Max von Muehldorfer, Jeremiah Ojo shine at CFL Combine
Paris Shand, Jaylen Smith among Canadians posting impressive pro day numbers
I can smell draft season.
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Back north 🍁
Last weekend’s CFL Combine was a major success for many prospects looking to boost their draft stocks. I was particularly impressed with the defensive line in the testing portion; the live drills were not live-streamed, so I didn’t see that part.
Western Mustangs DL Max von Muehldorfer stole the show in two categories: bench press and short shuttle. His 34 reps on the 225-pound bench were the most of anyone at the CFL and NFL combines. But it was his short shuttle that did it for me. The Mustang ran the test in 4.15 seconds, reportedly setting a new record for the fastest time among defensive tackles at the CFL and NFL combines.
Montreal Carabins DL Jeremiah Ojo also had himself a day, running a 4.59-second 40-yard dash, which was good enough to be the fastest DL. The top-ranked U Sports prospect in the CFL Scouting Bureau also put up 25 reps on the bench to balance out his speed and strength.
Besides von Muehldorfer and Ojo, TSN’s Marshall Ferguson shared his list of eight CFL Combine prospects whom he thought made the best impression, taking their on-field drills and competition periods into consideration:
Eric Cumberbatch, Ottawa Gee-Gees defensive back
Jackson Findlay, Western DB
Opemipo Oshinubi, Alberta Golden Bears running back
Ethan Jordan, Laurier Golden Hawks wide receiver
Seth Hundeby, Saskatchewan Huskies linebacker
Ethan Pyle, Guelph Gryphons offensive lineman
The OUA unveiled its 2025 football schedule on Wednesday. The biggest matchup I see is a Yates Cup rematch to end the regular season, with Western hosting Laurier on Oct. 18. The Golden Hawks won both their home games against the Mustangs in 2024, including the OUA Championship. Western hasn’t lost a regular season home game since Oct. 4, 2014 — can Laurier break the almost 11-year streak?
The CFL Draft will be on TSN on April 29 at 8 p.m. ET.
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Heading south ✈️
LSU Tigers DL Paris Shand had two key measurables at his pro day on Wednesday: arm length and three-cone, which are arguably the two testing items coaches look to when evaluating the DL position. His 34-inch arms make him a bad day for OLs, since he’d be nearly three feet (or Subway sandwiches) away from a blocker when he engages. The Toronto product’s 7.06-second three-cone speed — measuring key DL traits like change of direction, bending the corner and body control — also impressed, as it would have been second-fastest at both the NFL and CFL combines. His other tests didn’t turn as many heads, but ultimately, he shined where he needed to.
(Video: Vantage Sports Agency)
North Texas Mean Green LB Jaylen Smith showed off his strength at his pro day last Friday. The Hamilton, Ont., native matched the top NFL Combine LB number with 26 reps. Not bad for the only NCAA LB who played at least 185 snaps in each of the box, slot and DL in 2024. And did I mention he also played the most defensive snaps of any NCAA LB in 2024, too? Crazy stuff.
One of the final pro days to look out for is on Thursday when the Montana Grizzlies take the field. WR Keelan White will look to show off his biggest strength: his sticky hands. The Vancouver product was one of seven Division I receivers to have at least 80 targets with no drops; of those seven, White had the best contested catch rate at 61.1 per cent. There’s a reason why he earned the nickname “Canadian Spider-Man” in Missoula, Montana.
ICYMI: Read last week’s CFL Combine primer:
Student shout-outs 📢
I got my start in multimedia storytelling and sports journalism at a student newspaper. It’s important for me to spread the love to those student journos finding new leads on campus fields across the country, just like I did a short time ago.
OUA
The Western Gazette (Western)
*My old stomping grounds!
The Cord (Laurier)
Imprint (Waterloo)
The Silhouette (McMaster)
The Varsity (Toronto)
Excalibur (York)
The Queen’s Journal (Queen’s)
The Fulcrum (Ottawa)
The Charlatan (Carleton)
Canada West
The Ubyssey (UBC)
The Gateway (Alberta)
The Gauntlet (Calgary)
The Sheaf (Saskatchewan)
The Manitoban (Manitoba)
RSEQ
Impact Campus (Laval)
*Covered Rouge et Or football in the Vanier Cup
Quartier Libre (Montreal)
Concordia
The McGill Tribune (McGill)
Le Collectif (Sherbrooke)
AUS
The Xaverian Weekly (StFX)
The Campus (Bishop’s)
The Athenaeum (Acadia)
The SMU Journal (Saint Mary’s)
More Canadian college football coverage
The media covers U Sports football at a level not seen since theScore’s former television program “University Rush” covered Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS, the former name for U Sports) football until the early 2010s.