Have you ever wondered how many U SPORTS athletes get drafted to the CFL and where they all come from? As the 2018 CFL season quickly approaches, U SPORTS was interested in how well each Canadian University is represented within the CFL.
After a successful turnout of U SPORTS athletes at the CFL combine, with dominant performances by athletes such as UBC offensive lineman Dakoda Shepley (No.3 on the April CFL Scouting Bureau List), and brothers Godfrey (ranked No. 10) and Kene Onyeka, university athletes have shown their potential. Now, the upcoming 2018 CFL Draft has us reflecting on the presence of U SPORTS alumni within the CFL.
Below, we have produced an interactive graphic that allows you to explore the exact number of alumni on CFL active rosters, which university these alumni attended, and the position they currently play. Click on the graphic below to browse through the different positions, zoom in and out to look at the universities, and click on the icons to view the exact number of drafted athletes.
There are some interesting things to note about this graphic.
- There is alumni representation from all 27 current U SPORTS teams
- Out of the 184 U SPORTS alumni, only one is an international player: Boris Bede of the Montréal Alouettes, a kicker from France, played for the Laval Rouge et Or.
- The Simon Fraser Clan – who now play in NCAA Div. II – competed in Canada West and CIS from 2002-09 and four of their former players from that period are on a CFL roster.
- There is only one quarterback – Andrew Buckley of the Calgary Stampeders and a Calgary Dinos alumnus – who finds himself in the CFL.
- There is also only one punter – Rob Maver, of the Calgary Stampeders and a Guelph Gryphons alumnus – who has been the punter/kicker for the Stampeders since 2010 and won a Grey Cup with the team in 2014.
The full breakdown is below:
Totals
| University |
Defence
Total |
Offence
Total |
Special Teams
Total |
Grand
Total |
| Grand Total |
73 |
94 |
16 |
183 |
| Acadia Axemen |
|
2 |
1 |
3 |
| Alberta Golden Bears |
|
5 |
1 |
6 |
| Bishop's Gaiters |
1 |
1 |
|
2 |
| Calgary Dinos |
8 |
11 |
|
19 |
| Carleton Ravens |
2 |
5 |
|
7 |
| Concordia Stingers |
1 |
4 |
1 |
6 |
| Guelph Gryphons |
4 |
4 |
2 |
10 |
| Laurier Golden Hawks |
5 |
3 |
1 |
9 |
| Laval Rouge et Or |
4 |
12 |
2 |
18 |
| Manitoba Bisons |
5 |
4 |
|
9 |
| McGill Redmen |
1 |
1 |
|
2 |
| McMaster Marauders |
5 |
5 |
1 |
11 |
| Montréal Carabins |
4 |
5 |
1 |
10 |
| Mount Allison Mounties |
|
2 |
|
2 |
| Ottawa Gee-Gees |
2 |
3 |
1 |
6 |
| Queen's Gaels |
4 |
3 |
|
7 |
| Regina Rams |
2 |
|
|
2 |
| Saskatchewan Huskies |
1 |
6 |
1 |
8 |
| Sherbrooke Vert et Or |
3 |
4 |
1 |
8 |
| Simon Fraser Clan |
3 |
1 |
|
4 |
| StFX X-Men |
1 |
1 |
|
2 |
| Saint Mary's Huskies |
3 |
|
1 |
4 |
| Toronto Varsity Blues |
|
2 |
|
2 |
| UBC Thunderbirds |
5 |
2 |
1 |
8 |
| Waterloo Warriors |
1 |
1 |
|
2 |
| Western Mustangs |
3 |
4 |
1 |
8 |
| Windsor Lancers |
5 |
|
|
5 |
| York Lions |
|
3 |
|
3 |
Defence
| Grand Total |
26 |
28 |
19 |
73 |
| University |
DB |
DL |
LB |
Defence Total |
| Acadia Axemen |
|
|
|
|
| Alberta Golden Bears |
|
|
|
|
| Bishop's Gaiters |
|
1 |
|
1 |
| Calgary Dinos |
1 |
5 |
2 |
8 |
| Carleton Ravens |
2 |
|
|
2 |
| Concordia Stingers |
1 |
|
|
1 |
| Guelph Gryphons |
|
3 |
1 |
4 |
| Laurier Golden Hawks |
|
2 |
3 |
5 |
| Laval Rouge et Or |
2 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
| Manitoba Bisons |
1 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
| McGill Redmen |
|
|
1 |
1 |
| McMaster Marauders |
1 |
3 |
1 |
5 |
| Montréal Carabins |
1 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
| Mount Allison Mounties |
|
|
|
|
| Ottawa Gee-Gees |
1 |
1 |
|
2 |
| Queen's Gaels |
2 |
2 |
|
4 |
| Regina Rams |
2 |
|
|
2 |
| Saskatchewan Huskies |
|
|
1 |
1 |
| Sherbrooke Vert et Or |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
| Simon Fraser Clan |
1 |
2 |
|
3 |
| StFX X-Men |
1 |
|
|
1 |
| Saint Mary's Huskies |
2 |
1 |
|
3 |
| Toronto Varsity Blues |
|
|
|
|
| UBC Thunderbirds |
2 |
|
3 |
5 |
| Waterloo Warriors |
1 |
|
|
1 |
| Western Mustangs |
1 |
2 |
|
3 |
| Windsor Lancers |
3 |
|
2 |
5 |
| York Lions |
|
|
|
|
Offence
| Grand Total |
42 |
1 |
24 |
27 |
94 |
| University |
OL |
QB |
RB |
R |
Offence Total |
| Acadia Axemen |
|
|
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Alberta Golden Bears |
2 |
|
1 |
2 |
5 |
| Bishop's Gaiters |
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
| Calgary Dinos |
4 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
11 |
| Carleton Ravens |
3 |
|
|
2 |
5 |
| Concordia Stingers |
3 |
|
|
1 |
4 |
| Guelph Gryphons |
1 |
|
1 |
2 |
4 |
| Laurier Golden Hawks |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
3 |
| Laval Rouge et Or |
6 |
|
3 |
3 |
12 |
| Manitoba Bisons |
1 |
|
2 |
1 |
4 |
| McGill Redmen |
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
| McMaster Marauders |
2 |
|
2 |
1 |
5 |
| Montréal Carabins |
2 |
|
3 |
|
5 |
| Mount Allison Mounties |
1 |
|
1 |
|
2 |
| Ottawa Gee-Gees |
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
| Queen's Gaels |
2 |
|
|
1 |
3 |
| Regina Rams |
|
|
|
|
|
| Saskatchewan Huskies |
2 |
|
1 |
3 |
6 |
| Sherbrooke Vert et Or |
|
|
4 |
|
4 |
| Simon Fraser Clan |
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
| StFX X-Men |
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
| Saint Mary's Huskies |
|
|
|
|
|
| Toronto Varsity Blues |
2 |
|
|
|
2 |
| UBC Thunderbirds |
1 |
|
|
1 |
2 |
| Waterloo Warriors |
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
| Western Mustangs |
3 |
|
|
1 |
4 |
| Windsor Lancers |
|
|
|
|
|
| York Lions |
2 |
|
1 |
|
3 |
Special Teams
| Grand Total |
8 |
7 |
1 |
16 |
| University |
K |
LS |
P |
Special Teams Total |
| Acadia Axemen |
|
1 |
|
1 |
| Alberta Golden Bears |
1 |
|
|
1 |
| Bishop's Gaiters |
|
|
|
|
| Calgary Dinos |
|
|
|
|
| Carleton Ravens |
|
|
|
|
| Concordia Stingers |
1 |
|
|
1 |
| Guelph Gryphons |
|
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Laurier Golden Hawks |
1 |
|
|
1 |
| Laval Rouge et Or |
1 |
1 |
|
2 |
| Manitoba Bisons |
|
|
|
|
| McGill Redmen |
|
|
|
|
| McMaster Marauders |
|
1 |
|
1 |
| Montréal Carabins |
|
1 |
|
1 |
| Mount Allison Mounties |
|
|
|
|
| Ottawa Gee-Gees |
1 |
|
|
1 |
| Queen's Gaels |
|
|
|
|
| Regina Rams |
|
|
|
|
| Saskatchewan Huskies |
|
1 |
|
1 |
| Sherbrooke Vert et Or |
1 |
|
|
1 |
| Simon Fraser Clan |
|
|
|
|
| StFX X-Men |
|
|
|
|
| Saint Mary's Huskies |
|
1 |
|
1 |
| Toronto Varsity Blues |
|
|
|
|
| UBC Thunderbirds |
1 |
|
|
1 |
| Waterloo Warriors |
|
|
|
|
| Western Mustangs |
1 |
|
|
1 |
| Windsor Lancers |
|
|
|
|
| York Lions |
|
|
|
|
*Data as of April 4, 2018
Who will be joining the 184 U SPORTS alumni in the CFL this season? The 2018 CFL Draft begins at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 3. Stay tuned to USPORTS.ca for coverage and follow along on the CFL Draft Tracker.
Liam is the former Web and Statistics Intern at U SPORTS.
Instagram: @liamkopp
