Thomas Skrlj/CFL.ca
TORONTO – CFL Combine season is here as prospects from all over the globe are getting ready to show off their skills in front of CFL scouts, general managers, and coaches.
Over 70 athletes will head to Regina, Saskatchewan for the biggest moment of their football careers so far later this month.
Ahead of the CFL Combine officially getting underway on March 21, here are three things to know to get you set for the big event.
CFL COMBINE
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HOW THE CFL COMBINE WORKS
Things kick off on Friday, March 21 with prospects putting their best foot forward in the on-field testing portion of the weekend.
The drills include the 40-yard dash, bench press, shuttle, 3-cone, vertical jump, and broad jump and are used to determine a prospect’s athletic ability, testing their explosiveness, strength, agility and more.
Saturday, March 22 and Sunday, March 23 feature practice sessions on each day. This is where coaches from around the CFL take their position groups through what may look very similar to regular CFL practices. Not only will evaluators get to see the prospect’s abilities to perform, but also they get to see how they interact with coaches and other players in a team environment.
In between the activities on the field, the prospects will go through an interview process. If a CFL team is interested in a particular prospect, they will invite them to do a formal interview with members of that CFL club present. Think of it like a job interview; the interviewer (the CFL team personnel) asks questions to their potential hire (the prospect). This is a great chance for both the team and the prospect to get to know each other in an off-the-field setting.
IT’S AN OPPORTUNITY TO RISE (OR FALL)
Defensive lineman Isaiah Bagnah is ranked No. 4 on the winter edition of the CFL’s Scouting Bureau Rankings and will be attending the CFL Combine later in March (Photo: BYU)
Some players arrive at the CFL Combine as top prospects already, like Isaiah Bagnah, who is ranked No. 4 on the winter edition of the CFL’s Scouting Bureau Rankings, and Jeremiah Ojo, who’s ranked No. 7. But others that may not be on the list will use the Combine to show scouts, general managers, and coaches that they’re worthy of some more attention heading into the draft.
What happens over the three days, in the testing portion and the on-field practices, can significantly impact a player’s draft stock. A strong performance can help a player to rise in the rankings and potentially become a first or second round pick, while a weaker performance might see them slip down the draft board. Don’t sleep on those late-round picks, though, as Ajou Ajou could tell you firsthand.
The receiver, who attended last year’s CFL Combine, was selected in the seventh round (59th overall). He went on to get meaningful reps with the Riders last year and eventually earned himself an opportunity in the NFL this off-season.
NOTABLES FROM THE 2024 CFL COMBINE
There are plenty of prospects who impress at the combine every year and 2024’s group was no exception.
Here are three players that made their mark last year at the event in Winnipeg.
KEVIN MITAL | RECEIVER | TORONTO ARGONAUTS
Kevin Mital scored a touchdown in the 111th Grey Cup in his rookie season (CFL.ca)
Kevin Mital used last year’s combine to put on a show during the practice sessions. “He’s proven that he has the ability to run for days,” CFL.ca’s Marshall Ferguson said after Mital was named day three’s offensive coaches’ pick.
“He ran a great top speed in the 40-yard dash and especially today, you could see why he was the 2022 Hec Crighton Award winner. As soon as he puts on the helmet and pads, he just goes. Not surprising at all that he was picked; he’s just so natural out there.”
Mital was selected fifth overall in the 2024 CFL Draft and went on to play 12 games with the Argonauts last season, racking up 201 yards on 18 catches. His biggest moment, however, was scoring a touchdown in the 111th Grey Cup, helping Toronto defeat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
ETEVA MAUGA-CLEMENTS | LINEBACKER | EDMONTON ELKS
Eteva Mauga-Clements impressed at the 2024 CFL Combine in Winnipeg (Cameron Bartlett/CFL.ca)
Eteva Mauga-Clements, the Global prospect who played at Nebraska, may have have been one of the unknowns heading into the CFL Combine last year, but after he left, everyone in the CFL world knew his name.
“He was very smooth today with great movement skills,” Ferguson said after Mauga-Clements was named the final day of the combine’s defensive coaches’ pick. “He really fit in and he had that right mentality all week. Seeing him learn and adapt to the CFL environment so quickly and so seamlessly bodes well for him; that’s something that teams will really focus on.”
The linebacker, who also had the combine’s best shuttle time (4.14 seconds), went on to be selected first overall by the Edmonton Elks in the Global Draft. He played in 17 games, mostly lining up on special teams, tallying a defensive tackle, a forced fumble, and eight special teams tackles.
KEVENS CLERCIUS | RECEIVER | WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
Kevins Clercius started in the 111th Grey Cup for the Blue Bombers and hauled in three passes for 24 yards (Jason Halstead/CFL.ca)
Kevens Clercius used the Combine to impress and was named Ferguson’s third star of the first day of padded practice. He also had the second-best broad jump (10′ 9 1/4″) of all participants.
“It is a really fast receiver group. He also added the power number with his bench and then when he hit the field today, he showed why he’s got the strongest grip of anybody in the entire combine,” said Ferguson about Clercius, who hit 15 repetitions on the bench press.
“He’s got super strong hands when they were doing the gauntlet. He stuck to the line as smooth as can be. I think his fundamentals are really good. His frame is really intriguing. And in a very talented receiver group I think he will be top three by the time that we leave this combine.”
The pass-catcher went on to be selected by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the second round of the CFL Draft (13th overall). Clercius suited up for meaningful reps in 2024 because of injuries to Winnipeg’s receiving corps and made the most of his opportunity. In 18 games, he hauled in 32 catches for 352 yards and a touchdown in the regular season.
