Every U Sports football team’s best pro prospect: RSEQ

Photo courtesy: David Cox/U Sports

Every year, millions of fans across Canada set their weekly calendars with the gridiron, tuning in to watch their favourite CFL or NFL teams every single week. However, only a fraction of those same fans ever turn their attention to the place where so many of their favourite local players get developed.

U Sports football is the proving ground for future pros in this country; a grassroots system that punches far above its weight class. From perennial powerhouses to historic basement dwellers, almost every school has at least one athlete on their roster capable of competing with the very best.

With the 2026 season already underway, 3DownNation has embarked on an ambitious project to expose the talent hidden underneath our national noses. Over the next week, we’ll break down the top professional prospect at every program, regardless of their draft year, shining a light on budding second-years and established fourth-years alike.

Today, we conclude with the RSEQ. The Quebec conference has claimed each of the last four Vanier Cup champions, while producing CFL stars like Mathieu Betts (Laval), Cristophe Beaulieu (Laval), Ben Labrosse (McGill), Redha Kramdi (Montreal), Kevin Mital (Laval), Pier-Olivier Lestage, and Rene Paredes (Concordia).

This list was assembled in extensive consultation with U Sports coaches and CFL scouts. It is not intended to reflect the best players on every U Sports team right now, though in some cases it might. All of the selections are based on projections of future success at the next level, which requires specific measurables and attributes to be attainable. It should be considered a reflection of the current moment, with all players able to increase or decrease their stock based on subsequent performances and development.

Without further ado, here is every RSEQ team’s top pro prospect. Don’t forget to check out our previous articles on the OUA, the Canada West, and the AUS.

Bishop’s University Gaiters: ATH Mathieu Bellavance, Class of 2029 (Quebec City, Que.)

The Gaiters are expected to be in a tough spot this year as they transition back to the RSEQ after a successful tenure in the AUS. Nothing gets you out of a jam quite like a Swiss Army knife, though, and Bishop’s have a particularly intriguing one in Bellavance. Listed at an incredible six-foot-eight and 230 pounds, the reigning AUS Rookie of the Year is technically a quarterback, though he completed just one pass for 60 yards in his debut campaign. Rather than drop back, he plunged forward for 87 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, while also hauling in 11 receptions for 145 yards and two scores. As one of the tallest players in the country, the possibilities are endless for his development over the next three years, and his positional versatility will only grow as he packs on weight. He could become anything from a bona fide QB1 to a ratio-breaking H-back or even a high-ceiling offensive tackle convert if he embraced it.

Honourable mentions: FB Ismai Sansoucy, Class of 2027 (Victoriaville, Que.) | TE Charles-Edward Watts, Class of 2029 (Quebec City, Que.)

Concordia University Stingers: DB Kenzy Paul, Class of 2027 (La Prairie, Que.)

The only selection that has yet to play a snap for his team, Paul arrives on campus at Concordia after spending the past four seasons south of the border at Duke University. A former three-star recruit, he was highly sought after coming out of the McCallie School in Tennessee and fielded offers from 18 Division I programs, including Penn State, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Vanderbilt. The six-foot, 210-pound safety ultimately appeared in just two games after committing to the Blue Devils, making one tackle, but his ACC pedigree and prototypical frame still carry high expectations. With the athletic ability to play in space and the size to bang in the box, CFL teams will be monitoring his homecoming closely, much as they did when Ezechiel Tieide joined the Stingers a few years ago.

Honourable mentions: REC Ely Rivest, Class of 2029 (Laval, Que.) | LB Nelson Tawah II, Class of 2027 (Montreal, Que.)

Université Laval Rouge et Or: LB Justin Cloutier, Class of 2027 (Québec City, Que.)

The most decorated active defensive player in the country, Cloutier enters this year as the odds-on favourite to win the Presidents’ Trophy. His run of accolades began back in 2023, when he won the Peter Gorman Trophy as the nation’s top rookie, and has continued with two consecutive first-team All-Canadian selections. The six-foot, 220-pounder doesn’t possess hulking size, but has a quick trigger, a nose for the backfield, and strong coverage instincts. That has made him the leader of a loaded linebacking corps that should produce several CFL Draft picks within the next few years, with his high ceiling on special teams ensuring that he’ll be one of them.

Honourable mentions: DB Ndeki Garant-Doumambila, Class of 2028 (Rimouski, Que.) | DL Loic Brodeur, Class of 2028 (Laval, Que.)

McGill University Redbirds: RB Jerry Momo, Class of 2029 (Val-des-Monts, Que.)

With all due respect to the prolific rushers at Western and Regina, the best running back prospect in the country is McGill’s second-year standout. Momo exploded onto the scene as a rookie in 2025, turning 96 carries into 833 yards and seven touchdowns, and likely would have won the Peter Gorman Trophy if not for a certain Vanier Cup-winning quarterback. The six-foot, 212-pound ball-carrier has a complete toolbox, with the ability to make defenders miss in a phone booth and a nitro-boost second gear that makes any touch a potential home run. With Edmonton Elks draft pick Eloa Latendresse-Regimbald moving from quarterback to receiver this year, an even larger portion of the ground game will fall on Momo’s shoulders, which should result in even gaudier numbers.

Honourable mentions: OL Thomas Gingras, Class of 2029 (Quebec City, Que.) | DL Ambroise Duplessis, Class of 2029  (Montreal, Que.)

Université de Montréal Carabins: REC Enrique Jaimes Leclair, Class of 2028 (Varennes, Que.)

Whether it’s been Pepe Gonzalez or Jonathan Senecal throwing him the football, Jaimes Leclair has made excellence look effortless since joining the Carabins. The six-foot-one, 190-pound target won the Peter Gorman Trophy in 2024 after a prolific rookie year, and has earned second-team All-Canadian honours in each of his first two seasons. Across 14 regular-season games, the Mexican-Canadian standout has collected 55 catches for 1,053 yards and nine touchdowns, and continued to be prolific on the run to the Vanier Cup in 2025. An advanced route runner for his age, his patient pacing and explosive acceleration out of breaks consistently get the better of defenders, which has led to a remarkable 19.1 yards-per-catch average for his career. Simply put, once Jaimes Leclair is even, he’s leaving — a trait that should translate to the next level easily.

Honourable mentions: OL Jean-Darius Nendou, Class of 2029 (St-Hubert, Que.) | DL Christopher Montas Fontenard, Class of 2027 (Toulouse, France)

Université de Sherbrooke Vert et Or: DB Benjamin Perron, Class of 2028 (Longueuil, Que.)

The Vert et Or aren’t consistent producers of pro talent like their fellow francophone institutions, but every now and again, they uncover a hidden gem. Perron could be the next one after he earned first-team All-Canadian honours last season, becoming the first Sherbrooke player to earn that distinction since 2011. The six-foot-two, 203-pound SAM linebacker collected 48.5 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and four forced fumbles in his second season, and has been named a team captain entering year three. He flies around the field and is never far from the football, which covers up for a lot of gaps around him.

Honourable mentions: REC Marc-André Shaw, Class of 2027 (Chambly, Que.) | LB Maxime Perron, Class of 2027 (Longueuil, Que.)