First "Top 20" rankings released today.......

https://www.sportsnet.ca/cfl/article/iowa-offensive-lineman-tops-cfls-first-scouting-bureaus-top-prospects-list/

TORONTO — Alaric Jackson, an offensive lineman at the University of Iowa, has the No. 1 spot in the first edition of the CFL scouting bureau’s top-20 prospects for the 2021 draft.

The six-foot-six, 315-pound Jackson is a native of Windsor, Ont. He’s entering his senior season at Iowa, which kicks off its ’20 campaign Oct. 24 at Purdue.

 

Jackson started 10 of Iowa’s 13 games last season at left tackle. He redshirted in 2016 but has started for the Hawkeyes since 2017.

The CFL released its top-20 list Thursday.

Calgary’s Amen Ogbongbemiga, a senior linebacker at Oklahoma State University, was the second-ranked prospect. The six-foot-one, 235-pound Ogbongbemiga has registered a team-high 22 tackles (12 solo) and 1.5 sacks in three games for the No.10 Cowboys (3-0).

Ogbongbemiga had 100 tackles last season and was named the Cowboys’ top defensive player.

Vancouver’s Terrell Jana, a receiver at Virginia (1-1), is at No. 3. The six-foot-one, 200-pound Jana has nine catches for 84 yards and a TD this season after registering 74 receptions for 886 yards and three touchdowns in 2019.

Josh Palmer of Brampton, Ont., a receiver at Tennessee, holds down the No. 4 spot. The six-foot-two, 210-pound senior has 10 receptions for 156 yards and two TDs for the Volunteers (2-0).

At No. 5 is Ottawa’s Liam Dobson, a six-foot-three, 340-pound senior offensive lineman at Maine. Dobson’s ranking comes despite the Bears not starting their season until the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dobson enjoyed a stellar ’19 campaign, earning All-CAA first-team honours and being voted as Maine’s top offensive lineman. He was the school’s highest-graded offensive lineman for every game and averaged 12 knockdowns per contest.

 

Dobson contributed immediately upon arriving at Maine in 2017, appearing in six contests (one start) as a freshman. He became a full-time starter in 2018.

The remainder of the top-10 includes, in order, includes: New Mexico State offensive lineman Sage Doxtater (Welland, Ont.); North Carolina State defensive lineman Daniel Joseph (Toronto); North Carolina defensive back Patrice Rene (Ottawa); Maine linebacker Deshawn Stevens (Toronto); and West Virginia defensive back Alonzo Addae (Pickering, Ont.).

The first 10 selections were all from NCAA programs, not a surprise given U Sports cancelled its 2020 season due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. The top Canadian collegian was Montreal offensive lineman Pier-Olivier Lestage, of Saint-Eustache, Que., at No. 11.

The other U Sports selections included Calgary Dinos offensive lineman Logan Bandy of Calgary (No. 12), Saskatchewan defensive back Nelson Lokombo of Abbotsford, B.C. (No. 14), British Columbia linebacker Ben Hladik of Vernon, B.C., (No. 16), Calgary linebacker Grant McDonald of Tsawwassen, B.C. (No. 19) and U.B.C. linebacker Nick Cross of Regina (No. 20).

Defensive back Deane Leonard, who helped Calgary win the Vanier Cup last year before transferring to Ole Miss for 2020, was ranked. No. 13.

1 hour ago, rebusrankin said:

The one against BC in 2013 at home where we got blown out?

Nah. We scored 17 points in that game and we were a bad team running out the string against a division champ. Even the 68-7 playoff loss in Edmonton, as embarrassing as that was, felt different. In that one it was clear the “can’t call them that anymore”’s were blatantly cheating, and the refs turned a blind eye. Was as angry as I was sad. But 52-0 in Sask on Labour Day right after Mack scapegoated LaPo with Joe standing on the sidelines “for inspiration” was much worse. An entire team quit on their GM right in front of his face. They were never even close to getting a point  the board. And then Mack doubles down at the not-so-mea culpa press conference on Monday by jokingly offering the media milk and cookies. Talk about not reading the room. 

2 hours ago, rebusrankin said:

The one against BC in 2013 at home where we got blown out?

That 1972 Western Final loss for me was the lowest. Just the way we lost was depressing. Knowing had we won we'd have probably been GC champs...

20 hours ago, TrueBlue4ever said:

Nah. We scored 17 points in that game and we were a bad team running out the string against a division champ. Even the 68-7 playoff loss in Edmonton, as embarrassing as that was, felt different. In that one it was clear the “can’t call them that anymore”’s were blatantly cheating, and the refs turned a blind eye. Was as angry as I was sad. But 52-0 in Sask on Labour Day right after Mack scapegoated LaPo with Joe standing on the sidelines “for inspiration” was much worse. An entire team quit on their GM right in front of his face. They were never even close to getting a point  the board. And then Mack doubles down at the not-so-mea culpa press conference on Monday by jokingly offering the media milk and cookies. Talk about not reading the room. 

If memory serves, the coaching had gotten so bad that, by mid-game, Dougie 97 was calling the defences.

1 hour ago, Tracker said:

If memory serves, the coaching had gotten so bad that, by mid-game, Dougie 97 was calling the defences.

That was the 2005 season under Daley. Our DC had quit, so the players were calling the schemes on the field, sandlot style... It was a joke. That's how Maas set a completion record against us that year....

30 minutes ago, Noeller said:

That was the 2005 season under Daley. Our DC had quit, so the players were calling the schemes on the field, sandlot style... It was a joke. That's how Maas set a completion record against us that year....

One of my favourite games is naming all of the DBs that suited up for us during those lean years

13 hours ago, Noeller said:

That was the 2005 season under Daley. Our DC had quit, so the players were calling the schemes on the field, sandlot style... It was a joke. That's how Maas set a completion record against us that year....

it felt like every team was doing that against us back then. 

1993, and 2007 grey cups. Both years the qb that took us there on the side lines. If both are healthy in those games, we win both and the streak of no grey cups never exists. Dunigan leaving to the US to have his best season in 95 was pretty crushing too. 2001 gc sucked, but the way the team prepared and acted the week of its what most earned. Still sad for milt blink khari etc they shouldve won 1.  

3 hours ago, wbbfan said:

it felt like every team was doing that against us back then. 

1993, and 2007 grey cups. Both years the qb that took us there on the side lines. If both are healthy in those games, we win both and the streak of no grey cups never exists. Dunigan leaving to the US to have his best season in 95 was pretty crushing too. 2001 gc sucked, but the way the team prepared and acted the week of its what most earned. Still sad for milt blink khari etc they shouldve won 1.  

2001: One of the worst coached weeks by a HC (Dave Ritchie) going into a championship game I think I've ever seen. It was treated as a holiday & even a joke by the entire Bomber organization because they just knew the Stamps would just lie down for them (insert sarcasm here)  & let them win as it was ordained by God. Let your players mouth off to the media talking trash about the other team & act like complete asshats all week. Thanks, Dave. That still pisses me off two decades later. The Bombers had lost that game by Tuesday of Grey Cup week.

54 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

2001: One of the worst coached weeks by a HC (Dave Ritchie) going into a championship game I think I've ever seen. It was treated as a holiday & even a joke by the entire Bomber organization because they just knew the Stamps would just lie down for them (insert sarcasm here)  & let them win as it was ordained by God. Let your players mouth off to the media talking trash about the other team & act like complete asshats all week. Thanks, Dave. That still pisses me off two decades later. The Bombers had lost that game by Tuesday of Grey Cup week.

Yeah, I always loved ritchie too. But he was an old school boys club soft on his players coach. Ironic though that a coach soo famous for using "locker board material" motivation to give all of it to the stamps.

We saw a bit of the opposite attitude in 2019. When I heard that the Ticats were practicing indoors for that week in Calgary and the Bombers were outside, that was my first inkling that we would be more ready to play. Then I heard that the Ticats were actually practicing the victory formation in each session, and I became more and more convinced that we were going to take out the 15-3 juggernaut.

That no-nonsense style was like the days under Cal Murphy. Chris Walby talked about training camp under him - one day it was pouring rain and the players were all relieved because it meant a break from two-a-days and only film session. Cal walks into the dressing room and barks “why isn’t anyone suited up? On the field in 5 minutes.” Everyone is pissed off, but drag themselves out there. Then Cal marches out in his cap and golf shirt, no rain jacket, and runs a full practice getting soaked to the bone. Afterwards he pulls the team together  on the field still in the rain and essentially says “we are going to play games this year in all sorts of weather - rain, snow, wind - so why would you expect that we won’t practice in those conditions to be ready when it comes? Because other teams won’t be ready for it.” Come the November playoffs, and the Bomber o-line is playing in short sleeves in sub-zero weather and their opponents are huddled by the heaters, and Walby says the team knew before the first snap that they had the game won. Because Cal would not allow them to take any short cuts and gave them that championship mentality. 

Edited May 25, 20214 yr by TrueBlue4ever