Indiana Athletics
TORONTO — Canadian quarterback Kurtis Rourke has been selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the 227 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft on Saturday.
The Oakville, Ontario native finished his college career with the University of Indiana, leading the team to an 11-1 record and a College Football Playoffs appearance.
Rourke is the first Canadian born-and-raised quarterback to be selected in the NFL Draft since Jesse Palmer in 2001, according to TSN’s Dave Naylor.
2025 CFL Draft
» Mock Draft 2.0: Who will Calgary take first overall?
» Top 3 CFL Draft priorities for each team
» Best fits for Canadian QBs in the CFL Draft
» Who should Calgary take with the first pick in the CFL Draft?
» Subscribe to the CFL’s official YouTube channel
» Subscribe to the CFL’s newsletter for exclusive offers and league updates
Kurtis Rourke becomes the first Canadian born-and-raised QB selected in the @NFL Draft since Jesse Palmer, 24 years ago.#NFL #TSN
— Dave Naylor (@TSNDaveNaylor) April 26, 2025
The pivot transferred to Indiana from Ohio University a year ago, earning the starting position with the Hoosiers and leading them to their first-ever 11-win season.
Rourke is projected by CFL.ca’s Marshall Ferguson to be selected in the second round of the 2025 CFL Draft on April 29. Rourke was ranked No. 1 on the winter edition of the CFL’s Scouting Bureau and now will wait to hear his name called on Tuesday.
CFL teams will certainly factor Rourke’s NFL Draft selection into their decision-making but a talent of his calibre will still be worth investing a pick on. His skillset, combined with the possibility he could return north at some point in his career, makes him a compelling long-term pick in this year’s draft.
