2025 CFL Draft rankings: specialists

Edit: 3DownNation.

The 2025 CFL Draft is upon us, with hundreds of players waiting to see their pro football dreams realized on Tuesday, April 29 at 6 p.m. ET.

As always, 3DownNation will be your go-to source for extensive coverage of all eight rounds. Analysts J.C. Abbott and Ben Grant will be live on YouTube and Facebook for the entirety of the selection process, breaking down every pick as it happens.

In the lead-up to the festivities, our team has collaborated on prospect rankings at every position, culminating with the unveiling of our annual Top 25. We have already announced the quarterbacks, running backs, fullbacks, receivers, offensive linemen, defensive linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs. Today, we conclude with the kickers, punters, and long snappers.

Kicker/Punter

1) Eric Maximuik, Concordia University (Regina, Sask.)

Maximuik played five seasons in the CJFL with the Regin Thunder before joining the Stingers in 2023 and is just now beginning to peak in his development. The six-foot-one, 210-pounder isn’t your average kicker, with a gym rat mentality and bulging muscular thighs. He uses that strength effectively, setting an all-time RSEQ record last season with a 56-yard field goal and averaging 42.9 yards per punt at the U Sports level. He’ll need to dial in the accuracy as a pro, but the physical tools are all there.

2) Philippe Boyer, Universite de Montreal (Laval, Que.)

While Maximuik may have had the RSEQ’s biggest leg, it was Boyer who was named the conference’s most valuable special teams player in 2024. He was the most accurate field goal kicker in U Sports at 91 percent and set a single-season record for the Carabins with 91 points scored, but is actually a superior punter in my estimation. The six-foot-two, 201-pound All-Canadian’s career-long field goal is just 46 yards but he averages 42.7 yards per punt with impressive hangtime.

3) Dawson Hodge, Wilfrid Laurier University (Coquitlam, B.C.)

Hodge was taught to kick growing up by his childhood neighbour, who just happened to be CFL legend Lui Passaglia. The results speak for themselves, as he has hit from 49 as a field goal kicker and flashes some excellent positional punting with 53 kicks dropped inside the 20 for his career. The five-foot-11, 180-pounder is also a plus athlete for the position with a reported 4.66 forty-yard dash and 18 tackles to his name, some of which are surprisingly forceful.

4) Brian Garrity, Western University (London, Ont.) 

Garrity isn’t a three-tool prospect like the players listed above him but he has been a model of consistency in the kicking game, amassing 499 career points for the Mustangs at a clip of 80.9 percent. He’s got a good-sized leg for being five-foot-seven and 174 pounds, nailing a career-long 49-yarder and averaging 56.1 yards on kickoffs.

5) Cameron Gillis, Florida A&M University (Budapest, Hungary)

Gillis, the son of two international school teachers from Saskatchewan, was born, raised, and trained in Hungary. He even played for that country’s U17 national team before making his way to the prestigious IMG Academy for prep school. The five-foot-six, 155-pounder has been a consistent NCAA producer, first at Stetson and later with the Rattlers, and connected on 83.3 percent of his kicks last year. He hasn’t hit a ton from distance though, maxing out at a career-long of 45 yards. 

6) Ethan Sossen, Ferris State University (Perth, Australia)

Some people feel Aussie punters are stealing Canadian jobs but Sossen is an Australian who qualifies for National status through his parents. The six-foot-one, 185-pound convert from Aussie rules averaged 45.6 yards per punt in 2024 but only had to boot the pigskin 17 times en route to a Division II national title. He’s improved every year since starting out at Fort Hays State but you’d like to see a larger sample size of big-time kicks and a faster process to project him at the next level.

Other notable names: Brandon Forcier, Carleton | Isaac Wegner, Regina

Long snapper

1) Cameron Foran, Acadia University (Port Williams, N.S.)

The only true long snapper to attend a Combine is also the first player from the AUS to appear on one of our positional lists, highlighting a severely down year in the Maritimes. Foran is a solid prospect but lacks some of the size you’d want from the position, checking in at just six-foot and 212 pounds. He’s an absolute dog of a worker though, as the former walk-on initially lied about being able to snap and then rapidly taught himself how to do it in order to make the Axemen’s roster.

2) Lucus Spencer, Bishop’s University (Kelowna, B.C.)

Spencer possesses all the size Foran lacks, as the Gaiters list him at six-foot-two and 235 pounds. He looks even larger on film but isn’t severely athletically stunted in coverage like some other big-bodied specialists. The former defensive lineman has solid technique and a clean delivery, giving him an outside shot at a draft selection.

3) Chopper Hippe, University of Regina (Lloydminster, Sask.)

Hippe already made our linebacker rankings but his slot outside the top 10 makes it unlikely that he’ll be drafted on defensive talent alone. His snaps currently lack the desired polish and velocity demonstrated by those who have already specialized in the position, but honing that skill could be his best path to a CFL career.

Other notable names: Desmond Pelto, Ottawa | Jason MacGougan, Wilfrid Laurier