The college football world was abuzz on Wednesday as thousands of high school recruits took the first steps in their NCAA journey, announcing their commitments for 2024 and signing their national letters of intent at the first opportunity to do so.
The early edition of National Signing Day had plenty of Canadian flair this year, with 19 different players from north of the border landing with FBS programs. While that number is expected to grow as the recruiting cycle progresses, here is an early look at the next generation of Canadian NCAA stars.
DE Benedict Umeh — Stanford University
This four-star pass rusher from Toronto has an incredible story of perseverance, officially signing his letter of intent with the Cardinals after missing his entire senior season after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The product of Avon Old Farms Boarding School in Connecticut underwent his final round of chemotherapy in October and could contribute immediately as a six-foot-five, 260-pound freshman, choosing Stanford over 37 other offers as a consensus top-200 recruit nationally.
TE Maxence LeBlanc — Ohio State University
A six-foot-five, 225-pound mismatch weapon, LeBlanc caught 49 passes for 884 yards and 10 touchdowns during his senior season at the Baylor School in Tennessee. The four-star prospect from Montreal picked the Buckeyes over offers from 30 other programs.
DT Sean Sevillano — University of Notre Dame
It doesn’t get much bigger in college football than landing with the Fighting Irish, which is exactly why the pride of Winnipeg committed there early despite offers from 27 other major programs. The six-foot-two, 315-pound interior defender will head to South Bend with a three-star pedigree and eye-popping high school stats, having amassed 110 tackles for loss and 38 sacks during his time at Clearwater Academy International in Florida.
DE Steve Pierre Bolo Mboumoua — University of Alabama
A six-foot-four, 260-pound menace off the edge, Mboumoua had some of the biggest programs in college football coming up to Campus Notre-Dame de Foy in the hopes of landing Quebec’s top prospect. Nick Saban won the sweepstakes for the diamond-in-the-rough three-star prospect from Lac Megantic and should make good use of him in the quest for more national championships.
DB Isaiah Thomas — University of Miami
From The Six to The U, Toronto’s Isaiah Thomas is sticking in Florida after an exceptional stint at Clearwater Academy International. 27 schools came calling for the three-star recruit due to his six-foot-two, 200-pound frame, which packs a punch coming downhill from the strong safety position.
QB Evans Chuba — Washington State University
Yet another three-star prospect from Clearwater Academy International, Chuba amassed 20 offers before taking his talents to Pullman. That was despite a back injury costing the six-foot-four, 205-pound Montrealer all of his senior season, forcing him to rest on the 2,173 yards and 20 touchdowns he threw as a junior.
QB Jeremy St-Hilaire — Vanderbilt University
Fresh off of a DII-AAA state championship victory with the McCallie School in Tennessee, St-Hilaire will be taking his talents to the SEC. The six-foot-four, 220-pound passer from Montreal was a three-star recruit, choosing the Commodores over an offer from Wake Forest.
OL Mauricio Hinds — Florida Atlantic University
A native of Porters Lake, N.S., Hinds has clearly gotten used to a much warmer version of the Atlantic Ocean and is staying in Florida after wrapping up his high school career at Clearwater Academy International. The six-foot-five, 285-pound blocker was a three-star prospect and chose the Owls over 23 other offers.
DE Tycoolhill Givens Luman — Rutgers University
A three-star prospect out of Norland High School in Miami, Florida, Luman has been all in on his commitment to Rutgers since June and passed on 17 other offers. Originally from Montreal, the six-foot-three, 240-pounder brings elite pass-rushing ability as evidenced by a 13-sack junior season.
DE Tyclean Givens Luman — Rutgers University
Slightly larger than his twin brother at six-foot-three and 250 pounds, Tyclean is the opposite bookend of this Montreal-born edge duo. He is also headed to the Scarlet Knights after recording 11 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in his senior year in Florida.
WR Dallas Sims — University of Minnesota
The Offensive Player of the Year for Clearwater Academy International, Sims caught 28 passes for 455 yards and three touchdowns as a senior to earn three-star status. The six-foot-two, 195-pound native of Winnipeg had interest from 18 schools before electing to become a Golden Gopher.
TE Ludovic Martin — University of Massachusetts
A three-star prospect from Montreal, there were 13 schools involved in the hunt for Martin before he started his collegiate clock with the Minutemen. The six-foot-four, 230-pound weapon had 50 catches for 733 yards and six touchdowns in two years at Clearwater Academy International.
DB Raphael Dunn — University of Wisconsin
Hailing from Pierrefonds, Que., Dunn was an impact safety at The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey and had 86 solo tackles as a senior. A three-star prospect at six-foot-four and 200 pounds, he lands with the Badgers after receiving 10 offers.
LB Keyari James — University of Maryland
The Defensive Player of the Year for Clearwater Academy International, James racked up 124 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, five sacks, an interception and four blocked kicks during his senior season. The six-foot-one, 235-pound backer from Calgary had 11 offers before choosing the Terps.
OL Joshua Schuetzmann — Old Dominion University
A six-foot-seven, 285-pound tackle from Montreal, Schuetzmann rose to three-star status while playing with the Williston Northampton School in Massachusetts. He chose the Monarchs early after receiving interest from UMass and several FCS programs.
DE Farell Gnago — Rutgers University
A six-foot-four, 245-pound threat off the edge, Gnago was a Division 1 CEGEP all-star this past season for College Andre Grasset. A three-star prospect according to 24/7 Sports, the Montrealler chose the Scarlet Knights over advances from Kent State and Michigan State and makes it a total of five Canadian expected to play on the school’s defensive line next season.
OL Jackson Bellamy — University at Buffalo
At six-foot-five and 305 pounds, Bellamy separated himself as a two-star prospect while playing a full American schedule with Clarkson Football North. The Ancaster, Ont. native committed to the Bulls over Charlotte and a number of FCS offers.
OL Everett Small — Eastern Michigan University
Another product of the Clarkson Football North prep program in Ontario, Small signs with the Eagles after receiving offers from several other Mid-American Conference programs. The six-foot-four, 280-pound offensive tackle from Hamilton was a two-star prospect according to 24/7 Sports.
DE Adam Kaminski — Central Michigan University
It’s going to be a family affair with the Chippewas, as Adam joins his older brother Jacob on the roster after he transferred south from the University of Toronto last season. The six-foot-seven, 250-pound product of Cambridge, Ont. spent the last two years at the Asheville School in North Carolina, notching 36 tackles for loss and 21 sacks as a two-star recruit.
FCS commits: OL Noah Stanley, Clarkson Football North (Charlottetown, PEI) — Maine | OL Nihaal Rana, Phillips Exeter Academy (Toronto, Ont.) — Harvard | DE Paul-Marie Dogui, McCallie School (Quebec City, Que.) — Colgate | DE Olivier Camerlain, McCallie School (Montreal, Que.) — Lafayette | DT Louis Gendron, Clearwater Academy International (Levis, Que.) — Southeastern Louisiana | WR Ronan Johansson, Clarkson Football North (Winnipeg, Man.) — Penn | OL Mark Johnson, Vernon Secondary School (Vernon, B.C.) — Eastern Washington | OL Herschel Johal, Clearwater Academy International (Vancouver, B.C.) — Bucknell | DE Evan Aubrey, Clearwater Academy International (Orleans, Ont.) — Southeastern Louisiana | DE Enzo Agostini, Berkshire School (Parksville, B.C.) — Harvard | K Sam Tremblay, Campus Notre-Dame de Foy (Quebec City, Que.) — Maine
