Tiger-Cats Add to Defensive Front with Four Signings
CFL Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Tiger-Cats Add to Defensive Front with Four Signings

Published on December 1, 2025 under Canadian Football League (CFL)
Hamilton Tiger-Cats News Release


The Hamilton Tiger-Cats announced today that the team has re-signed Canadian defensive lineman Kail Dava and American linebacker Ryan Meed. The club also announced the signings of American defensive tackle Branson Deen and American defensive lineman Maalik Hall.

Dava, 24, was added to the Tiger-Cats' practice roster in October 2025. He was selected in the fifth round (44th overall) of the 2024 CFL Draft by the BC Lions before joining the Calgary Stampeders (2024), where he appeared in eight games and registered three defensive tackles. The 6-3, 281-pound native of Barrie, Ontario played 48 games over five seasons (2019-23) at Tennessee Tech, recording 87 tackles (41 solo), 24.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

Meed, 24, was added to the Tiger-Cats' expanded practice roster in September 2025 and appeared in one regular season game, registering one special teams tackle. Collegiately, the 6-1, 239-pound Brooklyn, New York native appeared in 53 games for the University of Illinois Fighting Illini (2019-2024), recording 54 tackles (34 solo), two tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one pass defended.

Deen, 25, spent his collegiate career at Purdue (2019-2023) and the University of Miami (2023-2024). At Purdue, the 6-2, 280-pound native of Indianapolis, Indiana appeared in 39 games, registering 74 tackles (48 solo), 7.5 sacks, 15.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one pass breakup and one pass defended. He later appeared in 11 games at Miami, recording 18 tackles (6 solo), 2.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss. After going undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, Deen signed with the NFL's Buffalo Bills, where he made four tackles (3 solo) in three preseason games and appeared in one regular season game.

Hall, 26, had two brief stints with the Tiger-Cats during the 2025 season and also participated in the team's training camp. Between those stints, the defensive lineman spent time with the NFL's New York Jets and the UFL's Birmingham Stallions. The 6-3, 235-pound native of Athens, Texas played collegiately at Southeastern Oklahoma State (2017-22), where he recorded 151 tackles (79 solo), 14 quarterback sacks and three forced fumbles in 43 games. He was named the Great American Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 and earned all-conference honours in both 2021 and 2022.

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