[IMPORTANT: Make this 4 times longer with much more detail]
Matthew Cauz CFL.ca @mcauz56 Hello CFL fans, I hope you enjoyed CFL Combine season and the coverage provided by all the talented writers ’round these parts. As you know, we are about to hit one of those lighter times of year that happens in every league. Between the combine and the CFL Draft things get a little slower. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing; everyone needs a vacation. CFL COMBINE » View the full 2025 CFL Combine roster and results » 10 prospects that stood out at CFL Combine » 3 CFL Combine standout performers from Sunday » 3 CFL Combine standout performers from Saturday » Subscribe to the CFL’s newsletter As you may have a little more time on your hands, I wanted to get you caught up on several news stories that happened during combine season that you may have missed due to being mesmerized by Wilfrid Laurier wide receiver Ethan Jordan’s workouts or if you’re still emotionally getting over seeing Andrew Harris in Saskatchewan Roughrider green. By the way , congratulations to Harris for the new gig! FAVOURITE QUARTERBACK AT THE CFL COMBINE: JONATHAN SÉNÉCAL Jonathan Sénécal impressed everyone at the CFL Combine in Regina earlier this month (Arthur Ward/CFL.ca) The 2023 Hec Crighton and Vanier Cup MVP put on a show at Regina. Not only was he the fastest quarterback, but he also finished fourth overall among all participants in the short shuttle drill. Sénécal, who was selected by the combine coaching staff as one the standouts on Day 2, brings more than just the exciting physical attributes we love to see from our quarterbacks. TSN’s Duane Forde raved about his football IQ and his accuracy as a passer. Ten years ago, I would dismiss most positive news about Canadian quarterbacks as there just weren’t any of note on CFL rosters. But now, as we are in the early stages of the rise of the Canadian quarterback, I can’t help but get excited about the University of Montreal standout. FAVOURITE OVERALL PROSPECT FROM THE CFL COMBINE: MAX VON MUEHLDORFER GO OFF MAX‼ Max Von Muehldorfer leads the bench at 34 reps. #CFLCombine pic.twitter.com/2AFI4oQi6B — CFL (@CFL) March 21, 2025 Can you find me a better football name than the Western Mustangs star defensive tackle? That names screams that he should be competing with Magnús Ver Magnússon (anyone under 40, please Google that name) in some sort of Icelandic strongman competitor. I can’t wait to see what Max looks like in the pros. He weighs nearly 300 pounds, clocked a 4.96 in the 40-yard dash, and is the reigning bench press champion. Speaking of this young man’s raw strength, as a teenager he won the Pan American U20 weightlifting championships in Colombia back in 2023. In an interview with the London Free Press that same year he expressed a desire to compete in the 2026 Commonwealth Games and possibly the 2028 Olympics. Have we ever had a player with an Olympic medal and a Grey Cup in the same year? A FEEL GOOD STORY As a sucker for good story telling, I recommend you check out this lovely story by Rob Vanstone from the official Saskatchewan Roughriders website. It’s all about long time scout/coach/director of player personnel Craig Smith who last worked for the Roughriders and the reception he got at the combine. I won’t give much away, but this is an emotional story about a man who went from a life as a computer operator in 1990 to helping the Roughriders win the Grey in 2013. Here’s a quote from Craig about what the 2025 combine meant for him: “Honest to God, it was a choke-up weekend for me. It was very emotional, and it was great for my mental health.” I mean, you’re clicking on the link, aren’t you? WAIT, WE KNOW THAT GUY! Reppin’ BC & reppin’ the Lions, 👊🏾 pic.twitter.com/HNTPCdKFAt — BC LIONS (@BCLions) March 23, 2025 Hey look there’s young NHL superstar Connor Bedard shopping for groceries sporting a BC Lions cap! ROUGHRIDERS ADDING A BIG NAME TO THEIR NEG LIST One story that does not qualify for “falling through the cracks” is the Saskatchewan Roughriders adding former NFL quarterback Trey Lance to their negotiation list. In fact, I imagine most of you are fully aware of this transaction and I bet some of you are tired of hearing about it. That is no slight against the Roughriders organization, they should be applauded for exploring every avenue when it comes to the quarterback position. What rankles hard core CFL fans is the predictable discourse about how Trey will easily transition to an above average starter immediately due to his draft status. I understand why casual football fans would believe this as Trey was a high draft pick not that long ago by the San Francisco 49ers. I’m just here to remind you that this league has seen so many former NFL quarterbacks, Heisman Trophy winners. and National Championship MVPs and most of them do not last long. Go look up the statistics of players like Vince Young , Chris Leak, Troy Smith and Eric Crouch. You will find most had rather short careers. I would love to see Lance turn around his career, who doesn’t enjoy a compelling quarterback storyline? I’m just warning fans who are new to the league the odds are it won’t work out. That being said this move by Jeremy O’Day is a noteworthy one. GET READY FOR OUA FOOTBALL This is not technically a CFL story, but on March 26 the Ontario University Athletics released their 2025 football schedule and I immediately zeroed in on October 18 when the Western Mustangs will take on the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks. As a McMaster alumnus, I normally root against both these schools, but both these programs were well represented at this past combine. Both had multiple players finishing in the top five of every drill and Western was tied for the lead with seven players taking part. These teams have met in the last two Yates Cup with Laurier winning this past year and Western the season before. The next wave of combine invites will undoubtedly include several players on the field in London that day. JEVON COTTOY DOING GOOD THINGS Finally, BC Lions wide receiver Jevon Cottoy is embarking on an incredible journey that has nothing to do with football but will make a big difference. Check out this recent conversation about him being an ambassador for World Vision. Get all the top stories from across the league delivered to your inbox.
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