OHIO UNIVERSITY’S KURTIS ROURKE LEADS THE WAY IN CFL SCOUTING BUREAU’S FALL EDITION

TORONTO (August 24, 2023) – Ohio University quarterback Kurtis Rourke headlines the Fall Edition of the Canadian Football League (CFL) Scouting Bureau. The native of Oakville, Ont., sits in the No. 1 spot among prospects eligible for the 2024 CFL Draft.

The CFL Scouting Bureau, comprising CFL scouts, as well as player personnel directors and general managers from the league’s nine clubs, annually releases its rankings in the fall, winter and, for a third and final time, in the spring ahead of the coming draft.

MEDIA CALL DETAILS

Date | Thursday, August 24
​Time | 12:30 p.m. ET
​Link to join | Click here to join the meeting

CFL SCOUTING BUREAU: FALL EDITION
​(Rank | Name | Position | School | Hometown)

• 1 | Kurtis Rourke | QB | Ohio | Oakville, Ont.
• 2 | Gabe Wallace | OL | Buffalo | Salmon Arm, B.C.
• 3 | Theo Benedet | OL | UBC | North Vancouver, B.C.
• 4 | Kyle Hergel | OL | Boston College | Toronto
• 5 | Isaiah Adams | OL | Illinois | Ajax, Ont.
• 6 | Nick Mardner | WR | Auburn | Oakville, Ont.
• 7 | Daniel Johnson | OL | Purdue | London, Ont.
• 8 | Giovanni Manu | OL | UBC | Pitt Meadows, B.C.
• 9 | Justin Sambu | DL | Baylor | Calgary
• 10 | Geoffrey Cantin-Arku | LB | Memphis | Lévis, Que.
• 11 | Anim Dankwah | OL | Howard | Toronto
• 12 | Tanner McLachlan | TE | Arizona | Lethbridge, Alta.
• 13 | Christy Nkanu | OL | Washington State | Montreal
• 14 | Melique Straker | LB | Arkansas State | Brampton, Ont.
• 15 | Nick Wiebe | LB | Saskatchewan | Okotoks, Alta.
• 16 | Ajou Ajou | WR | Garden City CC (South Florida) | Brooks, Alta.*
• 17 | John Bosse | OL | Calgary | Calgary
• 18 | Kail Dava | DL | Tennessee Tech | Mississauga, Ont.
• 19 | Dhel Duncan-Busby | WR | Bemidji State | Madison, Ohio
• 20 | Eric Schon | OL | Holy Cross | Barrie, Ont.

*Eligible for the 2024 CFL Draft by games played at Clemson and South Florida.

The 2020 U SPORTS football season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in the 2024 draft class having fewer athletes from Canadian post-secondary institutions. U SPORTS athletes currently designated as part of the 2025 Class will be able to opt into the 2024 Class until August 31.

BY THE NUMBERS

• The fall prospect list includes:
  • 10 offensive linemen
  • Three linebackers
  • Three wide receivers
  • Two defensive linemen
  • One quarterback
  • One tight end
• 19 schools are represented in the rankings. UBC is the only school to feature multiple players: No. 3 Theo Benedet and No. 8 Giovanni Manu.
• 15 prospects are from the NCAA; four are from U SPORTS; one from Junior College
• Five of the nine first-round selections in the 2023 CFL Draft were listed in the 2022 CFL Scouting Bureau: Fall Edition

TOP-5 SPOTLIGHT

1 | KURTIS ROURKE | QB | OHIO | OAKVILLE, ONT.

• Played in 11 games last season, passing for 3,256 yards and 25 touchdowns to four interceptions, with a 69 per cent completion rate
• Rushed for 249 yards and four majors
• 2022 MAC Offensive Player of the Year
• 2022 Vern Smith Leadership Award
• Named to 2024 Reese's Senior Bowl Watchlist
• In 23 career games with the Bobcats, passed for 4,912 yards and 35 touchdowns

2 | GABE WALLACE | OL | BUFFALO | SALMON ARM, B.C.

• Started all 13 games at left guard last season
• All-MAC Third Team in 2022
• Blocked for an offence that ranked in the Top-5 in the conference in scoring offence (28.5), total offence (377.2) and passing offence (235.3)
• 37 career games with the Bulls with 25 starts

3 | THEO BENEDET | OL | UBC | NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C.

• In eight games last season, UBC’s offensive line only allowed 10 sacks, while the offence averaged 6.1 yards per rush
• J.P. Metras Trophy (2022)
• 2022 Canada West All-Star and First-Team All-Canadian
• 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl
• 25 career games with the Thunderbirds with 19 starts

4 | KYLE HERGEL | OL | BOSTON COLLEGE | TORONTO

• Transferred to Boston College for the 2023 season
• Played the previous two seasons with Texas State, and with North Dakota prior to that
• Started all 24 games with Texas State, All-Sun Belt Third Team (2022), PFF All-Sun Belt First Team (2022), PFF All-Sun Belt Second Team (2021)
• Started 17 games with North Dakota, FCS Independent Newcomer of the Year (2019)

5 | ISAIAH ADAMS | OL | ILLINOIS | AJAX, ONT.

• Started all 13 games last season
• 2023 preseason watchlist for Outland Trophy, awarded to the best college football interior lineman in the United States
• 2022 All-Big Ten Third Team
• Member of the first offensive line in team history to be named a Joe Moore Award semifinalist (2022)
• Named to 2024 Reese's Senior Bowl Watchlist
• Transferred from Garden City Community College, 2021 NJCAA D1 All-America First Team
• Played 2019 season at Wilfrid Laurier University