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Big UBC lineman from Lower Mainland catching the eyes of CFL scouts

Theo Benedet top-ranked Canadian university player on CFL winter scouting list
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Theo Benedet wins the J.P. Metras Trophy at the 2023 USports Football Awards in Kingston, Ont., on Thursday, November 23, 2023. The towering six-foot-seven, 305-pound offensive lineman from the University of British Columbia moved up one spot to No. 2 on the CFL Scouting BureauB次元官网网址檚 winter edition of the top-20 prospects for the 2024 draft. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Reuben Polansky-Shapiro

ItB次元官网网址檚 always good to have options, and Theo Benedet certainly does regarding a pro football career.

The towering six-foot-seven, 305-pound offensive lineman from the University of British Columbia moved up one spot to No. 2 on the CFL Scouting BureauB次元官网网址檚 winter edition of the top-20 prospects for the 2024 draft. Isaiah Adams, an offensive lineman at Illinois, tops the list after standing fifth in September.

The CFL released its winter list Thursday.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 pretty cool,B次元官网网址 Benedet said. B次元官网网址淥bviously thereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of great players on this list whose careers IB次元官网网址檝e kind of followed as IB次元官网网址檝e progressed through the ranks.

B次元官网网址淛ust being a CFL fan growing up, to see my name on any list that has to do with the league is pretty cool.B次元官网网址

Benedet, of North Vancouver, B.C., enjoyed another stellar season at UBC, capturing the J.P. Metras Trophy as Canadian universityB次元官网网址檚 fooballB次元官网网址檚 top down lineman for a second straight year. He became the first offensive lineman to do so and just the third player overall while also securing All-Canadian honours for a second consecutive campaign.

Benedet has been a starter at UBC since his rookie campaign in 2019. Last year, he helped the Thunderbirds make their first Vanier Cup appearance since 2015.

But BenedetB次元官网网址檚 play hasnB次元官网网址檛 gone unnoticed south of the border. He participated recently in the College Gridiron Showcase after playing in the B次元官网网址23 East-West Shrine Bowl.

That could help earn Benedet an NFL opportunity, either as draftee or undrafted free agent. The NFL draft will be held April 25-27 in Detroit.

The date for the CFL draft hasnB次元官网网址檛 yet been announced but it usually follows the NFLB次元官网网址檚.

B次元官网网址淭o have interest on both sides of the border is perfect at this point,B次元官网网址 he said. B次元官网网址淣o matter what happens I know IB次元官网网址檒l have a place to play football next year and thatB次元官网网址檚 really all I want.B次元官网网址

For Benedet, having a shot at a pro career outweighs where it might come.

B次元官网网址淭hat is whatB次元官网网址檚 most important,B次元官网网址 he said. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 some financial incentives to going down south but other than that, not really.B次元官网网址

Rounding out the top-10 are: Penn State tight end Theo Johnson (Windsor, Ont.); Arizona tight end Tanner McLachlan (Lethbridge, Alta.); Boston College offensive lineman Kyle Hergel (Toronto); Buffalo offensive lineman Gabe Wallace (Salmon Arm, B.C.); Memphis linebacker Geoff Cantin-Arkou (Levis, Que.); Howard offensive lineman Anim Dankwah (Toronto); British Columbia offensive lineman Giovanni Manu (Pitt Meadows, B.C.); and Arkansas State linebacker Melique Straker (Brampton, Ont.).

Quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who topped the fall list, wasnB次元官网网址檛 included on this one after transferring to Indiana, where he will play this fall.

Nine of the winter list prospects are offensive lineman, with 15 of the 20 players having played in the NCAA. Benedet and Manu were the lone Canadian university players among the first 10 prospects.

Last year, Benedet and Manu anchored a UBC offensive line that allowed just 15 sacks while paving the way for a ground game that averaged 6.8 yards per rush attempt.

The six-foot-five, 320-pound Adams, of Ajax, Ont., has started 25 games over his two seasons as Illinois. Adams, who began his college career at Wilfrid Laurier, served as a team captain in 2023 and was an All-Big Ten Honourable Mention (coaches and media) and Academic All-Big Ten selection.

Adams, Johnson and McLachlan were all invited to the ReeseB次元官网网址檚 Senior Bowl, although McLachlan wonB次元官网网址檛 participate due to injury.

The six-foot-six, 264-pound Johnson had 34 catches for 341 yards and seven touchdowns last season, all career highs, to secure an honourable mention All-Big Ten selection. Johnson appeared in 45 games over four seasons at Penn State B次元官网网址 playing as a true freshman B次元官网网址 registering 77 receptions for 938 yards and 12 touchdowns.

McLachlan, a six-foot-five, 245-pound native of Lethbridge, Alta., was ArizonaB次元官网网址檚 third-leading receiver last season with 45 catches for 528 yards and four touchdowns, earning AP Second-Team All-Pac 12 and All-Pac 12 honourable mention. He spent two seasons with the Wildcats after starting his college career at Southern Utah and finished with 79 career receptions, the most by a tight end at the school passing former NFL standout Rob Gronkowski (75 catches).

Hergel appeared in 13 games last season for Boston College after serving as a four-year starter at both North Dakota and Texas State. The six-foot-two, 315-pound Toronto native was an All-ACC honourable mention after allowing no sacks and just two quarterback hits in 402 dropbacks. Pro Football Focus gave Hergel a school-best blocking grade of 86.6.

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