FB: CW talent shines with 18 selections in 2024 CFL Draft

May 1, 2024 – It was an evening of celebration for 18 Canada West student-athletes who heard their name called in last night's Canadian Football League Draft.

All six Canada West programs were represented on the 2024 draft board, led by the UBC Thunderbirds with a whopping seven selections. The T-Birds tied Laval for the most total selections from a U SPORTS program.

Out of 74 total picks, U SPORTS programs accounted for 47 selections (64%). At the conference level, Canada West led the way with 18 selections, followed by the RSEQ with 14.

University of Saskatchewan linebacker Nick Wiebe was the first CW selection off the board, taken in the second round by the Saskatchewan Roughriders at 12th overall.

Wiebe suited up for three seasons (2021-23) with the Huskies after spending three years with the Oregon Ducks. His standout 2023 season earned him a Canada West All-Star distinction and the 2023 USask Kent Phillips trophy, which is awarded to the most outstanding male athlete.

Wiebe's selection was followed by a run of three UBC draftees in the second round, including OL Theo Benedet, TE Bradley Hladik, and DL Kyle Samson.

A great week for Benedet continued as he was selected 15th overall by his hometown BC Lions. The pride of North Vancouver’s Handsworth Secondary helped the T-Birds claim the 2023 Hardy Cup and he was the first offensive player to win the J.P. Metras Trophy as Canada’s top lineman in back-to-back years. Following last weekend’s NFL Draft, Benedet signed a free agent deal with the Chicago Bears. ​

Hladik then went 18th overall to the Edmonton Elks. The versatile Vernon, B.C. product follows in the footsteps of his big brother Ben, a former Thunderbird who was selected 22nd overall in the 2021 CFL Draft and has now played 50 career games with the BC Lions.

Samson closed out the second round by going 20th overall to Winnipeg. The two-time U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian promises to add to the Blue Bomber's impressive depth at defensive tackle.

All six CW programs represented

While UBC stole the headlines with seven selections, all six CW programs had at least one selection in this year's draft.

The Alberta Golden Bears featured four draftees, including 2023 CW Football Player of the Year Matthew Peterson going 36th overall to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The Saskatchewan Huskies had a trio of selections, the Regina Rams had a pair, while the Calgary Dinos and Manitoba Bisons each had one draftee.

Hamilton was the CFL team who made the most Canada West selections, drafting five CW student-athletes. Toronto (4), Winnipeg (3), Calgary (2) and Saskatchewan (2) each made multiple CW selections, while Edmonton and BC each had one.

All eyes now look forward to the 2024 Canada West football season, with the schedule set to be released tomorrow morning.

CW PLAYERS SELECTED IN THE 2024 CFL DRAFT

Position / Overall Draft Position / University / CFL Team

ROUND 2 (4)

LB / 12 / Nick Wiebe / Saskatchewan Huskies / Saskatchewan Roughriders

OL / 15 / Theo Benedet / UBC Thunderbirds / BC Lions

TE / 18 / Bradley Hladik / UBC Thunderbirds / Edmonton Elks

DL / 20 / Kyle Samson / UBC Thunderbirds / Winnipeg Blue Bombers

ROUND 3 (3)

OL / 25 / John Bosse / Calgary Dinos / Toronto Argonauts

DB / 27 / Tyshon Blackburn / Alberta Golden Bears / Toronto Argonauts

DL / 28 / George Idoko / Saskatchewan Huskies / Calgary Stampeders

ROUND 4 (1)

RB / 36 / Matthew Peterson / Alberta Golden Bears / Hamilton Tiger-Cats

ROUND 5 (3)

DB / 39 / Jerrell Cummings / UBC Thunderbirds / Toronto Argonauts

LB / 43 / Ryan Baker / UBC Thunderbirds / Hamilton Tiger-Cats

OL / 46 / Giovanni Manu / UBC Thunderbirds / Winnipeg Blue Bombers

ROUND 6 (3)

WR / 50 / D'Sean Mimbs / Regina Rams / Saskatchewan Roughriders

DB / 52 / Jonathan Giustini / Alberta Golden Bears / Hamilton Tiger-Cats

WR / 55 / AK Gassama / Manitoba Bisons / Winnipeg Blue Bombers

ROUND 7 (2)

DB / 60 / Jackson Sombach / Regina Rams / Calgary Stampeders

OL / 61 / John Kourtis / Saskatchewan Huskies / Hamilton Tiger-Cats

ROUND 8 (2)

LB / 70 / Mitchell Townsend / UBC Thunderbirds / Hamilton Tiger-Cats

OL / 72 / Daniel Shin / Alberta Golden Bears / Toronto Argonauts

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.