One Texas Tech football ex earns all-CFL, another leads league in tackles
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Former Texas Tech football standout Jaylon Hutchings will be a Canadian Football League free agent this winter.
Presumably, the Calgary Stampeders’ defensive tackle will have his share of suitors and, his agent, quite a marketable player. Hutchings was named to the all-CFL team released last week after he led CFL defensive tackles in sacks this season with 8, which was tied for fifth among all players.
Hutchings was the highest-graded defensive player in the league by Pro Football Focus with an overall grade of 90.7. With a run-defense grade of 86.7 and a pass-rush grade of 86.1, he was the only player above 80.0 in both.
“I think I performed very well,” Hutchings told Stampeders media after a season-ending playoff loss. “There’s always certain plays here or there where I wish I could’ve done better, but for the most part, I feel like I definitely made a name for myself. I want to continue doing that.”
Calgary finished 11-7 and lost to British Columbia in the Western semifinal. Hutchings started 17 games and was credited with 39 defensive tackles, including 3 tackles for loss.
Hutchings signed with the Stampeders in October 2024 and appeared in two games late in the 2024 season. Hutchings turns 26 on New Year’s Eve, and where he plays next season is to be determined.
“I’m going to talk to my agent,” he told Stampeders media. “Going to see how things go from there, but it’s kind of up in the air right now.”
The CFL season concludes on Sunday, Nov. 16, with the Saskatchewan Roughriders facing the Montreal Alouettes in the Grey Cup. Kickoff is 5 p.m. CST in Winnipeg.
Former Texas Tech defensive back DaMarcus Fields, in his second year with Saskatchewan, is the Roughriders’ third-leading tackler with 68 total tackles, as well as 2 interceptions.
Two other former Tech players, linebackers Micah Awe and Tony Jones, finished one-two in the CFL in tackles. Awe, playing for the British Columbia Lions, was credited with 114 defensive tackles and 3 special-teams tackles. He also had 2 interceptions. Jones, with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, had 102 defensive tackles and 2 special teams tackles, as well as 3 sacks and 2 interceptions.
Awe also led the CFL in tackles two years ago, when he made a franchise record 134 for Calgary.
Former Tech defensive back Adrian Frye was the Ottawa Redblacks’ sixth-leading tackler with 38 stops. He also had 3 forced fumbles and a sack.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: One Texas Tech football ex earns all-CFL, another leads CFL in tackles
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