Miami defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor has remained the No. 1 prospect in the 2026 CFL Draft, according to the league’s scouting bureau.
The 24-year-old was a dominant force for the Hurricanes in 2025, recording 63 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles over 15 games. The six-foot-three, 280-pound defender made two sacks in the recent National Championship game against Indiana and was named first-team All-ACC.
The native of Ottawa, Ont. was previously named All-ACC honourable mention in 2022 and 2024, as well as an All-Big 12 honourable mention at West Virginia in 2021. Given that he’s expected to be a late-first round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, it’s unlikely that Mesidor will ever play in the CFL.
The rest of the rankings are as follows. The first edition of the rankings, which was released in the summer, is in brackets to illustrate how players have moved up or down the list.
1 (1) | Akheem Mesidor | DL | Miami | Ottawa
2 (2) | Logan Taylor | OL | Boston College | Lunenburg, N.S.
3 (5) | Albert Reese IV | OL | Mississippi State | Edmonton
4 (7) | Rene Konga | DL | Louisville | Ottawa
5 (3) | Wesley Bailey | DL | Louisville | Ottawa
6 (6) | Jett Elad | DB | Rutgers | Mississauga, Ont.
7 (10) | Dariel Djabome | LB | Rutgers | Longueuil, Que.
8 (–) | Nuer Gatkuoth | DL | Wake Forest | Edmonton
9 (12) | Malcolm Bell | DB | Michigan State | Montreal
10 (16) | Rohan Jones | TE | Arkansas | Montreal
11 (4) | Nick Cenacle | WR | Hawaii | Montreal
12 (13) | Darius Bell | OL | East Carolina | Hamilton, Ont.
13 (18) | Darius McKenzie | LB | South Alabama | Ottawa
14 (8) | Devynn Cromwell | DB | Michigan State | Toronto
15 (–) | Jonathan Denis | OL | Louisiana Tech | Homestead, Fla.
16 (19) | Aamarii Notice | DL | Coastal Carolina | Toronto
17 (9) | Nolan Ulm | WR | Eastern Washington | Kelowna, B.C.
18 (–) | Nate DeMontagnac | WR | North Dakota | Mississauga, Ont.
19 (11) | Giordano Vaccaro | OL | Purdue | Winnipeg
20 (–) | Émeric Boutin | FB | Laval | L’Assomption, Que.
There is now one U Sports prospect on the rankings, which wasn’t the case back in August, as Laval fullback Émeric Boutin has filled the No. 20 spot. The six-foot-three, 230-pounder was a two-time RSEQ all-star and one-time first-team U Sports All-Canadian with the Rouge et Or. The L’Assomption, Que. native’s best season came in 2024 when he made 15 receptions for 291 yards and two touchdowns.
Two of the ranked NCAA prospects previously played in the U Sports ranks, including Michigan State defensive back Devynn Cromwell, who played three seasons at the University of Guelph, and Purdue offensive lineman Giordano Vaccaro, who spent three years at the University of Manitoba.
Taylor, the second-ranked prospect, made 12 starts along the offensive line at Boston College in 2025, including eight at right guard. The native of Lunenburg, N.S. served as a team captain and was named second-team All-ACC. He was also named honourable mention All-ACC in 2023 and 2024.
Reese IV made nine starts at Mississippi State in 2025, earning the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week award after an early-season performance against Arizona State. The six-foot-seven, 330-pound native of Edmonton, Alta. made 22 starts over 49 games with the Bulldogs, earning the Kent Hull Trophy in 2024 as best offensive lineman in Mississippi.
Konga made 29 total tackles, five tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and six pass knockdowns over 12 games in 2025, earning a second-team All-ACC selection at Louisville. The six-foot-four, 300-pound native of Ottawa, Ont. finished his collegiate career with 63 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and five sacks over 44 games.
Bailey made 39 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, six sacks, and five quarterback hurries over 12 games at Louisville in 2025. The six-foot-five, 265-pound native of Ottawa, Ont. finished his collegiate career with 110 total tackles, 21 tackles for loss, and 15.5 sacks over 48 games at Rutger and Louisville.
