Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, a fourth-year medical student at McGill University, has been listed as the top-rated prospect for the 2014 CanadianFootball League Draft, in the September rankings released Wednesday by the league’s scouting bureau.
The 6-foot-5, 305-pound offensive lineman from St. Hilaire, Que., heads an impressive group of 13 CIS players to make the cut, including the top 11, with the two remaining spots going to members of the NCAA’s Simon Fraser Clan. Through two games this season, Duvernay-Tardif, who earned CIS all-Canadian honours in 2012, has helped guide McGill to a 1-1 record this season.
The last medical student from McGill to be drafted was Jean-Philippe Darche, a linebacker and long-snapper who was picked by Toronto in 1999. He played one season with the Argonauts before embarking on a nine-year career in the National Football League with Seattle and Kansas City.
Six of the top 15 currently play for teams in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec, with five players coming from the OUA, and one apiece from the Canada West and AUS conferences. Ten universities are represented in all, including four with multiple selections. Queen’s has three players listed, while Concordia, Laval and Simon Fraser have two apiece. The list includes four linebackers, four offensive linemen, three wide receivers, three defensive backs and one defensive lineman.
Rounding out the top five prospects for 2014 are St. Francis Xavier wide receiver Devon Bailey (No. 2), Montreal offensive lineman David Foucault (No. 3), Laval offensive lineman Pierre Lavertu (No. 4), Laval defensive back Adam Thibault (No. 5), Western linebacker Beau Landry (No. 6), Concordia linebacker Max Caron (No. 7), Queen’s defensive back Andrew Lue (No. 8), Queen’s linebacker Sam Sabourin (No. 9), Queen’s defensive lineman Derek Wiggan (No. 10), Concordia slotback Kris Bastien (No. 11), Saskatchewan wide receiver Kit Hillis (No. 13) and Windsor defensive back Josh Burns (No. 14).
Lavertu and Hillis joined Duvernay-Tardif as first-team all-Canadians in 2012, while Sabourin was voted to the second CIS squad. Caron claimed the Presidents’ Trophy in 2011 as the top defensive player in CIS.
Last season, University of Calgary defensive tackle Linden Gaydosh was ranked second, third and third on the three Scouting Bureau lists. In May, he became the seventh CIS player in as many years – and the 11th in the past 14 years – to be selected first overall in the CFL Draft when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats called his name at No. 1. first round.
The next CFL ranking will be published after the CIS season is over. The CFL’s Scouting Bureau is comprised of CFL scouts, player personnel directors and general managers from the league’s nine teams.
CFL SCOUTING BUREAU September 2014 Ranking List:
- Laurent Duvernay-Tardif OL McGill
- Devon Bailey WR St. Francis Xavier
- David Foucault OL Montreal
- Pierre Lavertu OL Laval
- Adam Thibault DB Laval
- Beau Landry LB Western
- Max Caron LB Concordia
- Andrew Lue DB Queen’s
- Sam Sabourin LB Queen’s
- Derek Wiggan DL Queen’s
- Kris Bastien WR Concordia
- Casey Chin LB Simon Fraser
- Kit Hillis WR Saskatchewan
- Josh Burns DB Windsor
- Matthias Goossen OL Simon Fraser