University of Maine Athletics
The 2017 CFL combine invitees feature a plethora of talented Canadians. Most come from U Sports schools where players develop inside the Canadian football snow globe.
A rare talented few took their skills south after high school to attend NCAA schools and will return north of the border in March to show what they’ve learned while away.
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Defensive back Dondre Wright is a personal favourite of mine. Originally from Ajax, Ont., Dondre found his way to Henderson State to take on the likes of Southwestern Oklahoma, Southeastern Oklahoma and Northwestern Oklahoma.
Yes, those are all different schools and teams.
While his opponents would never be talked about on the grand scale that is NCAA football, Wright impressed me as a playmaker way under the radar heading to Regina’s national combine.
At 5-foot-11 he plays with a tenacity reminiscent of Toronto Raptors point Guard Kyle Lowry, refusing to allow blockers to occupy him and flying to the football, often finishing with the authority of a much larger man. I can’t wait to see Dondre in one-on-one’s come CFL Week in Regina.
While Wright serves as the lone NCAA defensive back invitee to the national combine, a pair of national status linebackers is sure to turn some heads.
Chris Mulumba boasts 42 career starts for the University of Maine Black Bears. A prototypical small school middle linebacker, Mulumba will likely evolve to a weak side linebacker in the CFL, which is okay as he already possesses solid range in coverage and pure instincts in the run game.
Chris Mulumba (right) could open some eyes with his explosiveness at the CFL Combine (University of Maine Athletics)
I would expect his ‘explosive’ tests – vertical, broad jump, pro agility – to open some eyes in Regina based on his game tape.
Linebacker Matt Singleton of Black Hills State is an interesting addition to the fray if for nothing else than his name. Brother Alex was drafted sixth overall out of Montana State last May by the Calgary Stampeders.
Both Alex and Matt became Canadian citizens in October, 2015 and qualified for dual citizenship because their mother was born in Toronto.
Matt is a bit of a mystery. He doesn’t posses the natural height of brother Alex, but all the intangibles are there that made Alex sky rocket ahead of draft night. Matt effectively relies on a strong upper body to keep potential blockers at distance on game film and spends a lot of time running around contact due to his innate quickness.
The individual drills will say a lot about how close Matt gets drafted to his older, bar-setting brother, who excelled at middle linebacker for the Stampeders, allowing the team to part ways with 2016 free agent signing Taylor Reed mid-season.
Jordan Herdman is as dynamic a linebacker as there is in the 2017 CFL draft. Jordan went under the radar at the 2016 Senior Bowl showcasing the NCAA’s best talent. Herdman has been nominated for several awards through his stellar last two seasons at Simon Fraser and should show well in Regina.
I would expect Herdman to test well but even if he doesn’t, his game tape says more than enough about what he could be at the next level. I see him as a true middle linebacker down the line despite his relatively short stature.
Jordan’s brother Justin Herdman is also on his way to Regina in late March. With similar size and ability, Justin lacks the awards and invites Jordan possess but his game tape is just as encouraging. Don’t think CFL scouts and general managers don’t see that. The higher Jordan gets drafted the sooner Justin will go.
On the defensive line, Hamilton native Justin Vaughan of Fordham University will need to have an effective testing period due to a really talented core of U Sports pass rushers in Laurier Golden Hawks Kwaku Boateng and Calgary Dinos Connor McGough among others. Vaughan had 40 tackles for loss in 2016 including a whopping 11 sacks on his way to being named 1st team all-Patriot League at defensive end.
Justin Vaughn will face stiff competition when he lands in Regina in March (Fordham University)
Vaughan’s greatest strength is his sense of the big picture. Understanding what all eleven men are trying to accomplish against him on offence is a special skill. I’m just not sure it will show in pass rush one-on-one drills in Regina. Vaughan could be a hidden gem come draft night and his fate will come down to work ethic and attention to detail on special teams in training camp.
At the National Combine, Vaughan will face two massive offensive tackles from NCAA institutions.
Mason Woods, originally of Port Coquitlam, B.C., spent his university playing days as a member of the Idaho Vandals. His 2016 game tape against a talented Washington Huskies defensive line – with several highly respected NFL draft prospects – said a lot about Woods’ game. He is a strong interior lineman comparable to former Manitoba Bisons offensive lineman and current Tiger-Cats depth swingman Landon Rice.
Similar to Matt Singleton discussed above, the second NCAA tackle invited to the CFL combine in Regina is a bit of a mystery. Dariusz Bladek hails from Toronto originally, but used his 6-foot-6, 325-pound frame to protect ball handlers at Bethune Cookman.
Bladek was willing to be part of the 2016 CFL draft but time spent sorting out citizenship prevented him from being eligible for the May event or subsequent supplemental draft.
Bladek possess attractive size, an impressive mean streak and a year worth of pent up energy from two-a-day workouts, all in the hope of impressing at the combine. He might be the most intriguing prospect of the entire combine due to his situation, powerful skill set and relative lack of experience playing the Canadian game.
Dariusz Bladek is one of two massive NCAA offensive linemen going to the combine (Bethune-Cookman University)
Other NCAA players invited but not attending the national combine in Regina include offensive tackle and lead scouting bureau prospect Justin Senior of Mississippi State; defensive tackle Eli Ankou; and Iowa Hawkeyes defensive lineman Faith Ekakitie.
All together it’s an impressive group of talented players, some with the ability to make an immediate impact. Those invited to the National Combine will need to embrace the moment in Regina if they wish to make their mark on the numerous evaluators in attendance.
