The 2024 U Sports season is officially underway across the country, as all 27 teams from coast to coast have begun their quest for the 59th Vanier Cup.
The campaign will wrap up at Richardson Stadium on the campus of Queen’s University on Nov. 23, when the best in the country show what they have to offer. Along the way, certain players will stand out from their peers and contenders will emerge for Canadian football’s highest individual honour, the Hec Crighton Trophy.
Here are the 10 players with the best shot to claim Canada’s equivalent to the Heisman Trophy.
1. Jonathan Senecal, QB, Université de Montreal (Montreal, Que.)
The 24-year-old completed 69.6 percent of his passes for 2,215 yards with 15 touchdowns against four interceptions last season en route to capturing the 2023 Hec Crighton Trophy, the first in Carrabins football history.
Senecal also ran the ball 34 times for 394 yards (11.6 per carry) with six majors. The six-foot, 200-pounder led the Quebec conference in every passing category and set a new school single-season record for passing touchdowns.
No one has ever won back-to-back trophies but there’s no reason to suspect the 2023 first-team All-Canadian to slow down, especially with one of the best teams in the county around him. Through two games, he’s already averaging 307.5 yards passing per game and leads the nation with five touchdowns thrown.
2. Taylor Elgersma, QB, Wilfrid Laurier University (London, ON.)
Senecal’s main competition to receive Usports’ highest honour comes from 2023 OUA MVP Taylor Elgersma. The six-foot-six, 212-pound pivot had a monster year himself last season completing a staggering 75 percent of his passes for 3,482 yards, 25 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. The second-team All-Canadian also rushed for 182 yards and 10 touchdowns in Laurier’s Yates Cup runner-up season.
No one threw for more yards than Elgersma in the country last campaign and if he can put up a repeat performance in 2024 while the Golden Hawks find success, he will surely be in the discussion. A quiet first game with just 218 yards through the air should not be a concern for his candidacy.
3. Matthew Peterson, RB, University of Alberta (Rock Island, Il.)
Like Elgersma, No.3 on the list finds another 2023 runner-up in Alberta’s Matthew Peterson. Outside of quarterback, the running back position has won the award the most times (13), with the last coming in 2017 when former Golden Bear Ed Ilnicki took home the honour following a historic season.
The fourth-round pick (36th overall) by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats scampered into the end zone four times last season while running for a remarkable 1317 yards — 151 short of Ilnicki’s 1468 set in 2017 for the most rushing yards in a single season in UofA’s history. He put up 117 in the opener last week, despite being part of a committee.
4. Evan Hillock, QB, Western University (Hamilton, ON.)
The 2023 OUA second-team all-star threw for the third-most yards in the country last season en route to leading the Mustangs to their fifth Yates Cup in six seasons.
The 23-year-old completed 67 percent of his passes for 3139 yards, 22 touchdowns, and seven interceptions last season — all of which were career highs. Hillock already has four touchdowns and no interceptions this year so he’s a name to keep an eye on if he gets enough attempts in the typically run-heavy Western offence.
5. Garrett Rooker, QB, University of British Colombia (League City, Tx.)
Arguably the best player in the Canada West, UBC QB Garrett Rooker slots in at No.5. The American gunslinger threw for 3471 yards (second in the country), 23 touchdowns (second in the country), and six interceptions while completing 72 percent of his passes.
Rooker also tacts on 139 yards along the ground with a pair of touchdowns in UBC’s Vanier Cup losing season. In the big game, the six-foot-three, 205-pound pivot completed 26-of-40 passes for 279 yards and zero touchdowns.
UBC lost their opener this year but Rooker put up 375 yards. If can build off of that, he will have a chance at not only the Canada West Player of the Year but also the Hec.
6. Jared Chisari, RB, Queen’s University (Naples, Me.)
There arguably wasn’t a better running back in Canada last season than Chisari. The 2023 first-team All-Canadian led the nation with 1379 yards while also punching in eight majors and averaging 7.4 yards a carry. It was a breakout year for the now fifth-year man, doubling his yards and touchdowns from a season prior.
The Queen’s program has gone 23-7 over the last three seasons but has not won a Yates Cup and the five-foot-11, 217-pound ball carrier will be a key part in helping the Gaels try to get over the hump. He’s already working toward that end by averaging 178.5 yards through the first two outings.
Photo: Bob Butrym/3DownNation. All rights reserved.
7. Arnaud Desjardins, QB, Université Laval (Montreal, Que.)
The 24-year-old was solid for the Rouge et or in 2023, completing 68.6 percent of his passes (second in the RSEQ) for 2028 yards, 12 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. The six-foot-five, 207-pounder’s numbers aren’t too far off of last year’s winner Senecal, while Desjardins also gained 242 yards, two touchdowns, and averaged 5.8 yards per carry on the ground. After completing nearly 75 percent of his passes in Week 1, safe to say the Laval pivot is still as efficient as ever.
8. Malcolm Bussey, RB, St. Francis Xavier University (Hammond Plains, N.S.)
The third and final back on the list is the lone AUS representative Malcolm Bussey. The fourth-year RB led his conference by far in both rushing yards (1038) and touchdowns (8) last season.
The second-team All-Canadian has been a key cog in St.FX’s offence since his first year in 2021, The 2023 first-team AUS all-star has been a part of an offence that has outscored their opponents 941-382 dating back to 2019. It’s no surprise that his absence last week resulted in their first regular season loss in five years.
9. Ethan Jordan, REC, Wilfrid Laurier University (Chatham, ON.)
The only receiver appearing on this list is fourth-year target Ethan Jordan. The five-foot-11, 166-pound wideout led the country in receiving yards with 1065, catches with 81, and touchdowns with nine. With another Hec Crighton candidate in Elgersma throwing him the ball, there’s no reason to think the 2023 All-Canadian can’t replicate his performance.
Only seven receivers have ever taken home Canadian football’s top individual honour, however, with the most recent being former Laval pass catcher Kevin Mital taking home the hardware in 2022. Even after a quiet debut, Jordan could be next.
10. Jackson Tachinski, QB, University of Manitoba (Winnipeg, MB.)
Rounding out the list is the University of Manitoba’s pivot Jackson Tachinski. There arguably isn’t a better dual-threat option in the country as the 22-year-old completed 60 percent of his passes for 1757 yards, 10 touchdowns, and only one interception. The six-foot-four, 215-pound passer also rumbled for 538 yards and six touchdowns along the ground, both of which were among the top in the Canada West last year. He ran for 62 yards and threw two majors in his opener this year and will be expected to take another step forward.
On the fringes: Isaiah Knight, RB, UBC | Silas Fagnan, QB, St.Francis Xavier | Anton Amundrud, QB, Saskatchewan | Justin Quirion, QB, Bishop’s | Donavin Milloy, RB, Guelph | Charles Asselin, RB, Ottawa
