The next great Canadian running back is here, but you probably don't know his name.
The fact that Antwan Raymond remains a relatively unknown figure in his home country is unfortunately not surprising. Time and time again, the numbers have proven that very few families north of the border turn on their televisions every Saturday to watch college football. Even fewer people go out of their way to tune in to watch the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, a program long mired in mediocrity.
Those who participated in this season were given a compelling opportunity to see the future of Canadian talent at the professional level. Two leading players in team selection, security Jett Elad and midfielder Dariel Jabome hail from Mississauga, Ontario, and Longueuil, Quebec, respectively. A pair of Montrealers, Jibril Abdu Rahman and Farell Nyago, play rotational roles in the defensive line. But none of those players can match what Raymond was able to accomplish offensively.
The five-foot-11, 205-pound defensive back is the latest in a line of Canadian ball carriers to top the 1,000-yard mark at the highest level of NCAA competition, amassing 1,052 yards and 12 touchdowns on 215 carries in 11 games. That ranks him 15th in the country heading into the final week of the regular season, within a stone's throw of top 2026 NFL Draft prospects like Notre Dame's Jeremiah Love.
The Montreal, Quebec native has been a key cog in Rutgers' entire offense, scoring in nine different games this season. He rushed for 161 yards and two touchdowns at Minnesota in late September and then totaled 178 all-purpose yards (89 rushing, 89 receiving) the following week. His best moment came on Nov. 8 against Maryland when he rushed for 240 yards on the ground.
Canadian sophomore Antoine Raymond doesn't skip leg day.
The pride of Montreal is listed at 205 pounds, but trucks like him weigh 235 pounds—with patience in the backfield. Rutgers' all-time RB bulldozed 240 yards (153 YAC) in a workhorse 41-CARRY Saturday W over Maryland.
🎥 @RutgersOnBTN pic.twitter.com/3hqAyp0Lmb
— Alex McComb (@alexmmccomb) November 11, 2025
With the CFL playoffs at the top of the list and the NFL season in full swing, this performance was unlikely to resonate in the Canadian media. Following on from recent homegrown sensations such as Chuba Hubbard and Chase Brown, both of whom have since gone on to successful NFL careers.the concept no longer seems unique or noteworthy. However, Raymond remains in many ways an anomaly, one of only two Canadians to play the position at the FBS level, and his ceiling may be higher than any of the big names that came before him.
After graduating from high school at Clearwater Academy International in Florida, Raymond instantly became a true recruit for Rutgers in 2024, rushing for 457 yards and eight touchdowns as the backup to future Chicago Bears draft pick Kyle Monangai. His current accomplishments come in just his second season of playing, much earlier than most players.
Hubbard didn't break the 1,000-yard mark until his third year at Oklahoma State, a now-infamous campaign. who saw him receive votes for the Heisman Trophy. Brown was in his fourth college season when he did the same for the first time at the University of Illinois in 2021. Raymond has already surpassed this season's total and matched Brown's total. The record for total career touchdowns will be set next year..
The former four-star prospect did it all without much help. His 757 yards after contact rank eighth in college football, and his 62 missed tackles are tied for sixth, according to Pro Football Focus. This resulted in 69 first downs on the ground, the fourth-highest total in the country. This earned him recognition as one of the 10 semi-finalists in the competition. Doak Walker Award as NCAA Runner of the Year.
After last week's lopsided loss to Ohio State, in which Raymond's 52-yard dash accounted for more than a third of the team's scoring total, Rutgers' season hangs in the balance. They will need a win over Penn State on Saturday, November 29th at 3:30 pm EST to move to 6-6 on the year and qualify for a bowl game, although even then that may not be guaranteed. There's nothing about this game that makes this game compelling, but Canadian soccer fans should tune in to see a player whose presence in the national discourse should only grow over the next 18 months.
Despite incredible defensive seasons from players like Miami's Achim Mesidor, Wake Forest's Nuer Gatkuoth and Boise State's Ty Benefield, Raymond is likely to win. John Cornish Trophy as the best Canadian player in the NCAA. Due to his age, he will have to return to school for at least one more season before declaring for the NFL Draft.
With his short burst, impressive contact balance and relentless running style, the high marks set by Hubbard and Brown are little more than suggestions of what Canada's new rushing king might be capable of.
