Photo courtesy: Purdue Athletics.
The Ottawa Redblacks selected offensive lineman Giordano Vaccaro No. 1 overall in the 2026 Canadian Draft.
The Winnipeg native accepted a scholarship offer from Purdue University, a Power Four NCAA program in the Big Ten Conference leading into the 2025 campaign. He began the season in a depth role and never got the chance to start as the Boilermakers suffered only one injury along the offensive line all season.
In the team’s season-ending matchup against rival Indiana University, Purdue gave Vaccaro some reps at guard. He held his own against the eventual College Football playoff national champions, boosting his confidence heading into the offseason.
Vaccaro had a standout 2024 U Sports year with the University of Manitoba. The Bisons finished atop the Canada West standings for the first time in almost 20 years. He won the J.P. Metras Trophy as the top lineman in the country. Manitoba’s offensive line was dominant, helping the team finish first in U Sports with over 250 rushing yards per game.
The six-foot-two, 307-pound blocker was an immediate standout with the Bisons. He started at left tackle as a true freshman, becoming the first player to do so during head coach Brian Dobie’s long tenure with the program. After Sean Rowe committed to the program for 2023, however, Vaccaro was moved inside.
The biggest change that resulted from Vaccaro’s stint at Purdue was his body composition. He looks noticeably leaner than he was at Manitoba but has clearly added muscle, evidenced by recording 28 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press at his pro day in March.
Ottawa was the CFL’s most active team in 2026 free agency, adding quarterback Jake Maier, running back Greg Bell, offensive lineman Martez Ivey, defensive lineman Habakkuk Baldonado, linebacker A.J. Allen, strong-side linebacker C.J. Reavis, and defensive back Demerio Houston. The team also had a few key departures, including quarterback Dustin Crum (Montreal Alouettes), strong-side linebacker Adarius Pickett (Toronto Argonauts), and return specialist DeVonte Dedmon (Montreal Alouettes).
All CFL training camps are scheduled to open on Sunday, May 10. The Redblacks will play the team’s first preseason game against the Montreal Alouettes on Friday, May 22, and first regular-season game against the Edmonton Elks on Saturday, June 6.
In 2025, Ottawa finished fourth in the East Division standings with a 4-14 record, missing the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Ryan Dinwiddie was hired as the team’s head coach and general manager after firing Bob Dyce.
