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CFL.ca Staff REGINA — The pads were strapped up at the CFL Combine in Regina on Saturday, giving the prospects a chance to match their athletic performance with their football play. Plays were made all over the field in both individual and team practice sessions, but three players stood out to CFL.ca’s Marshall Ferguson. Sunday is the final day of practices as the athletes look to give one final good impression to scouts, general managers, and coaches ahead of the 2025 CFL Draft on April 29. CFL COMBINE » View the full 2025 CFL Combine roster and results » Who’s the top receiver at the 2025 CFL Combine? » CFL Combine Leaderboard: Top 5 from every drill » Opemipo Oshinubi blazes to 4.41 second 40-yard dash » Subscribe to the CFL’s newsletter KEANU YAZBECK | RUNNING BACK | WESTERN UNIVERSITY RB Keanu Yazbeck had a strong day during the first padded practice at the 2025 CFL Combine (Arthur Ward/CFL.ca) Western’s running back Keanu Yazbeck had a good performance performance on both Friday and Saturday, according to Ferguson. The tailback ran the 40-yard dash in 4.67 and registered a 4.02 short shuttle. But it was his work when the pads came on that impressed even more. “Keanu Yazbeck comes from a very crowded backfield for the Western Mustangs, but his testing on Friday was well rounded and high level,” said Ferguson. “He followed it up Saturday morning with pretty elite movement skills, and looks more comfortable in pads than the testing, which is obviously the goal for everybody that comes here. “He looks the part. He fits the part. He runs hard. He’s good in pass protection. So I think he showed out extremely strong in the first day on pads.” NATE BEAUCHEMIN | DEFENSIVE BACK | CALGARY Defensive back Nate Beauchemin drew comparisons to a former All-CFL player with his performance on Saturday (Arthur Ward/CFL.ca) Calgary’s defensive back Nate Beauchemin had a field day. The Dino was all over the field, impressing with both his play and his attitude towards his teammates, drawing comparisons to a former All-CFL defensive back. “Nate Beauchemin is a field general, Calgary Dinos leader, extremely vocal,” said Ferguson. “Reminds me a little bit in terms of body style to Craig Butler, who was well known for being as solid as could be on the back end of the defence. And I get the sense that Beauchemin will grow into being that kind of player as well. “The reason I pick him is that he’s another player who the second you put pads on, the testing portion really doesn’t matter anymore. It’s about playing football, and you can tell how much he loves playing the game and loves operating the back end of a defence.” GABRIEL LESSARD | LINEBACKER | MONTREAL Linebacker Gabriel Lessard stood out on Saturday with his strong performance on special teams (Arthur Ward/CFL.ca) Montreal’s Gabriel Lessard also left his mark on Saturday, especially during special team drills. The linebacker – who had already impressed everyone at the Invitational Combine in Waterloo – showcased his movement skills once again and had the best performance of the day on special teams, according to Ferguson. “Gabriel Lessard is everything that you want in a special teams player and a future potential starter with upside at linebacker,” Ferguson said. “Thick, moves well and in the special teams drills looked more comfortable than any player out there. Everybody got a rep or two in that special teams period, and he was unquestionably the one that stood out the most.” Get all the top stories from across the league delivered to your inbox.
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