Julien-Grant ranked 9th on CFL Top 20 prospect list heading into draft

Julien-Grant ranked 9th on CFL Top 20 prospect list heading into draft

X-Men receiver/returner Kaion Julien-Grant is ranked ninth on the CFL Top 20 prospect list for the upcoming draft. He moved up four positions after being ranked 13th in December. A three-time U SPORTS first team all-Canadian and the MVP of the AUS conference this past season with the AUS champion X-Men, Julien-Grant is coming off an impressive appearance at the recent CFL national combine. He is one of 11 U SPORTS athletes on the Top 20 list and is the only one from the AUS conference. The 2019 CFL amateur draft will take place on May 2nd. 

CFL Scouting Bureau:
Laval's Betts headlines 11 U SPORTS standouts on final Top 20 prospect list for 2019 Draft

TORONTO (U SPORTS) – Mathieu Betts, a defensive end from the Laval Rouge et Or, is the top-ranked player on the final prospect list released Friday by the Canadian Football League's Scouting Bureau in advance of the 2019 Draft.

It's the first time a U SPORTS product has been ranked No.1 heading into the draft since Manitoba's David Onyemata – who has played the last three seasons with the NFL's New Orleans Saints – topped the final rankings in 2016.

Betts, ranked No.2 on the first list released in August before moving up to No.1 on the second list in December, was named the nation's top down lineman for the third consecutive season. He became the first player in history to claim the J.P. Metras Trophy three times and the first to win four major U SPORTS awards during his career, after being named Rookie of the Year in 2015.

With nine sacks in only six regular season games this fall, Betts dominated the RSEQ in that category for the fourth time in as many years and set a Quebec conference record with 35.5 career sacks. Unsurprisingly, his nine sacks and 14 tackles for losses, both U SPORTS highs, earned him a spot on the first All-Canadian team for the fourth straight season, en route to a Vanier Cup title.

"Mathieu is simply dominant. So explosive that he's able to change the outcome of a game on his own, and he's done it again this year," said Rouge et Or head coach Glen Constantin. "He's also a great teammate. He's humble, supports all the guys around him and helps create a fun atmosphere around the team. He makes his teammates better, both with his play and his attitude."

Betts was also selected to take part in the prestigious East-West Shrine Game in January – one of two university All-Star Games held in the United States that U SPORTS Scouting Bureau prospects participated in this season – along with teammate Alexandre Savard and Concordia's Maurice Simba, who played in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.

In total, 11 U SPORTS stars cracked the April Scouting Bureau list, including players from Laval, Laurier, Windsor, StFX, Concordia, Waterloo and UBC.

Fifty-six U SPORTS players were selected in the 2018 CFL Draft out of 69 total picks (81.2 per cent), including four in the first round.

The CFL Scouting Bureau releases its rankings three times each year, usually in August, December and April. The Bureau is comprised of CFL scouts, player personnel directors and general managers from the league's nine teams.

Details surrounding the 2019 U SPORTS East-West Bowl – showcasing the next generation of CFL stars that will vie for coveted spots on next year's Scouting Bureau – will be announced on Monday. The 2018 game featured all 15 U SPORTS prospects to appear on at least one Scouting Bureau list this season below.

CFL SCOUTING BUREAU LIST (April 12, 2019):

Rank

Name

Pos.

University

Hometown

Ht.

Wt.

Aug. 30

Dec. 6

1

Mathieu Betts

DL

Laval

Montréal, Que.

6-3

250

2

1

2

Shane Richards

OL

Oklahoma St.

Calgary, Alta.

6-8

336

4

2

3

Justin McInnis

REC

Arkansas St.

Pierrefonds, Que.

6-6

205

5

3

4

Zach Wilkinson

OL

Northern Colorado

Vancouver, B.C.

6-5

285

8

17

5

Hergy Mayala

REC

Connecticut

Montreal, Que.

6-2

204

3

6

6

Jonathan Kongbo

DL

Tennessee

Surrey, B.C.

6-5

254

1

4

7

Drew Desjarlais

OL

Windsor

Belle River, Ont.

6-5

325

NR

NR

8

Maleek Irons

RB

Ohio

Chilliwack, B.C.

6-1

229

11

8

9

Kaion Julien-Grant

REC

StFX

Toronto, Ont.

6-2

208

14

13

10

Alex Fontana

OL

Kansas

Toronto, Ont.

6-2

300

9

5

11

Brayden Dickey

WR

New Mexico

North Vancouver, B.C.

6-5

245

NR

NR

12

Samuel Thomassin

OL

Laval

Québec City, QC

6-6

330

12

16

13

Maurice Simba

OL

Concordia

Laval, Que.

6-8

320

18

11

14

Jesse Gibbon

OL

Waterloo

Hamilton, Ont.

6-5

300

NR

NR

15

Robbie Smith

DL

Laurier

Brampton, Ont.

6-2

245

15

12

16

Kurleigh Gittens Jr.

REC

Laurier

Ottawa, Ont.

6-0

191

13

9

17

Michael O'Connor

QB

UBC

Orleans, Ont.

6-5

225

20

19

18

Brady Oliveira

RB

North Dakota

Winnipeg, Man.

5-10

220

7

10

19

Malcom Lee

DB

UBC

Surrey, B.C.

6-2

200

NR

NR

20

Alexandre Savard

REC

Laval

Québec City, Que.

6-5

242

10

7

 

Appeared on previous Scouting Bureau List this season

Name

Pos.

University

Hometown

Ht.

Wt.

Aug. 30

Dec. 6

Fraser Sopik

LB

Western

Toronto, Ont.

6-0

196

19

14

Jamie Harry

DB

Ottawa

Lachine, Que.

6-2

200

17

15

Trivel Pinto

REC

UBC

Toronto, Ont.

5-11

190

NR

18

Nate Anderson

DL

Missouri

Toronto, Ont.

6-4

255

NR

20

Dejon Brissett

REC

Richmond

 Mississauga, Ont.

6-2

195

6

NR

Jamel Lyles

RB

Manitoba

Surrey, B.C.

6-0

210

16

NR