Receivers in Calgary Stampeders camp: 'Twins' Tevin Jones and Dominique Rhymes join pass-catching corps
Veterans Tevin Jones, Dominique Rhymes declare fun for all in CFL club's 'Big-Play' passing game
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There are many similarities linking prized off-season signees Tevin Jones and Dominique Rhymes.
The two Calgary Stampeders receivers are both tall targets …
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Receivers in Calgary Stampeders camp: 'Twins' Tevin Jones and Dominique Rhymes join pass-catching corps Back to video
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They’re both big-play pass-catchers.
And both love playing at McMahon Stadium.
“Twins … that just fits our profile,” said Rhymes, with a giant grin during Week 1 of Stampeders training camp. “We’re big, athletic, fast receivers. We’re going to get the ball and make big plays.
“He reminds of me of my brother, Courtney, for real,” agreed Jones. “Things I learn from Dom are great. Things he learn from me are all good. They put us as roommates. The closer we are, the better things are.
“I’m just glad to have him here.”
The Stamps are glad to have both here after making them key free-agent acquisitions over the winter.
Rhymes, 31, is coming off his third 1,000-yard receiving season in the CFL. The NCAA Murray State Racers product had 1,011 with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2024.
And Jones, a 32-year-old grad of the NCAA’s Memphis Tigers, comes to Calgary fresh off a 731-yard campaign with the Edmonton Elks, which featured a whopping 208-yard, two-touchdown effort to torch the Stamps in the Labour Day Classic at McMahon.
“Our job right now — us being older and being leaders — is to just gel everybody together more than what they were last year,” added Jones. “We know that they can make plays. We know what they can do. But we’re sprinkling our little sprinkles on top and gelling everything in.
“And we can’t be stopped.”
The players
4 Tevin Jones* 6’3, 225 lb. 32 Memphis
11 Malik Henry* 6’0, 175 lb. 28 West Georgia
14 Clark Barnes 6’1, 193 lb. 24 Guelph
15 Dominique Rhymes* 6’4, 215 lb. 31 Murray State
17 Cam Echols* 6’0, 195 lb. 30 Western Kentucky
18 Vyshonne Janusas 5’11, 221 lb. 24 Guelph
38 Joseph Ngata* 6’3, 217 lb. 24 Clemson
79 Terrell Vaughn* 5’7, 170 lb. 24 Utah State
80 Damien Alford 6’6, 224 lb. 24 Syracuse
81 Ishmael Hyman* 6’0, 196 lb. 29 James Madison
82 Josh Ali* 6’0, 191 lb. 26 Kentucky
84 Reggie Begelton* 6’1, 205 lb. 31 Lamar
85 Jalen Philpot 6’0, 190 lb. 24 Calgary
87 Erik Brooks* 5’7, 171 lb. 25 Fresno State
88 Kaylon Horton* 5’9, 173 lb. 24 North Texas
* — denotes American
The scene
Reggie Begelton, of course, is the king of hands-men around these parts.
The 31-year-old is coming off his third 1,000-yard receiving season and is a compelling voice of the offence.
And now the eighth-year CFL veteran has a bona fide quarterback with whom to play pitch-and-catch in Vernon Adams Jr.
“I’ve always prided myself on doing the job,” said Begelton, who grabbed 1,150 yards last year for his second-straight 1,000-yard campaign. “My job is to get open, and if the ball is there for me, then I can salute him because he’s able to do his job.
“That’s part of football — it’s the ultimate team sport. And when you’ve got two guys that care about executing, it can be magic.”
Plus Begelton — now without unsigned Marken Michel on his flank — is feeling “good energy” from the new recruits, Jones and Rhymes, making for positive connections across the field.
Or so they hope.
The plot
With Adams in town, that brought both Jones and Rhymes into the Stamps’ stable of receivers.
“I played with him previously, so I know the competitor and type of player he is,” said eighth-year CFLer Rhymes, who caught many a pass from Adams during his 1,401-yard career-best receiving season with the 2022 BC Lions. “He’s been like my brother ever since he came over to BC. I’ve always been cool with him and close with him even I was last year playing in Ottawa. I was always watching him, saying how proud I was, how good he was playing …
“So once he came to Calgary and I was available to come to Calgary, I think it was a no-brainer.”
Jones feels the same way.
“I don’t know V.A. like Dom does, but as soon as Calgary popped up on my list, I was like, ‘Oh, V.A.’s over there — that could be a place I can go,‘” said Jones, heading into his fourth CFL season. “So I was looking further into it and seeing Coach Dickinson here for a long time. And Craig Dickenson, the special teams coach here — he was my head coach over there in Regina with Sask.
“So all together, everything is lined up right.”
It doesn’t hurt that both Jones and Rhymes have enjoyed big games at McMahon, either.
“I just feel like it was a sign from God that this might be where I need to be,” said Jones, recalling his monster day at McMahon last September. “If it’s not with Edmonton, then at least I could play against them … you know … a robbery thing there. So just can’t wait to play those guys.”
In three of his last four visits to McMahon, Rhymes has racked up yardage totalling 109 — plus two TDs — 101 and 91.
“We’ve both had big games in this stadium,” Rhymes said. “So I think that was a no-brainer to sign here, too.”
“Now, this is our team …” declared Jones. “So now, when we play here, every game will be a big game.
“Every game.”
The ending
The Red and White receiving corps doesn’t end with Americans Jones, Rhymes and Begelton.
Keep your eyes on Canadians and fellow starters Jalen Philpot, from whom we’re predicting a massive year, and Clark Barnes, who was as clutch as they came last year among Stamps receivers. Philpot grabbed 66 balls for 659 yards, and Barnes had 44 catches for 590 yards.
Given their citizenship, they will see a ton of snaps, while 2025 draft picks Damien Alford — who was plucked first overall by the Stamps — and Vyshonne Janusas — a fifth-rounder by the Red and White — develop in their shadows.
Alford, in particular, has the height and size — at 6-foot-6, 224 lb. — to stand out and become an all-timer.
“You already had people making plays here,” Rhymes said. “Now they just bringing in ‘Big-Play V.A.’, so we’re going to get a lot of big plays in this stadium.
“It’s going to be fun, man. I can definitely tell you it’s going to be a lot of fun this year.”
Of the other American pass-catchers in camp, dynamic Cam Echols and speedy Ishmael Hyman are likely to retain their jobs of drawing in to help the ride. Echols joins explosive Erik Brooks as receivers with key roles in the team’s return game to further their importance to the team.
The question among receivers is whether American Malik Henry — now three years removed from West Division all-star season of 62 catches and 1,023 yards — can return after Achilles and knee injuries sacked his last two campaigns.
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