David Onyemata, a defensive lineman from the University of Manitoba, is the top-ranked CIS player on the initial prospect list released by the CFL’s Scouting Bureau in advance of the league’s 2016 Canadian Draft.
Eleven CIS standouts found their way in the first rankings of the season, with perennial powerhouses Laval (4) and Calgary (3) accounting for seven of them.
Onyemata (6’4″ – 295ilb) a Senior entering his fourth campaign with the reigning Canada West champion Bisons, was named a conference all-star for the first time in 2014 at the nose tackle position.
The arts student started all eight league games last fall and, despite being double-teamed on a majority of plays, racked up 28 tackles, including 3.5 for losses and 1.5 quarterback sacks.
Last year the top-ranked CIS player that was on the (initial) Scouting Bureau list was a former team-mate of Onyemata also from Manitoba.
His former team was slotback Nic Demski, opened the season at No. 3 and ended up being drafted sixth overall by the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The other CIS stars on the September 2015 list are as follows:
- Calgary defensive back Elie Bouka (No. 4)
- Calgary running back Mercer Timmis (No. 5)
- Laval offensive lineman Charles Vaillancourt (No. 10)
- former Toronto wide receiver Llevi Noel (No. 12)
- Laval defensive back Michaël Langlois (No. 14)
- Laval offensive lineman Philippe Gagnon (No. 15)
- Queen’s wide receiver Doug Corby (No. 16)
- Calgary wide receiver Brett Blaszko (No. 18)
- Laval offensive lineman Jason Lauzon-Séguin (No. 19)
- Western wide receiver George Johnson (No. 20).
This past May Calgary offensive lineman Sukh Chungh was the first CIS player selected in the CFL Canadian Draft when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers called his name at No. 2.
This marked the first time in nine (9) years that the first pick overall was not a CIS product.
Chungh had been ranked eighth, seventh and sixth, respectively, on the three prospect lists released over the course of the season.
Forty-four CIS players (out of 62 total picks) were selected in the 2015 CFL Draft, including seven in the first round.
NOTE: The Scouting Bureau is comprised of CFL scouts, player personnel directors and general managers from the league’s nine teams.
CFL release: http://www.cfl.ca/article/first-scouting-bureau-ranking-for-2016-draft-class-released
CFL video: http://www.cfl.ca/video/index/id/115597
Special “thanks” to Michel Bélanger,Communications & Media Relations, Canadian Interuniversity Sport for the info
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