Players spend their career’s working to advance to the pro level of the game and when it comes to Canada West Sport, they certainly don’t take a back seat.
According to coaches in the conference’s six football program David Onyemata was born in Nigerian is the cream of the Canada West topping the defensive lineman tops the inaugural Canada West CFL prospect rankings.
The lineman, who was selected 120th overall by the New Orleans Saints in this past weekend’s NFL Draft, has been deemed the top Canada West prospect ahead of next Tuesday’s CFL Draft.
The Canada West CFL prospect rankings as voted on by coaches from the conference’s six football programs provide a glimpse into how Canada West coaches view the top draft 15 players named to the list of eligible players.
After topping the CFL Scouting Bureau’s final draft rankings last month and enjoying a dominant 2015 season, which saw him earn the J.P. Metras Award as the top CIS down lineman, it comes as no surprise that Onyemata is ranked number one.
Onyemata earned all five first place votes available to him (coaches didn’t vote for their own players), but where he will go in the CFL Draft is still unanswered.
His selection in the NFL Draft means a CFL team will have to play an extended wait and see game with respect to his availability.
Tight race for second
There was virtually no separation between the pair of players behind Onyemata in the race for second, as UBC Thunderbird defensive back Taylor Loffler edged fellow DB Elie Bouka of the Calgary Dinos for the spot.
Both Loffler and Bouka finished with 98 points in the rankings, with Loffler earning the tiebreaker thanks to more first place votes (one) compared to Bouka, who was signed this past weekend by the Arizona Cardinals following the NFL Draft.
Ranking behind Loffler and Bouka is Calgary running back Mercer Timmis, who is the lone running back in the rankings – just as he was in the CFL Scouting Bureau’s April rankings.
Timmis’ rank behind his teammate Bouka is the lone difference between the Canada West rankings and CFL Scouting Bureau rankings in terms of ordering the top four Canada West prospects, as the CFL list featured Onyemata (No. 1), Loffler (No. 11), Timmis (No. 13) and Bouka (No. 18).
Hardy Cup finalists dominate rankings
Along with Loffler, Bouka and Timmis, plenty of other T-Birds and Dinos are on the 15-player list, as last year’s Hardy Cup finalists landed a total of 10 players in the rankings.
UBC’s Terrell Davis (No. 4 – LB), Quinn van Gylswyk (No. 5 – K/P), Dominique Termansen (No. 9 – DB), and Boyd Richardson (No. 10 – DL) all made the list, while Calgary’s Brett Blaszko (No. 7 – WR), Michael Schmidt (No. 12 – DB), and Hunter Turnbull (No. 15 – DB) were also recognized.
Canada West players in the CFL Draft I
n total 13 Canada West players were selected in last year’s CFL Draft, including three (3) players in the first round.
Those players are as follows:
2nd/OL/Sukh Chungh/Calgary Dinos/Winnipeg Blue Bombers
3rd/OL/Sean McEwen/Calgary Dinos/Toronto Argonauts
6th/REC/Nic Demski/Manitoba Bisons/Saskatchewan Roughriders Canada West’s 13 CFL draftees in 2015 was tied with Ontario University Athletics for the most in the nation.
