Bombers ink 8 members of 2024 CFL Draft class

CFL.ca Staff

WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers announced on Sunday that the club has signed eight of its 2024 CFL Draft selections including receiver Kevens Clercius, offensive lineman Gabe Wallace, defensive lineman Kyle Samson, linebacker Ian Leroux, offensive lineman Ethan Kalra, receiver AK Gassama, offensive lineman Michael Vlahogiannis and defensive end Owen Hubert.

Clercius (six foot two, 217 pounds) appeared in 37 games over three years with the UConn Huskies, pulling in 49 passes for 604 yards and five touchdowns.

The son of Haitian immigrants, Clercius lost his mother to illness at age 14 and arrived speaking almost no English but enrolled in language classes before school started, landing a scholarship at UConn.

Wallace (six-foot-six, 333 pounds) dressed for 49 career games with the Buffalo Bulls after redshirting with the team in 2018. He was a three-year starter, starting 28 games at guard, seven games at left tackle, and two games at right tackle. He was named third-team All-MAC as a senior in 2022 when he played exclusively at left guard, helping the Bulls rank top five in total offence.

Samson (six-foot-three, 290 pounds) dressed for 25 career games with the UBC Thunderbirds over his four years with the team. He recorded 6.5 sacks and 48.5 total tackles, also adding an interception over his UBC career. He was named a two-time U SPORTS second-team All-Canadian (2023, 2022), a two-time Canada West all-star (2023, 2022), and won the 2023 Hardy Cup and Mitchell Bowl.

Leroux (six-foot-one, 225 pounds) is committed to returning to Laval next season. Over his four seasons with Laval, Leroux dressed for 29 games, recording 14 tackles and one interception. He was a 2022 Dunsmore Cup, Mitchell Bowl and Vanier Cup winner.

Waterloo’s Ethan Kalra worked his way from the CFL’s Invitational Combine to the Blue Bombers draft class (Andrew Mahon/CFL.ca)

Kalra (six-foot-two, 309 pounds) was a 2023 East-West Bowl participant (West Team) and started in all 29 games of his four-year career with the Waterloo Warriors. Kalra started his collegiate career at right tackle before making the switch to right guard in his sophomore year.

Gassama (five-foot-nine, 158 pounds) arrived in Winnipeg as a refugee, growing up in Sierra Leone during the Civil War before moving to Canada as a young child. In 2017, he secured a scholarship to the U of M and became the seventh player in Bisons’ history to record 100 catches and tally 1,000 receiving yards in 2022. Gassama was named the 2022-23 Bison Sports Male Athlete of the Year and is also a two-time All-Canadian.

Vlahogiannis (six-foot-three, 312 pounds) was named a 2023 RSEQ all-star and was a 2023 East-West Bowl participant (East Team) in a year in which he dressed for eight games, starting seven and helping McGill amass 1,193 rushing yards. Over his four years with the Redbirds, Vlahogiannis started 19 games at centre.

Hubert (six-foot-four, 263 pounds) played four seasons with the McMaster Marauders, seeing action in 27 games and recording 65 total tackles (42 solo, 23 assisted). In his senior year, Hubert also recorded five sacks and a forced fumble and was selected for East-West Bowl in 2022.

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