The 2025-26 College Football Playoff bracket has been announced, and five Canadians will have a chance to win an NCAA national championship.
The competition's biggest star from north of the border is defensive lineman Achim Mesidor of the University of Miami. The redshirt senior from Ottawa, Ont., was a force to be reckoned with for the Hurricanes, making 46 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, seven sacks and four forced fumbles in 11 games to be named to the All-ACC First Team.
The six-foot-three, 265-pound pass rusher began his collegiate career at West Virginia in 2020 before transferring to Miami in 2022. In 61 collegiate games between the two programs, he collected a total of 191 tackles, 47 tackles for loss, 30 sacks, five forced fumbles and four passes deflected. He is expected to be selected high in the 2026 NFL Draft and was ranked as the No. 18 overall prospect and the second-best player behind teammate Reuben Bane Jr. on Mel Kiper's latest big board for ESPN.
Miami sneaked into the playoffs with a 10-2 record after missing the committee's rankings last week. They are ranked No. 10 and will face seventh-seeded Texas A&M on Saturday, December 20 at 12:00 pm EST. The Hurricanes added a second Canadian starter, sophomore offensive lineman Nino Francavilla from Toronto, Ont., who suited up for two games and took two snaps on the team's field goal kicking team.
The University of Alabama finished ninth despite losing the SEC championship to Georgia. Sophomore defensive lineman Steve Bolo Mboumua of Saint-Augustin-des-Demorts, Que., played in three games for the Crimson Tide during their stint, logging 24 snaps on defense. He will face eighth-ranked Oklahoma on Friday, December 19th at 8:00 pm EST.
Moving up the standings, the University of Mississippi finished sixth despite the recent high-profile departure of their head coach, Lane Kiffin. Freshman running back Shekai Mills-Knight of Montreal, Que., appeared in three games for the Rebels, rushing eight times for 25 yards. Ole Miss will face 11th ranked Tulane on Saturday, December 20 at 3:30 pm EST.
Ohio State University finished as the No. 2 seed after losing to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship and will have a first-round bye. Redshirt freshman Maxence Leblanc of Saint-Bruno, Que., is a member of the team but has not played a single game this season. The Buckeyes will attempt to defend their national title from last season starting in the Cotton Bowl on Wednesday, December 31st at 7:30 pm EST.
Other schools making the College Football Playoff without Canadian ties include James Madison, Oregon, Texas Tech, Indiana and Georgia.
Just 10 Canadians have won an NCAA national title since college football's final championship at the FBS level was held in 1998. LeBlanc and punter Anthony Venneri accomplished the feat for Ohio State last season, although neither played a game. Defensive lineman Alessandro Lorenzetti won with Michigan in 2024, and wide receiver John Metchie III helped Alabama win in 2020.
Before Metchie, no Canadian had won since LSU forward Peter Diakowski in 2003. He led the Canadians' three-year streak of winning the BCS national championship trophy, following Ohio State guard Mike Roberts in 2002. Four players from north of the border were on the legendary 2001 Miami Hurricanes team, including offensive linemen Sherko Haji-Rasouli, Joe McGrath and Brett. Romberg, as well as defensive lineman Miguel Robede.
