University of Richmond
There are plenty of Canadian Football League prospects that play at Canadian universities and get quite a bit of coverage throughout their careers, especially leading into the combines and draft. But lots of national players go down south for post-secondary schooling and continue their football careers there.
It feels like once athletes leave the great white north to attend college or university in the United States, they go off the radar. They’re out of sight, out of mind for the most part until returning to the Canadian side of the border at the league’s annual scouting get together in Toronto.
Eight Canadian NCAA athletes have been invited to the National CFL Combine. So let’s get you up to speed on what those athletes accomplished in their final seasons before entering the draft and find out how scouts currently view each prospect.
Jacob Ruby, OL, Richmond
2014 season statistics: 14 starts between left and right tackle.
Scout’s take: “A mountain of a man that intimidates with his size. He’s pretty athletic and polished. His strengths are toughness and physicality. Ruby has the demeanor and skillset to play inside, but he might have a chance to be a tackle in our league. Just the way he looks is kind of like Jeff Perrett.”
James Bodanis, OL, Michigan State
Scout’s take: “He’s more an athlete than a player right now. He didn’t really play more than 30 or 40 snaps at Michigan State. He’s a hard-working guy. He was a defensive lineman for a couple years, and then an offensive lineman for a couple years, so he’s just trying to find a home. He’s raw, absolutely raw. It’s just a matter of finding a position, getting some coaching and sticking with it.”
Campbell Allison, OL, Eastern Michigan
2014 season statistics: 10 starts and 11 games played.
Scout’s take: “He’s a tough farm kid who started a lot of games at Eastern Michigan – played every position on the offensive line for the Eagles. Definitely an interior pro prospect, centre might be his best position in the CFL. He is similar to Justin Sorenson.”
Shaquille Murray-Lawrence, RB, UNLV
2014 season statistics: Nine games played, 117 rushes for 580 yards and nine touchdowns and 16 catches for 156 yards.
Scout’s take: “Shaq makes people miss in tight spaces — elusive and speedy, that’s him. He’s quick, fast and has an impressive burst. He can catch the ball and he’s got the whole package as a little guy. Murray-Lawrence stands out on film.”
| Stay up to date with the latest on the 2015 National CFL Combine! |
|---|
|
|
Jefferson Court, FB, Utah State
2014 season statistics: 13 games played, six catches for 26 yards and three touchdowns.
Scout’s take: “Court is a prototypical CFL fullback. He does what all CFL fullbacks do: waggles across, wham blocks, leaks out into the flats. His film is perfectly suited for what is going to be expected of him up here.”
Andrew Johnson, REC, Fort Lewis College
2014 season statistics: 11 games played, 39 receptions, 458 yards, two touchdowns.
Scout’s take: “He has good hands, fearless going over the middle and he’s really good in the open field. You give him the ball and he’s much faster than timed speed. But there are some inconsistencies with him and he’s not super physical on film.”
Maxx Forde, DL, Idaho
2014 season statistics: 10 games played, 28 solo tackles, three assisted tackles, six tackles for loss, one sack, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble.
Scout’s take: “He played at a good program and was a starter on the defensive line for three years. He’s got good rush technique, but is a guy that needs some seasoning with pro experience. I would like to see him put on some weight to play on the inside, I don’t think he’s fast enough to play outside.”
Blair Smith, LB, Angelo State
2014 season statistics: 12 games played, 39 solo tackles, 62 assisted tackles, eight tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, one forced fumble
Scout’s take: “He has a thick, wide build that reminds me of Frederic Plesius, but he’s not as athletic. Definitely will be able to contribute on special teams right away. Instinctive player that seems to always be around the ball.”
