Man, was that last season ever a wild ride. The magic, explosiveness, and surrealism of it all were captivating. As Taylor Elgersma rewrote the script for what is possible for Canadian football players coming out of university, the Laurier Golden Hawks football program reclaimed control of Ontario University Athletics, defeating Western 51-31 in the 2024 Yates Cup to become Ontario champions for the ninth time.
From there, the Golden Hawks demolished Bishop's in the Uteck Bowl 48-24 before falling to the Laval Rouge et Or in the 59th Vanier Cup played at Queen's University's Richardson Stadium.
This season is about maintaining greatness in the face of a void, and there is no better person to lead the charge in this scenario than Michael Faulds, fresh off a Frank Tindall trophy this past season, his second overall, as he steps into into his 12th year in charge of the Golden Hawks program.
Both of his coordinators, OC Todd Galloway and DC Ron VanMoerkerke, will return in 2025 to help operate the ship that got oh-so-close to a national title. Even though Elgersma has left to go pro, the Laurier Golden Hawks' status as one of the titans in the OUA remains unaltered. They open the season on Saturday, Aug. 23, on the road at the University of Guelph before returning home to University Stadium in Waterloo for their home opener against the Windsor Lancers.
Quarterback
Who will be the Golden Hawks' signal-caller? That is the question that is pleading with people inside and outside the OUA for an answer after the awe-inspiring play of Taylor Elgersma during his time with the Golden Hawks; however, it also may have just found its answer.
Callum Wither, a Waterloo native and former quarterback at Ohio University for three seasons, will be spending 2025 as a Golden Hawk as initially reported by 3DownNation's Justin Dunk.
At 6'4" and 211 pounds, Wither provides an athletic build and excellent leadership skills as evidenced by his time leading Clarkson Football North's prep school team, where he passed for 2,140 yards and 15 touchdowns in his final season against all-American opponents.
There are a few QBs returning to the roster from last season: Nathan Constancio, Isaac Willis, and Will Russell. Key'shaun Dorsey, who was one of the backups the previous season after coming to Laurier from the now-defunct football program at Simon Fraser University in 2023, signed with the CJFL's Valley Huskers.
Constancio, Willis, and Russell are all very raw players, but whoever gets the chance to lead the Golden Hawks as their QB will be surrounded by talent at both skill positions and in the trenches. Currently, the two most likely candidates to start in week one are Wither and Willis.
Wither's experience at a Division 1 school in the NCAA gives him an edge, and Willis, entering his fourth year of eligibility at Laurier, has had the opportunity to learn directly from Elgersma while mastering the playbook.
Transitional periods for significant leadership roles on teams can be challenging for a program. It is all about maintaining the same mentality from year to year, and it is also about providing your premier players with the resources that they need to succeed, from great pass-catchers and blockers to coaches who intend to help you reach your full potential.
In 2024, Laurier averaged an enormous 508.6 yards per game on offence, 0.2 points away from U SPORTS leader Bishop's. The majority of those playmakers who healthily contributed to that average are back this year, which will aid the new quarterback extremely well.
From the outset, Laurier appears to have sustained their culture well enough to have this many veterans back on the team, and whoever steps into the starting quarterback role in 2025 will be elevated by the support that surrounds them.
Running Back
As Tanner Nelmes graduated from the program last year and spent time on the Montreal Alouettes roster, the door has been opened for a new back to assume the role of the primary ballcarrier. The Golden Hawks averaged 174.4 rushing yards per game, which finished fourth in the OUA.
After seeing his performance in fall camp and based on last year's performances, 2024 OUA All-Star Tayshaun Jackson is the most likely option to take the most significant leap forward on the depth chart.
Jackson, a Swiss Army knife of a football player, can do it all. He posted 571 rushing yards on 65 attempts and added four scores from the ground in 2024. A dynamic player all-around with the ball in his hands, Jackson even added three kick return touchdowns for Laurier in 2024 and neatly added to his rushing total with 562 kick return yards.
Quentin Scott, who represented Laurier at the East-West Bowl in May, is coming back for his last year. Scott was an X-factor for the team in 2023 as he became a Second-Team All-Star in the OUA, putting up nearly 1100 yards rushing and 250 yards receiving as Laurier made their first Yates Cups since 2017.
His career totals of 2,473 rushing yards, 17 scores on 344 attempts, and a solid 7.2 yards per carry average are extremely respectable numbers as the Golden Hawks hope to see more of that as he is re-inserted back into the roster.
Darion Bacik-Hadden, a 2022 OUA All-Rookie, is back for his fourth season to provide some flexibility within the lineup and Ethan Sutton, a transfer in from Davenport University in Kent County, Michigan, is a name to look out for as well.
Sutton, a Whitby, Ont., native, also played at Simon Fraser University in the last year before the program folded and saw several reps at kick returner, where he used his shifty and energetic 5'8", 187-pound frame to gain 118 return yards.
Another name to look out for is second-year back Lewc Rayner, who has great field awareness and a good build to run through defenders.
Tight End/Fullback
Ryan Speight is back for his fourth year at tight end and will bring his same brand of reliability back to the Golden Hawks in 2025. Speight has been a consistent safety valve for Laurier quarterbacks and brings power to the position in the form of receiving and blocking.
The 6'3", 220-pound Brantford, Ont., native may not have many touchdowns on his stat sheet, but his impact is prevalent in other ways, such as blocking, being a leader, and motoring forward for extra yards.
Also returning to his position is Toronto native Sebastian Parsalidis at fullback. Parsalidis has the perfect build for his position and has shown versatility in the receiving game, also with three catches and a touchdown reception in 2024.
Look for him adding extra blocking support and maybe even carrying the rock in short yardage situations where he can use his Mike Alstott-like power to bulldoze defenders.
Wide Receivers
This wide receiver room remains loaded. Ethan Jordan, Layomi Ojutalayo, Ryan Hughes, Jaxon Stebbings, Jace Atkinson, and Jacob Bennett are some of the familiar names from last year that will return to the team this season, with Raidan Thorne's return still yet to be confirmed (though his name appears on the team's 2025 roster).
Jordan, a two-time U SPORTS First-Team All-Canadian, is coming off of an incredible 2024 season where he became the first receiver in Laurier history to notch 1000 yards receiving.
The shifty receiver will be coming back for his fifth and final year of eligibility after spending time on the Ottawa Redblack's practice roster.
During the last two seasons, Jordan led the nation in receptions and receiving yards, and could very well make it a triple with the right chemistry at quarterback.
Currently, he sits at third all-time for career receiving yards at Laurier with 2,392, behind Kurleigh Gittens Jr. (2,682) and current McMaster Marauders head coach Stefan Ptaszek (3,126).
By the end of this coming season, Jordan, based on his performances in 2024, could very well move up a spot or two on that list. It is impossible to have a conversation about the best U SPORTS football players in Canada and not include Ethan Jordan on that list.
Ethan Jordan, the 1000-yard man, is back for a fifth season after spending time with the Ottawa Redblacks. Photo: Christian Bender/Golden Hawks.
Raidan Thorne, a three-time OUA All-Star and former U SPORTS All-Canadian, was present at training camp and may also be back for Laurier this year after spending time with the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.
Thorne, a 6'3" contested catch maestro, is one of Ontario's most dominant receivers and has totalled nearly 2,000 receiving yards in his U SPORTS career off 159 receptions.
If he is back as well this year to maximize the Golden Hawks' receiver corps, expect his name to be one heard a lot in U SPORTS circles. He is a true highlight-receiver, consistently wowing fans with his superhuman athleticism and hands.
Ojutalayo and Hughes are expected to have significant impacts based on their outputs from last year, with Ojutalayo racking up 502 yards and four touchdowns and having a nice effect on special teams and Hughes's 446 yards with six touchdowns, including a stellar Uteck Bowl performance of a whopping 212 yards receiving on only eight catches with three scores.
Stebbings and Atkinson, a couple of blazing route runners from out west, proved their worth by stretching the field, making tough catches inside, and establishing themselves as quite ample red-zone targets for a team that scored 24 red-zone touchdowns per game, second in the OUA.
Their depth at receiver is quite staggering, with several first-year eligible players waiting in the wings, such as Damian Plauszta, Logan Moore, Gabriel Williams, and Cooper Murrell-Wright.
This corps of pass-catchers not only has a chance to be the best in the province, but, by season's end, they could, collectively, be the best group of wide receivers in Canada. Whoever steps into the starting quarterback role in week one will find an embarrassment of riches at his disposal, which should make the transition that much easier.
Offensive Line
Stoutness would be an underselling term when describing the strength of the offensive line heading into the 2025 season. The departure that will be felt the most is undoubtedly that of Cooper Hamilton, since he was the anchor at left tackle for a good deal of time.
Hamilton spent time with the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks after being undrafted in this past draft, and since then has decided to medically retire from football, as reported by 3DownNation's John Hodge. Lambert Pomerleau is another noteworthy lineman to leave after exhausting all five years of eligibility.
At 6'5" and 289 lbs, Spencer Walsh is entering his fourth year with the team and looks to propel himself into the conversation as one of the best blockers in the country in 2025.
Josh Rietveld will also be back for his final year after going undrafted in this past year's CFL Draft, and he brings a boatload of skill and strength at the guard position.
At 6'5" and 336 lbs, Rietveld is a mountain of a man in the interior offensive line and will be effective on downhill run plays and whenever anything calls for a pulling guard. Tyler Potvin will return for a fifth and final year to round out the line's centrepieces from 2024.
One of Laurier's great strengths is its depth on the line, as evidenced by the talented group of young blockers that are waiting, such as third-year players Delphyn Ngaleu and Kodi Blackshaw and a few first-year guys such as Benjamin Ottosen and Thomas Williamson.
One stat that highlights the strength and sturdiness of Laurier's offensive line, particularly in terms of rushes and pass plays, is its first downs per game in 2024, which stood at 28.0, leading the entire nation.
Defensive Line
In total, Laurier will be returning an astounding ten starters on the defensive side of the ball, with some game-breakers returning on the defensive line. This group has the potential to be a game-wrecking unit, one that OUA teams should plan extra for.
The Golden Hawks gave up a mere 134.6 rushing yards per game in 2024, showcasing the defensive line's grit. The line is expected to look pretty similar to last season's, except the losses of Chisanem Nsitem and Abraham Odiase.
Fresh off participating in the East-West Bowl, returning fourth-year lineman Marcus Tenney had two sacks in the Golden Hawks' Yates Cup victory over Western.
Tenney is a mighty player with a violent attitude that he brings to the defensive line. To line up against Marcus Tenney is to gamble on winning a rep against brute strength incarnated in a person.
Omari Hastings, also coming back for a fourth year, was a force to be reckoned with in 2024 as his 4.5 TFLs showcase his proficiency for shedding blocks and reaching the backfield quickly.
To supersede his excellent first year, which consisted of four sacks, including two in the Uteck Bowl win against Bishop's, and being named to the OUA All-Rookie Team, Matteo Laquintana will bring his exact style of tenacity and swagger that was quite omnipresent in 2024.
Matt Caruso also appears to be back for his final year in 2025. Caruso only played in seven games in 2024 but still managed to notch a sack and tackle for loss while playing among the rest of Laurier's ferocious defensive linemen.
At 6'0" and 255 lbs, Joseph Edlington is a versatile defensive lineman with the body type to beat blockers in a variety of different ways. He made his presence primarily known in Laurier's OUA semifinal playoff game against Queen's, where he got his first career sack and is expected to see more in-game reps as he enters his third year.
Linebackers
Ethan Gregorcic and Jessie Wilkins-Flaricee are two very impactful linebackers who can fly across the field and cover any ground that they need to.
Gregorcic is heading into his third year and won the Norm Marshall Award for the OUA's top rookie in his first year in 2023. The 6'3" 240-pound missile of a linebacker totalled 41 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, and an interception that he snagged in the OUA semifinal game against Queen's.
He recorded six tackles, including a tackle for loss, in the 59th Vanier Cup game against Laval and looks poised to continue his excellent form in 2025.
Wilkins-Flaricee entered the program as a defensive lineman but became a first-time starter last season as a linebacker. He proved to be a godsend, notching 46 solo tackles in 2024, to go along with three sacks, two pass deflections, and a forced fumble.
Getting past the line of scrimmage and into the backfield was no issue, as evidenced by his four and a half tackles for loss in 2024. Both players will complement each other exceptionally well while on the field.
Maleek Russell is also expected to take a step forward coming into year three. Russell should see substantially more snaps in 2025, as Jayden Griffiths departed for the CFL since he was drafted by the Ottawa Redblacks.
The Golden Hawks will also be bringing in a high-profile transfer to round out the linebacker corps in former 2023 AUS All-Star Josh Connors from St. FX out east.
A wrecking ball during his tenure as an X-Man, Connors recorded the fifth-most tackles in the entire country in 2023 with 53 total and is a three-time Loney Bowl champion at StFX as they won a three-peat of titles from 2021-23.
Two younger linebackers to look out for, who may see more game reps in 2025, are Jack Builder and Isaiah Obiorah. Both players saw playing time last season and could see more this year as they move ahead in their development. Both looked great in camp.
Defensive Backs
One look at the names of the returnees at the defensive back position immediately conjures the phrase 'no fly-zone' in one's head. Johari Hastings, Ethan Bayfield, Harnoor Dhaliwal, Malik Cote, and Tristan Miller are all returning for the 2025 season.
Hastings was the Uteck Bowl Defensive MVP as he logged five tackles and an interception in the Golden Hawks' drubbing of the Gaiters from Bishop's.
The 2023 OUA Second Team All-Star had a spectacular 44 total tackles last season and also had four pass-breakups, which contributed to him receiving an invitation to the 2025 CFL Combine.
At 5'9" and 180 pounds, Hastings will bring his brand of aggressiveness, competitiveness, and sheer athleticism back to the Golden Hawks in 2025 as he reprises his halfback role.
Bayfield, returning for his fourth year of eligibility, is another flat-out competitor at defensive back. A rangy athlete at 5'11" and 178 pounds, Bayfield snagged two picks in early back-to-back games last season against Western and Waterloo, respectively, and also had three pass-breakups.
Dhaliwal is a great tackler and can command a vicinity extremely well as he returns to Laurier for his fifth and final year. He had 22 tackles in 2024 and was a strong presence in the secondary, even logging a few pass breakups.
Malik Cote (38) and Tristan Miller (27) were the Golden Hawks' first and third leading tacklers on the team through eight games. Cote's total of 38 was also good for seventh in the entire country and second nationally amongst defensive backs behind Sherbrooke's Justin Marsan. Factoring in the playoffs, Cote had 63 tackles and Miller had 46.
Both players averaged a minimum of five tackles per game in the regular season and are going to be very effective and physical presences in the secondary, capable of defending the run and pass equally well in 2025. Paul Loggale is another name to look out for, as he has had an excellent offseason and was phenomenal in Laurier's fall training camp.
Special Teams
Coming back for his last year as one of Ontario's most effective kickers/punters is Coquitlam, B.C. native Dawson Hodge. After spending some time in the CFL this offseason with the Toronto Argonauts and Saskatchewan Roughriders, Hodge is back for his fifth year with Laurier.
To describe how powerful his kicks are, look no further than the number of 50+ yard punts he had in 2024, with 12. He also helped the Golden Hawks finish perfect on PATs last year as the team went a golden 35-35, only trailing Western. Hodge is a highly reliable kicker who remains composed under pressure, regardless of the kick's length.
Hodge totalled an awe-inspiring 122 points across all field goals and PATs in 2024 through 13 games, including the 59th Vanier Cup. He constantly shows great touch, awareness, and accuracy in his kicks/punts, which can help Laurier in close games.
In fall camp, Hodge has also been mentoring Laurier's next kicker on the depth chart, Marcus Reypa, a 6'5" 238-pound beast with a big leg.
Jason MacGougan, the team's long snapper in 2024, will not be returning this year as he is currently with the CFL's Calgary Stampeders.
As for the returners, the answer is not particularly clear, with Tayshaun Jackson likely taking on a more prominent rushing role. However, based on his stats from last season and his performance in camp, Titan Gaudun is a name to watch.
The 5'11" 160-pound hometown player is very shifty and possesses lightning-quick twitch, which truly comes out when he returns the ball.
The answers to any unanswered questions about roles and positions will become clear on Saturday, when the team heads to Guelph to take on the Gryphons to open their season.