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Oh ye of little faith, wherefore do ye doubt?

Recapping the Canadian performances at the 2024 College Gridiron Showcase By JC Abbott -January 8, 2024 Photo courtesy: College Gridiron Showcase Everything may be bigger in Texas but a pair of Canadian offensive linemen were the biggest thing going in Fort Worth last weekend. More than 230 aspiring professional football prospects descended upon the Panther City on Friday night for the annual College Gridiron Showcase (CGS), the first major date on the collegiate all-star game circuit. Among them were nine players from north of the border, each with a chance to prove they belonged amidst a crowd of high-level competitors. The event had been shrouded in uncertainty for the past several months after the NFL passed new stringent regulations about the types of games their scouts could attend in an official capacity. But in the end, every professional football team was in attendance, albeit for a much more condensed format where players participated in just a single practice before the Sunday scrimmage. Unchanged was the game’s importance for CFL teams, as CGS has been a fertile ground for talent acquisition since its inception in 2015. All nine clubs had scouts in attendance and three sent their general managers ahead of the CFL winter meetings in Nashville: Edmonton’s Chris Jones, Saskatchewan’s Jeremy O’Day and Montreal’s Danny Maciocia. While there were plenty of Americans to be interested in, each kept a keen eye on those prospects who will be available in the 2024 CFL Draft. A parade of high CFL draft picks have come through Fort Worth over the past number of years but they generally arrive low on the priority list for NFL teams. Landing just a few interviews is often considered a massive success for a U Sports prospect. This was not the case for UBC’s Theo Benedet, who was not only the best offensive lineman in attendance but arguably the headliner for the entire event. The two-time J.P. Metras Trophy winner already had cache with NFL scouts after attending last year’s East-West Shrine Bowl prior to deferring his NFL Draft year and more than a dozen made the trek to Vancouver to see him in action this season. Hopes of committing directly to a larger all-star game were dashed when the Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl were opened up to underclassmen and he made the somewhat surprising decision to head to CGS in the hopes of using it as a springboard. From the moment the interview room opened on Friday night, the native of North Vancouver was afforded no respite. He spent his off-hours being drug from team to team without so much as a bathroom break, speaking to 15 clubs on the first night alone and even more on night two. Interest never waned for the six-foot-six blocker, as he backed up all the hype with a near-perfect on-field performance. On the surface, Benedet is a difficult evaluation for NFL clubs beyond just his unfamiliar level of competition. In a lot of organizations, his 31 1/4-inch arms would be considered disqualifying for his natural tackle position and he isn’t heavy enough to play guard at a svelte 303 pounds. All those concerns seem to melt away when you watch him up close, however, as the Thunderbirds’ fluidity of movement and flexibility are almost without compare. He lost just one rep throughout the weekend, on a well-set-up inside spin move. The quickness with which he can get into his sets is impressive but it is the absurdly low pad level with which he plays that truly had scouts mesmerized. Benedet compensates for his lack of bulk by setting anchor at belt buckle height while still maintaining balance. I would suspect that an NFL opportunity is guaranteed for the UBC product and at this stage, I believe there is a strong likelihood that he could become the first U Sports player drafted since David Onyemata in 2016. If Benedet was the best offensive lineman in attendance – and frankly, it wasn’t even close – then Buffalo’s Gabe Wallace found himself in the small group of players making an argument to be second best. All that you need to know about the six-foot-six, 346-pound blocker is that he still wears a neckroll and plays like it, something that should endear him to fans wherever he ends up. The Salmon Arm, B.C. native was more familiar to NFL scouts than most Canadians given his three years of starting experience for a mid-major NCAA school and landed 10 interviews with teams. He’s thick up top and carries his weight well, physically imposing on his opponents at every opportunity. Though Wallace may be a natural guard who is a touch too heavy-footed to remain as a bookend at the next level, he left me pleasantly surprised with some of his reps at tackle and was able to jar rushers with his 33 5/8-inch arms. The two big men from British Columbia are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to a deep class of talented Canadian offensive linemen in this year’s draft and the excitement amongst CFL scouts is palpable after a few lean years at the position. Also included in that group is Purdue’s Daniel Johnson, a converted tight end from London, Ont. The six-foot-six, 312-pound tackle was unable to participate on the field as he underwent the final stages of rehab for an ACL tear but travelled to Texas to take part in interviews anyway, looking every bit the part when he walked in the room. Notwithstanding the bevy of big men, it was the smallest Canuck in attendance who may have helped himself the most at CGS. Five-foot-eight, 197-pound Michael Herzog was the most productive running back on the scrimmage day, grinding out some significant yardage on his handful of carries and scoring two touchdowns. He also showed some wiggle as a receiver in practice, which he was not allowed to showcase in college. Despite being uber-productive at Hillsdale College and finishing his senior year as a finalist for the Division II equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, the Windsor native has a steep hill to climb to prove to CFL teams that he can contribute at his size. Pass protection drills on Saturday highlighted that issue as he got punched in the mouth on the first handful of reps. To Herzog’s credit, he continued to battle and improved as the drill went on, while his running style in-game really opened some eyes. He absorbed some big shots and continued to battle for more yards, taking multiple defenders to haul him down on every play. Two other Canadians from the Division II ranks were also attempting to shake that stigma, with Bemidji State receiver Dhel Duncan-Busby and Northwestern Oklahoma State defensive back Dawson Marchant each taking the opportunity to get live exposure in front of CFL evaluators. Though he measured an inch-and-a-half shorter than his listed six-foot-three, Duncan-Busby still looked the part physically at 208 pounds. He fit right in with the bulk of the receiving group, much like first-round pick Cole Tucker last year, and flashed some ability to separate as a route runner, though his consistency can still improve. The scrimmage was a story of near misses, as the Toronto native caught one short pass but also drew a pass interference call and had a certain touchdown sail just past his fingertips. Marchant also fit in physically at six-foot-one and 200 pounds, with good length for a defensive back. Unfortunately, a rolled ankle early in one-on-ones limited his coverage reps and he never got the chance to prove he could compete at cornerback, where he feels more comfortable than safety. As an under-the-radar prospect at a position rarely played by Canadians in the NCAA, the Surrey, B.C. product should be fascinating to watch through the draft process. As solidly built as Marchant is, his frame was nothing compared to his Canadian compadre in the secondary, Concordia’s Dawson Pierre. At an imposing six-foot-two and 215 pounds with hands bigger than most linemen, heads turn when the native of Longueuil, Que. walks into the room. Man coverage isn’t the massive safety’s strong suit but he held his own in one-on-ones and rallied to the ball well in the scrimmage. Expect him to be a riser in the CFL Draft, though teams will be divided on whether to play him up high or convert the Stinger to weakside linebacker. Also lining up at safety was Western’s Lourenz Bowers-Kane, who was thrown into the deep end in one-on-ones despite doing very little man coverage as a strongside linebacker with the Mustangs. He struggled the most of the Canadians in attendance during the practice portion but also had the toughest task in adjusting to the American game, something that has taken players like Tyrell Ford a couple of days to accomplish in years past. The five-foot-10, 203-pound native of Dartmouth, N.S. wasn’t afforded that luxury but showed high effort when recovering and didn’t look out of place come game day. McMaster defensive lineman Owen Hubert rounded out the U Sports foursome in attendance and was able to generate some noticeable pressure when aligned inside for the scrimmage, nearly stripping the quarterback on one occasion. The Hastings, Ont. product weighed in bigger than expected at six-foot-four and 271 pounds but carries it extremely well, providing some positional versatility up front. He flashed some bend to win off the edge on a couple of one-on-one reps, including against Gabe Wallace, but remains limited in his pass rush arsenal and struggles to work counter moves. That is fairly common for Canadian linemen at these events and will give him something to work on ahead of the CFL Combine in March. All the Canadians made a significant impression over their two days of on-field work and drew high praise from the coaches in attendance. Having made the trip south each of the last three years, it seems the northern talent becomes more competitive every time. With Benedet leading the charge, it is safe to assume that this year’s group will soar higher than any in the past as they prepare for the CFL and NFL Drafts.

Trading a first-round pick in the CFL draft for Ford would be a move I would make,

Did the Icks not cut Cornelius before his bonus was due? This is not the tao of Chris Jones.

Elks have signed Macleod Bethel-Thompson.

There is a big and usually obvious difference between disagreeing with an opinion and resorting to ad hominem personal attacks. Wake up, people. Many forms have folded due to this sort of rubbish.

Mike Miller would be an excellent choice if that is what he wants to do.

Considering how poorly our special teams played, I would consider him.

Wouldn't want to get your spouse mad at me. That's pretty violent.

I foresee trouble brewing....

If you can figure that out, you will have a stellar career in football management.

Mr. Magoo would be an upgrade over Dickenson, so that's a pretty low bar.

Not when it counted. Statistics are nice but no substitute for wins (which are sort of statistics, I guess).

And he would be a lot more effective if we had a nose tackle who took up two O-linemen so that Cam would be one on one.

Still, it would be good to find a short-yardage, younger QB who has potential for a higher ceiling than the very limited Prukop.

Enough blame to go around- special teams, roster management, and sub-par offence and defence. Even Walters did not bring in any outstanding players this past season.

The truth is that many here. like myself, are concerned that O'Shea will continue to keep and start Collaros even if Collaros fades badly and Brown (or another QB) out-performs him. O'Shea's Achilles' heel seems to be his stubbornness and his favouring veterans. Good teams and coaches move players out when its time for them to go.

RedBacks need all the help they can get..

He may be a good linebacker prospect, but why do we want that guy who killed all those people in the movies?

Valar morghulis

If Bruce was so compulsed with his gambling that he bet on his own team and even possibly shaved points, he is in very deep and his gambling has him by his pubes. Jones continues to give the CFL the finger.

What galls me the most about that loss was that a retread, mediocre quarterback who spread failure everywhere he went did it to us. Had it been Adams, I would have been much more at peace. And I do not hate Fajardo- I hate that he was allowed to win.

Sad, but true.

God will get you for that.

We do have a somewhat fat piggy bank.