FB: 19 Canada West stars selected in 2025 CFL Draft

April 30, 2025 – It was an evening to remember for 19 Canada West student-athletes who realized the dream of hearing their name called in the 2025 Canadian Football League Draft last night.

In a conference known for tremendous parity, it came as no surprise that each Canada West program had at least one selection in the draft.

UBC and Alberta led the way with five selections each, including a combined six total selections across Rounds 3 and 4. Calgary and Saskatchewan each had a trio of selections, while a pair of Manitoba Bisons were selected back-to-back in the seventh round. Connor Klassen was Regina's lone selection, as the OL went 37th overall to the B.C. Lions.

Calgary's Nate Beauchemin was the first CW selection off the board, taken 14th overall by Montreal. The defensive back saw his draft stock rise after a tremendous season for the Dinos where he was recognized with the Presidents' Award, given to the top Defensive Player in U SPORTS football that is not a defensive lineman. ​

Two Dinos defensive backs were also taken in the sixth round, with Gideon Agyei selected 52nd overall to Saskatchewan and Ethan Ball going 54th to Winnipeg.

A trio of UBC Thunderbirds were taken in quick succession in the third round. OL Arvin Hosseini went 21st overall to Hamilton, before the Edmonton Elks snapped up FB Skyler Griffith 22nd overall and RB Isaiah Knight at 24th overall. They were later joined in the draft by teammates Gavin Coakes, who went to Toronto in the fourth round, and Ronan Horrall, taken by Hamilton in the sixth round.

Mack Bannatyne was the first Alberta Golden Bear taken, going 28th overall to Hamilton. The defensive back had an impressive season for the green and gold, and also recently wowed scouts with a blistering 4.54 forty-yard dash at the CFL Combine. Joining Bannatyne were teammates Ty Anderson (36th overall, Hamilton), Chase Tataryn (50th overall, B.C.), Kolby Hurford (58th overall, Edmonton) and Iwinosa Uwubanmwen (71th overall, Winnipeg).

Seth Hundeby was the first Saskatchewan Huskie selected, as the linebacker went 34th overall to Saskatchewan. The Roughriders turned to the Huskies again with their 69th overall selection, picking up dynamic receiver Daniel Wiebe.

The Huskies also had a selection on the other side of the Banjo Bowl, with Winnipeg selecting LB Lane Novak at 45th overall.

Manitoba Bisons supporters had a pair of selections to cheer, as OL Matthew Stokman and DB Jackson Nitychoruk went back-to-back at 56 and 57 to Calgary and Hamilton, respectively.

Canadian university talent was on full display throughout the draft, with 49 U SPORTS standouts selected out of 72 total picks (68%) over eight rounds. Canada West had the second most selections among the four U SPORTS conferences. The OUA led the way with 22 selections, followed by Canada West with 19, and the RSEQ with 8.

Which CFL teams drafted the most CW talent?

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats turned to CW talent for five of their selections, the most of all CFL clubs. Edmonton, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg each picked up three CW athletes, while BC selected a pair. Calgary, Montreal and Toronto each had one CW pick.

All eyes now look forward to the 2025 Canada West football season, with the schedule set to be released later in May.

CW PLAYERS SELECTED IN THE 2025 CFL DRAFT

About Canada West

As the leading university athletic conference in the country, Canada West is home to student-athletes that excel in the classroom and their communities. The conference is comprised of 17 member institutions spanning from Victoria to Winnipeg, with over 3,200 student-athletes competing across 14 sports. Canada West’s mission is to train leaders and build champions by providing leadership in the delivery, regulation, and promotion of university level high performance sports programs throughout western Canada.