Over the course of 2024, 246 Canadians competed south of the border across all levels of American college football, with several taking on key roles. For the sixth straight season, I’ve tracked each player all season long to assemble my annual list of All-Canadian selections, highlighting our country’s best and brightest before bowl season begins.
As always, the team has been selected based on the quality of a player’s performance throughout the year and is not to be treated as an evaluation of their pro prospects or objective talent. While the strength of competition is taken into consideration, excellent production at a lower level will be privileged over average play for a larger program.
For the sake of readability, the 2024 All-Canadian team will be presented in two parts. We’ll begin today with the offence, make sure to check back in tomorrow when I reveal the defence.
Quarterback
First team: Kurtis Rourke, Super Senior, Indiana University (Oakville, Ont.)
There is no reason to beat around the bush when it comes to the quarterback of this team. With a sparkling 92.4 grade, Rourke is the highest-graded passer in all of college football according to ProFootballFocus — irrespective of nationality. In just one season, he’s helped transform the Hoosiers from a perennial laughingstock into a national title contender and was recently named one of 10 finalists for the Manning Award, given annually to the top QB in the sport. In 11 starts so far, the Ohio transfer has completed 70.4 percent of his passes for 2,827 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just four interceptions, making 18 big-time throws compared to nine turnover-worthy ones. You might as well just engrave Kurtis’ name on the Jon Cornish Trophy beside his brother Nathan’s already, regardless of what happens against Notre Dame in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Second team: Christian Veilleux, Redshirt Junior, Georgia State University (Ottawa, Ont.)
Third team: Ben Klassen, Freshman, Dickinson College [D3] (Airdrie, Alta.)
Running back
First team: Fabrice Mukendi, Senior, Bryant University [FCS] (Ottawa, Ont.)
Running back was probably the most agonizing decision on the entire roster, as the three contenders boasted very similar resumes. Ultimately, the player with the most total yards prevailed, as Mukendi managed to produce 426 on the ground and 220 through the air despite appearing in just eight games. His limited touches on a bad Bulldogs team amounted to an average of 6.0 yards per carry and 4.34 yards after contact, producing a PFF grade of 73.6 — all of which were top amongst his Canadian peers.
Second team: Ludovick Choquette, Super Senior, Long Island University [FCS] (Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.)
Third team: Antwan Raymond, Freshman, Rutgers University (Montreal, Que.)
Tight end
First team: Rohan Jones, Junior, Montana State University [FCS] (Montreal, Que.)
Another slam dunk pick in the vein of Rourke, it’s long past time for the national audience to start giving Jones his flowers. The six-foot-three, 235-pound self-described “offensive weapon” lines up all over the field for the Bobcats and has become a valuable mismatch for the FCS powerhouse. In 12 games, he’s hauled in 27 catches for 451 yards and eight touchdowns, earning first-team All-Big Sky honours and an 81.8 grade from PFF. After missing last week’s playoff win with injury, Montana State will hope to have him back for the quarter-finals against Idaho.
Second team: Quincy Vaughn, Super Senior, University of North Dakota [FCS] (Hamilton, Ont.)
Third team: Jaxson Isaac, Redshirt Junior, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff [FCS] (Regina, Sask.)
Wide Receiver
First team: Elic Ayomanor, Redshirt Sophomore, Stanford University (Medicine Hat, Alta.)
It’s fair to say that Ayomanor took a bit of a step back this season after winning the Jon Cornish Trophy in 2023, but that’s not to imply he was bad. The six-foot-two, 210-pound wideout was just about the only positive thing on a bad Cardinals team, racking up 63 receptions for 831 yards and six touchdowns to earn second-team All-ACC recognition and a 72.4 PFF grade. Officially three years out of high school, the 21-year-old must now decide if he will declare for the 2025 NFL Draft or return to school for another season.
Nick Cenacle, Junior, University of Hawai’i (Montreal, Que.)
He didn’t quite match Nick Mardner’s dominance from a few years ago, but Cenacle continued to prove that Canadians can thrive on the big island with a breakout campaign. The six-foot-two, 195-pound slot receiver led the Rainbow Warriors in all categories with 63 catches for 721 yards and six touchdowns. If you stayed up late enough to watch Hawai’i cap a night of college football this season, chances are this Montrealer rewarded you with some fireworks.
Keelan White, Super Senior, University of Montana [FCS] (North Vancouver, B.C.)
The Grizzlies may have been knocked out of the FCS playoffs last week but White leaves the program with absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Graduating as one of Montana’s all-time greats, he earned second-team All-Big Sky honours this season after once again leading the team with 57 catches for 628 yards and four touchdowns. Perhaps most impressively, the highly-touted CFL Draft prospect did not commit a single drop this year despite being targeted 88 times through 13 games.
Second team: Joey Corcoran, Redshirt Junior, University of New Hampshire [FCS] (Montreal, Que.) | Teree McDonald, Sophomore, Wagner College [FCS] (Montreal, Que.) | Nate DeMontagnac, Redshirt Junior, University of North Dakota [FCS] (Mississauga, Ont.)
Third team: Dylan Djete, Junior, Wofford College [FCS] (Levis, Que.) | Hakeem Harris, Redshirt Junior, Davenport University [D2] (Markham, Ont.) | Malick Meiga, Redshirt Junior, Coastal Carolina University (Montreal, Que.)
Offensive line
*Note: Due to an uneven distribution of talent, offensive line selections have been made irrespective of which position they play. The best five have been chosen for the first team.
First team: Christopher Fortin, Senior, University of Connecticut (St-Rene, Que.)
There isn’t much of a betting market for predicting the top Canadian offensive lineman in college football, but anyone who managed to put down money on Fortin cashed in on some long preseason odds. After playing just 62 offensive snaps his junior season as a bottom-of-the-roster backup, Fortin established himself as an elite guard this year while splitting time evenly between both sides. Over the course of 12 starts and 835 snaps played, he allowed just 11 total pressures and no sacks to earn an 80.9 pass-blocking grade from PFF. As a result, the traditionally abysmal Huskies returned to national relevance and will get to showcase themselves in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl.
Logan Taylor, Redshirt Junior, Boston College (Bridgewater, N.S.)
An honourable mention All-ACC selection, Taylor kicked inside from left tackle to left guard this year and earned his second consecutive spot on this team as a result. In 10 games, the pride of Nova Scotia surrendered a mere 14 pressures and no sacks across 695 total snaps. He’ll get another opportunity to strut his stuff at Yankee Stadium later this month when the Eagles take part in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Tyrell Lawrence, Redshirt Junior, Alabama A&M University [FCS] (Milton, Ont.)
After four years spent languishing without a minute of playtime at the University of Minnesota, Lawrence made the jump to the HBCU ranks this year and immediately started all 12 games at right guard. The six-foot-seven, 355-pound behemoth made the most of his opportunity, allowing just six pressures and one sack across 861 snaps played to earn a 78.4 pass-blocking grade from PFF. Sometimes the grass really is greener…
Albert Reese IV, Redshirt Junior, Mississippi State University (Edmonton, Alta.)
Though he did eventually move inside to guard, Reese started 10 games at right tackle in the SEC — something we have not seen from a Canadian player since Justin Senior. He allowed 29 pressures and five sacks on 804 total snaps and was awarded the Kent Hull Trophy as the top collegiate lineman in the state of Mississippi. On an otherwise outmatched Bulldogs team, that is quite the accomplishment.
Melvin Siani, Redshirt Freshman, Temple University (Hamilton, Ont.)
The future of Canadian offensive line play is extremely bright with players like Siani excelling at such a tender age. In his first season of action, the six-foot-six, 300-pound blocker saw action on 600 snaps between the two tackle positions across 11 starts, allowing just 16 pressures and four sacks. He has already announced his intention to enter the transfer portal and is expected to be highly coveted due to his 76.9 PFF pass-blocking grade.
Second team: Sam Carson, Senior, University of Louisiana at Monroe (Calgary, Alta.) | Jez Janvier, Redshirt Junior, Eastern Michigan University (Montreal, Que.) | Nolan Latulippe, Sophomore, University of Albany [FCS] (Aylmer, Que.) | Ethan Vibert, Super Senior, South Dakota State University [FCS] (Regina, Sask.) | Nicolas Cruji, Redshirt Sophomore, University of Maine [FCS] (Mississauga, Ont.)
Third team: Matthew Hewa Baddege, Super Senior, Eastern Washington [FCS] (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) | Darius Bell, Redshirt Junior, East Carolina University (Hamilton, Ont.) | Kaden Charles, Sophomore, Dickinson College [D3] (Toronto, Ont.) | Colby Jones, Sophomore, Concordia University Wisconsin [D3] (Bittern Lake, Alta.) | William Zambito, Junior, Middlebury College [D3] (Montreal, Que.)
Specialist (Kicker, Punter, or Long Snapper)
First team: K Cameron Gillis, Super Senior, Florida A&M University [FCS] (Budapest, Hun.)
The poor state of Canadian specialist play has us stretching the bounds of reality for this one. Despite being born and raised in Hungary, Gillis would be a National in the CFL as the son of a couple of international school teachers from Saskatchewan. He’s got a solid boot too, connecting on 15-of-18 field goals this year, including a long of 45 yards, and going 32-of-33 on extra points for a total of 77 points scored.
Second team: LS Zach Darche, Sophomore, University of Pennsylvania [FCS] (Overland Park, Kan.)
Third team: K Ryan Harris, Sophomore, Washington State University (Vancouver, B.C.)
Honourable mentions: TE Caeleb Schlachter, R-SO, Eastern Kentucky [FCS] (Kelowna, B.C.) | TE Dante Daniels, R-JR, NC State (Windsor, Ont.) | TE Luke Foster, SR, Yale [FCS] (Fort McMurray, Alta.) | WR Keesean Campbell, SO, Dickinson [D3] (London, Ont.) | WR Josh Fillion, R-SO, New Hampshire [FCS] (Quebec City, Que.) | OL Christopher Emslie, SR, Fitchburg State [D3] (Toronto, Ont.) | OL Nathan DuBarry, SO, Dickinson [D3] (London, Ont.) | OL Noble Arterberry, JR, Hilbert [D3] (Welland, Ont.) | K James Carlini, FR, Ave Maria [NAIA] (Essex, Ont.) | P Samuel Tremblay, FR, Maine [FCS] (Quebec City, Que.)
