TORONTO — LSU safety Ty Benefield sits atop the Preseason edition of the Canadian Football League (CFL) Scouting Bureau. The former Boise State Bronco transferred to LSU following the 2025 season.
Montreal native Jordan Lessard (No. 7) spent three years developing at Laval University and Winnipeg’s Dolapo Egunjobi (No. 8) played one season with the Manitoba Bisons.
The CFL Scouting Bureau, comprising CFL scouts, as well as player personnel directors and general managers from the league’s nine clubs, releases its rankings three times each year, with the cycle beginning in the fall to coincide with the opening of the collegiate season, in winter ahead of prospects’ postseason, and a final ranking in the spring following CFL Combine Season.
CFL SCOUTING BUREAU: PRESEASON EDITION
Rank | Name | POS | School | Hometown
- | Ty Benefield | DB | LSU | Altadena, Calif.
- | Bryce Butler | DL | Texas Tech | Toronto
- | Nick Osho | RB | North Texas | Burnaby, B.C.
- | Edwin Kolenge | DL | Vanderbilt | Montreal
- | Nicolas Cruji | OL | Charlotte | Toronto
- | Nicolas Kalume | DL | Arkansas State | London, Ont.
- | Jordan Lessard | DB | Colorado State | Montreal
- | Dolapo Egunjobi | OL | UT Martin | Winnipeg
- | Chris Dixon | DL | South Dakota | Toronto
- | Leif Magnuson | OL | Cal Poly | Saskatoon
- | Isaiah Hastings | DL | Syracuse | Toronto
- | Nolan Latulippe | OL | Cincinnati | Aylmer, Que.
- | Elijah St. John | DL | Purdue | Ottawa
- | Dre Delinois | LB | East Tennessee State | Chicoutimi, Que.
- | Gideon Bedada | DL | Bryant | Calgary
- | Mateo Lucero | OL | Tennessee Tech | Brampton, Ont.
- | Ryan Hughes | WR | Wilfrid Laurier | Mississauga, Ont.
- | B.J. Barrow | RB | Rhode Island | Etobicoke, Ont.
- | Ebenezer Bedada | DL | Campbell | Calgary
- | Xavier Gaillardetz | WR | East Tennessee State | Trois-Rivières, Que.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
- Jessie Wilkins-Flaricee | LB | Wilfrid Laurier | Windsor, Ont.
- Sean Rowe | OL | Manitoba | Winnipeg
- Callum Wither | QB | Kentucky | Toronto
- Josh Fillion | WR | New Hampshire | Quebec City
- Mateo Tuioti | TE | Queen’s | Chilliwack, B.C.
TOP-20 BY THE NUMBERS
- The preseason rankings include:
- Eight defensive linemen
- Five offensive linemen
- Two defensive backs
- Two running backs
- Two wide receivers
- One linebacker
- 19 schools are represented in the rankings. East Tennessee State features two players: No. 14 Dre Delinois and No. 20 Xavier Gaillardetz.
- Four of the nine first-round selections in the 2026 CFL Canadian Draft were listed in the 2025 CFL Scouting Bureau: Fall edition.
TOP-5 NEED TO KNOW
NO. 1 | TY BENEFIELD | DB | LSU | ALTADENA, CALIF.
- First season at LSU after three with Boise State
- 2025: Started all 14 games. 107 tackles (70 solo, 37 assisted), 8.5 tackles for a loss, four pass breakups, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery
- Career: 41games (33 starts). 252 tackles (162 solo, 73 assisted), 18 tackles for a loss, three sacks, five interceptions and 12 pass breakups
- First Team All-Mountain West at safety (2025)
- Academic All-Mountain West (2024 and 2023)
- Shrine Bowl 1,000 List
- Father, Daved Benefield, played 13 seasons in the CFL
NO. 2 | BRYCE BUTLER | DL | TEXAS TECH | TORONTO
- First season at Texas Tech after two with Washington and two with Garden City Community College
- 2025: 12 games (one start). 19 tackles (12 solo, seven assisted), 2.5 tackles for a loss, two sacks and one fumble recovery
- Shrine Bowl 1,000 List
NO. 3 | NICK OSHO | RB | NORTH TEXAS | BURNABY, B.C.
- First season at North Texas
- 2025 (Indiana State): 12 games (eight starts). 685 rushing yards on 119 carries (5.8 yards per carry), eight touchdowns. Ten receptions for 42 yards and a major
- 2023-24 (Reedley College): Ten games. 593 rushing yards (4.9 yards per carry) and four touchdowns
NO. 4 | EDWIN KOLENGE | DL | VANDERBILT | MONTREAL
- First season at Vanderbilt after four with Boston College
- 2025: 12 games (ten starts) at defensive end. 31 tackles (17 solo, 14 assisted) and one sack
- Career: 36 games (ten starts), 50 tackles (26 solo, 24 assisted), three sacks, one forced fumble and one blocked kick
NO. 5 | NICOLAS CRUJI | OL | CHARLOTTE | TORONTO
- First season at Charlotte after four with Maine
- 2025: Individually did not allow a sack – one of 10 FCS centres with 400+ pass-block snaps to manage the feat
- Career: 38 games (24 starts). 2,400+ snaps
- Team Offensive Rookie of the Year (2023)
