Over the course of 2025, 276 Canadians played college football south of the border for a four-year degree-granting institution at the FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III, or NAIA level.
For the seventh straight season, I’ve tracked each player all season long to assemble my annual list of All-Canadian selections, highlighting our country’s best and brightest before bowl season begins.
As always, the team has been selected based on the quality of a player’s performance throughout the year and is not to be treated as an evaluation of their pro prospects or objective talent. While the strength of competition is taken into consideration, excellent production at a lower level will be privileged over below-average play for a larger program.
For the sake of readability, the 2025 All-Canadian team will be presented in two parts. We’ll begin today with the defence; make sure to check back tomorrow when we unveil the offence.
Edge defender
First team: Akheem Mesidor, Redshirt Senior, University of Miami (Ottawa, Ont.)
If you were looking for a reason to care about this year’s College Football Playoff, look no further than Mesidor. After an outstanding collegiate career split between West Virginia and Miami, the six-foot-three, 265-pound wrecking ball saved his best for his final season, earning the fifth-highest PFF grade of any player at the position with a 92.1. Rushing almost exclusively from the outside alignments where he felt most comfortable, the Ottawa native formed the most dangerous tandem in the country with fellow edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., racking up 46 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and four forced fumbles. With 44 total pressures, a 19.2 percent pass rush win rate, and a first-team All-ACC selection to his credit, the Jon Cornish Trophy finalist could be selected as high as the first round in next year’s NFL Draft, but not before clashing with Texas A&M on December 20 in the hopes of keeping his national championship dream alive.
Wesley Bailey, Redshirt Senior, University of Louisville (Ottawa, Ont.)
There is a valid case to be made for Nuer Gatkuoth in this spot, who was named one of five finalists for the Jon Cornish Trophy, but Bailey took on a larger role with the Cardinals, produced more pressures, and received a slightly higher grade from Pro Football Focus. The six-foot-five, 265-pound transfer from Rutgers had a career year, notching 39 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and six sacks. He also boasted a 16 percent pass rush win rate, and his 43 pressures ranked in the top 25 at the FBS level. The third-rated player on the last CFL Scouting Bureau rankings, Bailey will face Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl on December 23 before turning pro.
Second team: Nuer Gatkuoth, Redshirt Junior, Wake Forest University (Edmonton, Alta.) | Kyler Laing, Redshirt Senior, Mercyhurst University [FCS] (Tallahassee, Fla.)
Third team: Evan Aubrey, Redshirt Freshman, Southeastern Louisiana University [FCS] (Orleans, Ont.) | Edwin Kolenge, Redshirt Junior, Boston College (Montreal, Que.)
Defensive interior
First team: Rene Konga, Redshirt Senior, University of Louisville (Ottawa, Ont.)
The second member of the Cardinals to crack this unit and the third Ottawa native on the defensive line alone, Konga was PFF’s 12th highest-rated interior defender in the FBS with an 81.2 overall grade. The six-foot-four, 300-pound defensive tackle was credited with 29 total tackles, five tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks, along with six batted passes. While those numbers don’t jump off the page, he earned the respect of his competition with a second-team All-ACC selection, thanks in part to his 25 total pressures and his impressive 13.7 percent pass rush win rate. No wonder the Rutgers transfer was the seventh-rated CFL prospect entering the season.
Junior Poyser, Redshirt Sophomore, University at Buffalo (Brampton, Ont.)
How good was Poyser for the Bulls this season? Well, for starters, his 16 percent pass rush win rate was the second-highest by an FBS defensive tackle. The six-foot-one, 310-pound defender had a breakout campaign, notching 31 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks to go along with 24 total pressures and a forced fumble. A third-team All-MAC selection, Poyser is a name to watch going forward, despite the fact that Buffalo failed to qualify for a bowl game this year.
Second team: Chris Dixon, Redshirt Junior, University of South Dakota [FCS] (Toronto, Ont.) | Natale Frangione, Redshirt Junior, Georgetown University [FCS] (Ottawa, Ont.)
Third team: Bryce Butler, Redshirt Junior, University of Washington [FCS] (Toronto, Ont.) | Nathan Carabatsakis, Redshirt Senior, Robert Morris University [FCS] (Winnipeg, Man.)
Linebacker
First team: Darius McKenzie, Redshirt Senior, University of South Alabama (Ottawa, Ont.)
Checking in at six-foot-two and 230 pounds, McKenzie was one of the most reliable tacklers in the NCAA this season, missing just 4.8 percent of his attempts. The result was 71 total tackles as one of the central figures on the Jaguars’ defence, adding four tackles for loss and one sack. The 18th-ranked prospect in the CFL Draft entering this season, McKenzie was credited with 27 defensive stops — plays which constitute a loss for the offence — according to PFF and earned an honourable mention All-Sun Belt selection despite South Alabama missing the postseason.
Antoine Deslauriers, Freshman, Syracuse University (Montreal, Que.)
It is not hyperbolic to suggest that Deslauriers is the next big Canadian football star. The six-foot-one, 235-pound linebacker was an instant impact performer in his first season with the Orange, earning true freshman All-American honours. He amassed 60 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and one sack, while forcing two fumbles and breaking up two passes. Even though Syracuse struggled this season, Deslauriers’ 27 defensive stops give them reason for hope, and he has already committed to returning in 2026.
Dariel Djabome, Senior, Rutgers University (Longeuil, Que.)Â
Considering he crossed the 100-tackle threshold in 2024, you can’t frame this season as anything other than a step back in production for Djabome. However, the honourable mention All-Big Ten selection is still impactful enough to merit a third linebacker spot on this team, especially since slim pickings in the secondary make a real flex spot untenable. The six-foot-two, 237-pound defender made 71 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and two forced fumbles, while being credited with 25 defensive stops. The 10th-ranked prospect in the 2026 CFL Draft is also highly regarded off the field, being named a semi-finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy as the NCAA’s top scholar-athlete.
Second team: Jefferson Bretanys-Desca, Junior, Wheeling University [D2] (Ottawa, Ont.) | Nicholas Ciriello, Senior, Geneva College [D3] (Port Colburne, Ont.) | Dillon Schobourgh, Redshirt Senior, Morehead State University [FCS] (Toronto, Ont.)
Third team: Dre Delinois, Junior, East Tennessee State University [FCS] (Chicoutimi, Que.) | Dillano Glaud, Redshirt Freshman, Liberty University (Winnipeg, Man.) | Keith Bourque, Redshirt Sophomore, Long Island University [FCS] (Varennes, Que.)
Cornerback
First team: Malcolm Bell, Redshirt Senior, Michigan State University (Montreal, Que.)
It was a rough season for the Spartans, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, but Bell was a rare bright spot at the cornerback position. The six-foot-two, 185-pound transfer from UConn allowed just 21 catches for 245 yards, earning a coverage grade of 84.3 from Pro Football Focus. The 12th-ranked prospect in the 2026 CFL Draft finished fifth on the team with 49 total tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, and six pass breakups while making 17 defensive stops — a sizeable amount given his position.
Noah St-Juste, Redshirt Sophomore, South Dakota State University [FCS] (Montreal, Que.)
The younger brother of NFL star Benjamin St-Juste plays primarily in the slot for the Jackrabbits, but with the lack of true cornerbacks to pick from this season, we’ll fudge the numbers to place him here. At five-foot-10 and 175 pounds, he notched 27 total tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble, and an interception to help South Dakota State reach the second round of the FCS playoffs. After allowing a passer rating against of just 79.6, the Montrealer is the only sub-FBS player to make this loaded first-team defence.
Second team:Â Ethan Yip, Redshirt Senior, College of William & Mary [FCS] (Surrey, B.C.) | Trae Tomlinson, Senior, University of Louisiana (Winnipeg, Man.)
Third team: Jalen Elibert-Fowlkes, Junior, Norwich University [D3] (Saint-Hubert, Que.) | Jeremiah Washington, Freshman, University of Richmond [FCS] (Hamilton, Ont.)
Safety
First team: Ty Benefield, Junior, Boise State University (Vancouver, B.C.)
In his three seasons with the Broncos, Benefield has yet to miss the cut for an All-Canadian team, though that is far from his most impressive accomplishment on the blue turf. A first-team All-Mountain West selection and the defensive MVP of the conference championship game, he racked up an impressive 100 total tackles — including 29 defensive stops — 8.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups, two interceptions, and a forced fumble. The two-time Cornish Trophy finalist has one game still to play, a clash with Washington in the LA Bowl this Saturday at 8:00 p.m. EST, before deciding whether he wants to declare early for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Jett Elad, Redshirt Senior, Rutgers University (Mississauga, Ont.)
It took legal action to make it happen, but Elad got himself a seventh season of post-secondary play and turned in an excellent campaign at the Power Four level. The six-foot, 202-pound safety edged out Djabome as the Scarlet Knights’ leading tackler, notching 80 total takedowns, three tackles for loss, two interceptions, a forced fumble, and a blocked kick. The transfer from UNLV was named honourable mention All-Big Ten despite a non-bowl season from Rutgers and is set to be a finalist for the Jon Cornish Trophy for a third consecutive season, leaving no doubt as to why he was the sixth-ranked prospect in the 2026 CFL Draft entering this season.
Second team: Shakespeare Louis, Redshirt Junior, Southeastern Louisiana University [FCS] (Ottawa, Ont.) | Jean-Christophe Vital Cloutier, Redshirt Sophomore, Mercyhurst University [FCS] (Saint-Hilaire, Que.)
Third team:Â Shane Keyes-Wilson, Freshman, University of Maine [FCS] (Toronto, Ont.) | Devynn Cromwell, Redshirt Senior, Michigan State University (Toronto, Ont.)
Punter/Kickoff specialist
First team: Ryan Harris, Redshirt Junior, Washington State University (Vancouver, B.C.)
The first of five special teams selections for this team, three of whom will be announced alongside the defence, Harris seized the starting punting job in his second season at Wazzou. The six-foot, 207-pound walk-on booted the ball 51 times, averaging 40.6 gross yards and 38.5 net yards while pinning 14 kicks inside the 20-yard line. What puts him over the top for inclusion on this team is his prowess as a kickoff specialist, where he averaged 65.4 yards on 57 attempts and generated a whopping 37 touchbacks. With him handling field position, the Cougars’ opponents started at the 25-yard line on average and managed just 5.9 yards per punt return — a factor which could prove critical in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against Utah State on Monday, December 22.
Second team: Anthony Venneri, Redshirt Junior, University of Central Florida (Hamilton, Ont.)
Third team: Thomas Simard, Junior, University of Maine [FCS] (Quebec City, Que.)
Long snapper
First team: Zach Darche, Junior, University of Pennsylvania [FCS] (Overland Park, Kan.)
Darche is Canadian by parentage, not by birth, but it is hard to overlook his potential as the next great CFL snapping prospect. The son of long-time NFLer J.P. Darche was money on 77 snaps this season, making four tackles down the field on special teams. The six-foot-one, 220-pound Canuck legacy also saw 105 snaps on defence, adding 12 tackles as a linebacker.
Second team: Braden Forscutt, Redshirt Freshman, University of North Alabama [FCS] (Winnipeg, Man.)
Third team: Keon Bernett, Sophomore, Pacific Lutheran University [D3] (White Rock, B.C.)
Special teams coverage
First team: Jason Briones, Redshirt Senior, Presbyterian College [FCS] (Toronto, Ont.)
Briones played a small role on the Blue Hose defence as a linebacker, finishing the season with 22 total tackles and an interception. However, the six-foot, 235-pound defender increased his chances of a CFL contract far more thanks to his impact on special teams, collecting seven tackles in that phase of the game. That should give scouts something to think about heading into the Combine circuit.
Second team: Aaron Arteaga, Redshirt Junior, University of Maine [FCS] (Courtice, Ont.)
Third team: Pierre Kemeni, Redshirt Senior, Ohio University (Milton, Ont.)
Honourable mentions: ED Gideon Bedada, R-SO, Bryant [FCS] (Calgary, Alta.) | ED Ebenezer Bedada, R-SR, Campbell [FCS] (Calgary, Alta.) | ED Ish Findlayter, R-SO, Duquesne [FCS] (Toronto, Ont.) | ED Nicolas Kalume, R-JR, Maine [FCS] (London, Ont.) | ED Carter Hooper, R-SR, South Dakota [FCS] (Toronto, Ont.) | ED Ben Yedid, SO, William [D3] (Montreal, Que.) | DI Olivier Camerlain, R-FR, Lafayette [FCS] (Saint-Lambert, Que.) | DI Aamarii Notice, R-SR, Coastal Carolina (Toronto, Ont.) | DI Cameron Michaud, R-SO, Bluefield State [D2] (Calgary, Alta.) | LB Rayden Aphayvong, R-JR, Stony Brook [FCS] (St. Thomas, Ont.) | LB Jhavaun Blake, R-SR, Gannon [D2] (Kelowna, B.C) | SAF Tremel States-Jones, R-JR, Rhode Island [FCS] (Surrey, B.C.) | SAF Josh Farquharson, R-SO, New Hampshire [FCS] (Brampton, Ont.)
