we’re looking for, is that guy that certainly will command double-teams and get a lot of attention and then cause the other team some headaches.”
Folarin Orimolade
Calgary Stampeders DL Folarin Orimolade during practice at McMahon Stadium in Calgary on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia
The Dartmouth Big Green product played 31 NCAA regular-season games over three seasons with the Red and White before signing with the Argos as a free agent in 2023. Orimolade was a member of the Stampeders’ Grey Cup-winning team in 2018 and contributed two special-teams tackles and a fumble recovery in the championship game.
Orimolade then added a second Grey Cup ring as a member of the Argos in 2024.
In 63 career regular-season games with the two CFL teams, Orimolade has registered 105 defensive tackles, including seven tackles for loss, 26 sacks, six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, 11 special-teams tackles, one knockdown and two interceptions, including a pick-six.
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Plus, he was a division all-star with the Argos in 2023.
“I left Calgary on good terms,” said Orimolade, of bolting to the Argos two summers back. “I think you sometimes you see in sport it doesn’t always go the way you think it’s going to go or the way you want it to go. But … I mean … in my first stint, I had a bunch of injuries, and the Stampeders stuck with me, so I never felt like it was any animosity or a bad blood between us.
“I’m happy to be here, excited for opportunity back where it started. They believe in me, and we’ve got a good team, so I’m excited.”
Folarin Orimolade
Calgary Stampeders DL Folarin Orimolade during practice at McMahon Stadium in Calgary on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia
The plot
The key to having a good defensive line — or at least better than last year’s bunch — is in the new blood.
There were jobs up for grabs coming into camp, especially at the interior positions.
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“Yes … we’re messing around with the interior,” Dickenson said. “We’ve got good size and strength. I think some young guys have shown up there, and then we’ve got great Canadian depth there.
“And then on the edges, you’ve got to be a full-time player … but you’ve got to be able to stop the run and then get after the quarterback.”
With 18 d-line hopefuls still in camp Wednesday, Dickenson and his staff have plenty of talent — and options — on hand.
Beyond Orimolade on the edge, returnee Clarence Hicks has been a standout during camp. As have fellow Americans Cedric Wilcots II and Shaun Peterson Jr., who earned two QB sacks in last Saturday’s 31-4 pre-season victory over the visiting Edmonton Elks at McMahon.
Of the big American fellas inside, returnee Josiah Coatney, fourth-year CFLer Miles Brown and Jaylon Hutchings — who signed with the Stamps last October — are all turning heads.
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Jaylon Hutchings
Defensive lineman Jaylon Hutchings was photographed during the Calgary Stampeders’ rookie camp at McMahon Stadium on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Gavin Young/Postmedia
Then there’s the Canadians in the mix — returnees Kail Dava, Kelon Thomas, Ryan Leder, Justin Sambu and Anthony Federico, 2024 draft-picks George Idoko and Jason Janvier-Messier and 2025 draftee — and Calgarian — Max von Muehldorfer.
“I think we have a lot of talent,” added Orimolade. “I think there’s a lot of guys that are still like budding, but I think number one, I think we’re going to defend the run really well, and that’s going to put us in a lot of opportunities to give guys behind the sticks. It makes it easier for d-line to get to the quarterback.”
The ending
So far, it stacks up as Orimolade, Brown, Hutchings and Hicks from edge to edge.
But with so many talents in the mix and Dickenson declaring jobs up for grabs, that could change overnight.
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Plus Canadians starting on the d-line amounts to being ratio-breakers.
No matter, though … just as long as whoever’s got those gigs are game-wreckers.
“It’s a hungrier group,” added Orimolade, when asked about the difference between the Stamps before he left and this year’s edition. “When you’ve had bad seasons, no one wants that taste in their mouth. They wanted the season to be over just because of all the losing, and it starts to weigh on you mentally.
“But now it’s like everyone has the drive to be better this year. That’s a big change. That was kind of missing. You get kind of complacent, and now you have the rejuvenation. It’s good.”
Short yardage
The Stampeders have released American WR Ishmael Hyman, who appeared in five regular-season games for the Red and White in 2024 and made 18 catches for 220 yards and one touchdown … The Stamps signed global K Jordan Noyes, a native of Gravesend, England, who recently concluded his NCAA career with the Colorado State Rams. In two seasons with the Rams, he converted 29-of-39 field-goal attempts and added 62 converts for a total of 149 points. He also averaged 64.6 yards on 16 kickoffs. In a 2024 game at Nevada, Noyes connected on a 60-yard field goal. Noyes started his NCAA career with 30 games over three seasons with the Utah Utes. He was 8-of-12 on field goals for the Utes, a perfect 45-for-45 on converts and accounted for 79 points. He averaged 61.9 yards on 145 kickoffs … The Stamps placed rookie American FB Ryan Jones on the retired list after he underwent surgery for a broken leg suffered during the Red and White pre-season victory over the host BC Lions on Vancouver Island on Victoria Day … Stamps training camp continues Thursday at McMahon (9:15 a.m.).
tsaelhof@postmedia.com
X: @ToddSaelhofPM
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