Nathan Rourke may have been named Most Outstanding Player earlier this week, but at the top of the podium Sunday night in Winnipeg was another Canadian player who the Saskatchewan Roughriders believe is the class of the CFL.
“He's incredible. Personally, I think he's the best player in the league. He's a tremendous guy,” offensive coordinator Mark Mueller said of receiver Samuel Emilus.
Emilus was named Most Valuable Canadian at the 112th Gray Cup when the Roughriders defeated the Montreal Alouettes 25-17. The 28-year-old caught 10 passes for 108 yards in the CFL title game, including an impressive 31-yard catch midway through the fourth quarter.
Quarterback Trevor Harris never had any doubt that Emilus would show up on the biggest stage. He knew the six-foot, 200-pound target was special from the moment he first took the field for the Riders in 2023.
“I remember after a few days in camp I was like, ‘Hey, 19 is different. This guy is really, really good.” He just continues to impress every day,” the 39-year-old veteran said after winning his first Gray Cup Most Valuable Player award.
“I think it's time for people to show some respect for his name. He's not in the TSN Top 50 like he's ever been, and that's ridiculous. I hope he starts getting the respect he deserves. I said he's a future Hall of Famer, and I mean it. I think you're just going to see him be an outstanding player year after year in this league, and I'm very grateful that I have the chance to play with him.”
Emilus was a first-round pick of the Roughriders in 2022 after splitting his college career between the University of Massachusetts and Louisiana Tech. After a quiet rookie year, the Montreal native had his first 1,000-yard season in 2023 and repeated the feat in 2024, earning a stellar West Division title.
That changed in 2025, as various injuries limited Emilus to just seven games, recording 37 receptions for 588 yards and two touchdowns. He saved his best performance for the playoffs, rushing for 100 yards and leading the team in the Western Final, and again breaking the century mark in the Gray Cup.
“Coming into this game, I was going to give everything I had to the coaching staff, Coach Mays, the players around me, the entire organization,” Emilus said on the stand. “I get more motivation from playing for other people, my teammates and coaches, so I knew they were going to get the best out of me.”
Emilus is a pending free agent this offseason and should receive a significant raise following his performance. Some believe he should be the highest-paid Canadian receiver in the league, if not the best overall, although no one in Saskatchewan is worried about that right now.
“I don’t know about this, it’s not my fault. But he is the right person,” Muller emphasized. “I love this guy. Talk about a guy who works hard every day, doesn't complain, just works as hard as he can. I love this guy.”
