Men’s Football News

Jesse Gibbon, an offensive lineman from the Waterloo Warriors, was the first U SPORTS player selected in the 2019 CFL Draft when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats called his name at No. 2, on Thursday evening.

Gibbon was one of three U SPORTS players who went in the opening round on Thursday, along with Laval defensive lineman Mathieu Betts at No.3 (Edmonton Eskimos) and Windsor offensive lineman Drew Desjarlais at No. 4 (Winnipeg Blue Bombers).

Click here for the CFL Draft Tracker to see the full list.

 

Gibbon, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound hometown product and environmental management major, debuted on the CFL Scouting Bureau at No.14 last month, after going unranked in August and December.

Betts (No.1) and Desjarlais (No.7), were also ranked in the Scouting Bureau’s Top 20 going into the draft. Named as the U SPORTS Male Athlete of the Year for the 2018-19 season on Thursday afternoon, Betts signed last week with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted NFL free agent.

Overall, 52 U SPORTS standouts were selected out of 73 total picks (71.2 per cent), with at least one player selected from 23 out of the 27 programs, led by Manitoba with seven. A year ago, U SPORTS players made up 81.2 per cent of draftees (56 out of 69).

The 2019 U SPORTS East-West Bowl Week, showcasing the next generation of top prospects heading into to the 2020 CFL Draft begins Monday at Carleton University, with the game slated for Saturday, May 11 at 12:30 p.m. ET at MNP Park in the nation’s capital.

Team rosters for the game will be announced on Friday.

U SPORTS PLAYERS SELECTED IN 2019 CFL CANADIAN DRAFT (52)