Landry: Ontaria Wilson, Kalil Pimpleton grab CFL’s attention

That was heady, heady stuff for a couple of rookie receivers last week.

Every season in the CFL, without fail, new names and new faces pop in spectacular fashion on the way to becoming established stars.

It might well be that both Winnipeg’s Ontaria Wilson and Ottawa’s Kalil Pimpleton – both 24-years-old – are among those who will do it in 2024. Based on their incredible performances in helping their respective teams get wins in Week 6, the signs point to that being the case.

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“That was a really crazy game,” said Wilson during a post-practice conversation this week, noting that all his teammates were pushing him to greater heights. He did have one particular rather vocal cheerleader on the sideline as his big game played out, however.

“One that really stood out to me was Willie (Jefferson),” said Wilson. “Like, every time the offence came back to the sideline, he’d come find me and be like, ‘stay locked in. This game is your game. Just stay locked in.’ Just kept me going.”

“But I feel like I just really kept my composure,” added Wilson. “Third, fourth quarter, I didn’t know how many yards or how many catches I had. I was just like ‘we gotta win this game.’”

Win it the Blue Bombers did, with Wilson’s 13 catches and 201 yards – capped by a tremendous touchdown reception – playing a key role in a 41-37 victory over Calgary.

In a separate conversation, Pimpleton reflected on his own crazy night, helping the REDBLACKS pull out a heart-stopping 37-34 win over Edmonton.

First, though, he let out an enormous sigh.

“Let me tell you something, man,” he began before, apparently, rising to his feet. “I have to stand up for this. That was a great game. I’m BEYOND grateful for the opportunity. Man, it’d been two years since I was able to get out and play a full football game. And for it to be professional, and for it to be at the level, the stage, and for it to be that type of game, I’m beyond grateful.”

Pimpleton’s debut was stamped with an electrifying 70-yard touchdown reception that was mostly a run; A blurry-legged, eye-popping 65 yard run after he pulled in a short pass from Ottawa quarterback Dru Brown during the third quarter of the REDBLACKS’ win. Then he made as clutch a catch as you can get when he brought in a 29-yard reception with two seconds remaining in the game, putting the REDBLACKS in position to win with a 38-yard Lewis Ward field goal.

Blazing speed is obviously the calling card for the five-foot-eight, 172-pounder from Muskegon, Michigan. In shaking off the rust he’d gathered since he’d last appeared in a couple of preseason games with the REDBLACKS, Pimpleton said he felt a little slow on that touchdown run, if you can imagine that. “Yes, sir,” he replied firmly when asked if he could go even faster.

Wilson’s monster game came with him showcasing an awful lot of variety. The six-foot, 175-pound native of Ashburn, Georgia took short swing passes from quarterback Zach Collaros. He caught mid-range sideline passes. He caught a couple of balls over the middle and took on post-catch collisions. He stretched the field on streak patterns, making a sensational adjustment in the end zone on his 30-yard (that’s the official stat but he was 15 yards deep in the end zone so really it was 45) touchdown reception.

“Just tryin’ to be a complete receiver,” Wilson said of the variation in his array of receptions. “Be able to play anywhere that I’m plugged in at.”

In putting a stamp on his arrival with a big, big game, Wilson fulfilled the hopes the Bombers had for him as they continue to deal with injuries to star receivers like Kenny Lawler and Dalton Schoen. In his previous five games, Wilson had caught eight balls (17 targets) for 85 yards in total.

All the while, he was trending up. This, after a humdrum preseason where Wilson caught just three passes on seven targets for a mere 13 yards.

But Collaros, for one, had made note of the momentum he felt Winnipeg’s rookie receiver was gathering. Wilson says he was feeling it too, as the weeks progressed.

“Just being able to study film more, and going through practice and being able to identify coverages and stuff just allowed me to play faster and be more comfortable on the field,” he said.

Pimpleton had a pretty good preseason with the REDBLACKS, catching seven passes for 101 yards in portions of each of Ottawa’s two tune-ups. But then, he had to bide his time behind an experienced group of receivers, finally getting his chance to play in Week 6 when veteran Bralon Addison needed a game off to nurse a minor injury.

Prior to his regular season debut, Pimpleton kept his head down and took to learning the nuances of the Canadian game, getting proper tutorials on how to master the timing of the waggle from teammate Jaelon Acklin.

“I really do appreciate his input and helping me understand the game,” said Pimpleton. “I know where I can be with the waggle motions. I definitely feel like once I get that down, it may be a whole ‘nother story.”

Wilson hopes his game against Calgary is a sign of good things to come and that, maybe, he too could have more stories to tell.

“It just feels like everything’s gonna come together,” he said of his relationship with Collaros, with the Bombers and with the CFL.

Sure looked like it had already come together last Friday night. That’s when Ontaria Wilson almost singlehandedly blew a game open, announcing to the entire league that he belongs.

It was Sunday night for Pimpleton, who vowed to just keep working hard, taking nothing for granted, a sentiment that was apparent in equal measure when talking with Wilson.

“That was one game,” said Pimpleton. “To me, there was some stuff that I messed up on and can do better. I’m really focussed on that next one.”

“It did feel great, though,” he said of his big entrance. “It did feel great.”