Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
MONTREAL — The CFL hosted its annual Montreal Regional Combine Wednesday afternoon, generating four prospects that will look to continue their road to May’s CFL Draft this weekend in Toronto.
McGill FB Devon Stewart, St. Francis Xavier FB Donald Tabor, Ottawa LB Marc-Antoine Laurin and Montreal DB Maiko Zepeda all earned invites to the national Combine after strong showings in front of scouts.
Over 40 athletes convened at the campus of Concordia University with hopes of turning their performance today into a shot at reaching the National Combine this weekend in Toronto. It was the second of three regional combines following Monday’s Edmonton Regional which saw five prospects earn the invite to the primary showcase.
MONTREAL REGIONAL COMBINE: VIEW FULL RESULTS
Despite not moving on to the National Combine, the morning testing belonged to defensive back Jay Dearborn who put scouts on notice early. The Holland College grad put up strong numbers during the morning testing period, leading the way in both the Broad (40.5”) and Vertical Jump (11’2.75″). He also finished with the second best 40-time clocking in at 4.58 – just one decimal behind Montreal’s Zepeda (4.57).
Zepeda lead the way in the 40 but also put up respectable numbers in the vert and a solid broad measurement of 32”. Where he really cemented his spot was in the one-on-ones, where he was a menace on the block-shedding drill and showed off his quick feet in the DB drills.
In 2015 Zepeda was invited to take part in the annual CIS East-West Bowl after recording a team-best 34.5 tackles in eight regular season games.
| WATCH: Zepeda Leads List of Montreal Invitees |
Stewart played the majority of his career at McGill as a defensive end but made the transformation to fullback. Along with testing well, Stewart was solid in the pass blocking one-on-one drills on Wednesday, showcasing his versatility to scouts.
Tabor ran a strong 4.83 and lifted 19 on the bench but like the others, it was the St. FX product’s play on the field that spoke the loudest.
Laurin, who did not jump off the charts with any of his morning testing, proved his worth in the afternoon with his physicality and strength as one of the bigger linebackers of the group. When asked by CFL.ca if he intends to continue training in preparation for Saturday’s Combine he smiled and said, “I’m resting, just resting”.
Four days now seperate Laurin and the other prospects from their most important chance to shine in front of scouts and general managers at the National Combine on Saturday.
Both the bench press and 40-yard dash will be broadcast live on CFL.ca.
