With the new U SPORTS football season around the corner, it's a chance to see new stars emerge in their conference. As older players graduate and move on, there are windows of opportunity for young players to make their mark and earn a spot on teams.
Last season saw the likes of Manitoba running back Breydon Stubbs and Saskatchewan wide receiver Daniel Wiebe emerge as some of the top players in the Canada West conference.
So who might follow in Stubbs and Wiebe's footsteps in 2025 and crack into the realm of elite talent, or have a breakout season to put them on the map? Here is my list of eight players who could be in line for a breakout 2025 campaign.
6. DB Isaiah Smith, Calgary Dinos
The Calgary Dinos' defence is losing some big-name talent on defence going into 2025.
However, all but two of the team's main defensive backs from last season will be returning for the upcoming year. The most significant subtraction is Nate Beauchemin. He was a leader on the Dinos' defence, leading the conference in interceptions with four and recording over 40 tackles.
Among the players projected to return are Steen Rasmussen and Isaiah Smith. And Smith might be the one who stands to benefit the most from the opportunity. He had one interception and 22 tackles and was often overshadowed by the likes of Beauchemin, Ethan Ball and Gideon Agyei in the secondary. That should change in 2025.
Smith is entering his fourth year of eligibility and just wrapped up his third full year on the Dino's defence. It seems perfect for him to capitalize on his prior experience and take on a bigger role to achieve a true breakout campaign. He does have competition with becoming the number one defensive back — Rasmussen should move into that role — but could fit in as a solid leader in the secondary.
5. DL Aaron Parker, UBC Thunderbirds
Three significant exits from the Thunderbirds' defence — defensive linemen Michael Townsend, linebacker Jaxon Ciraolo-Brown, and defensive back Jerrell Cummings — will leave some huge shoes to fill for UBC.
The one position that might see someone step right in and produce at a star level is on the defensive line. With Townsend aging out, third-year linemen Aaron Parker appears to be a great fit to replace him.
Townsend led the Thunderbirds in solo and total tackles and finished second in sacks and tackles for loss, trailing rookie standout Deacon Sterna for the lead in those categories. Sterna will be a massive part of the Thunderbirds' pass rush again in 2025, but to complement him, Parker feels like a great pick.
Parker registered 21.5 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles in 2025. His main competition for the spot will be fourth-year Aidan Bertuzzi. He recorded identical numbers to Parker last season, achieving 19.5 total tackles, four tackles for loss and one forced fumble.
Both Bertuzzi and Parker will likely have great seasons and have an increase in production in 2025. The favourite to replace Townsend is a close race that may change week to week, depending on who gets hot at the right time.
4. RB Toluwalope Ayedegbe, UBC Thunderbirds
With Isaiah Knight remaining on the Edmonton Elks practice roster, it appears more and more likely the running back will not return to the Thunderbirds for his fifth year of eligibility.
If Knight does not return to U SPORTS, it is a massive loss for UBC's offence, which is also losing starting quarterback Garrett Rooker and full back Skyler Griffith, who followed Knight to the Elks.
Two easy options could slide in as the lead tailback for the Thunderbirds come Week 1: Toluwalope Ayedegbe and Caleb Yang. It is hard to see either immediately replicating the numbers Knight has produced over the last few seasons. Since 2023, the Ottawa native recorded 1,701 yards and 14 touchdowns on 247 rushes.
But both could become serviceable replacements in his absence, especially Ayedegbe. The fourth-year running back has seen some playing time as the Thunderbirds' number two option the past two seasons. He posted 166 yards on 31 rushes in 2023, but saw a slight dip in his 2024 usage and numbers, tallying 66 yards on 12 attempts.
On the other hand, a more dark horse candidate for the role could be Yang. Just finishing his rookie year in 2024, Yang was primarily used on special teams as a kick and punt returner, backing up the primary returner, Shemar McBean. Yang would only record 124 yards through returns in the backup role, rushing for 26 yards on six attempts in his limited time at running back last year.
Barring a recruit stepping up, Ayedegbe should be the favourite at the beginning of camp. He has experience, and that should push him to have the shot at the spot early.
3. RB Ope Oshinubi, Alberta Golden Bears
It feels like just yesterday Matthew Peterson was terrorizing opposing defences for the Golden Bears during his 2023 Canada West Player of the Year campaign. But those days are now officially over.
With Peterson graduating, it leaves a question mark around who will ascend to take his spot as the number one option at running back. There are a few courses of action Alberta could take to solve that problem. Nobody jumps out as the apparent successor, but a slight favourite might be Ope Oshinubi, the winner of the 2025 CFL Combine 40-yard dash thanks to a blazing 4.41.
Standing at 6'0", 220 lbs, the fifth-year running back was the number two option for the Golden Bears a year ago. Combining his 2023 and 2024 stats, where he also played that role, he recorded 673 rushing yards on 91 attempts and found the endzone five times. Oshinubi had the confidence from the Alberta coaching staff to play a role in the offence last year. But does that change this year with a new head coach?
Oshinubi's experience and performance at the combine might be factors that could sway the odds in his favour to take the starter's job — at least at the start of the season. Just don't count on it. With significant turnover on the Alberta sideline, it could open the door for third-year running back Alan Xiang to take a run at being in charge of the ground game.
Xiang saw very few opportunities as a running back last season, but he did make his mark with his special-teams play. He recorded a Canada West best 430 yards on 15 kick returns in 2024. Could he find his way into the starting position come Week 1?
You could make an argument for either. However, it seems the Golden Bears may lean towards Oshinubi. It seems the safest route, considering his prior experience. It will be interesting to see how Oshinubi fits into the game plan with a new look coaching staff and what his production would look like in a starter's role.
2. WR Mula Yitna, Manitoba Bisons
Manitoba does not have much working against them right now. With running back Breydon Stubbs returning for a fifth season and reigning Canada West Player of the Year Jackson Tachinski returning at quarterback as well, it's shaping up to be another excellent year for the Bisons.
The big question that needs to be answered on offence is who will replace the team's leader in receiving yards, AK Gassama, who aged out after last season. Filling the void Gassama leaves behind will be no small task. He racked up 420 receiving yards and two touchdowns while being Tachinski's favourite target, catching 33 passes in eight games.
The good news for Manitoba is that there are plenty of contenders who can step up. Wide receivers Vaughn Lloyd, Michael O'Shea, Mula Yitna, and De Shawn Le Jour are all set to return for 2025.
Lloyd and O'Shea finished second and third in receiving yards for the Bisons last season, and they should be the favourites to assume the role Gassama leaves behind. However, 'Money' Mula Yitna stands out as an option to pursue that number two spot.
Yitna tied O'Shea for receiving yards with 186 and also scored two touchdowns — Gassama and Lloyd were the only others to also score two touchdowns last season for Manitoba. The caveat with Yitna is that he is 22.
Although he has only played his rookie season thus far, the wide receiver has seen a flurry of setbacks from injuries since joining the Bisons in 2021. So he does have an advantage over others in this list who are much younger. However, much like Jack and Luke Gutek, Yitna's ceiling is very high.
I don't think Yitna can become the team's number one quite yet, but considering he tied O'Shea and the Bisons' by-committee approach, Yitna seems poised to receive a bigger share of the workload.
If he does, Manitoba will have a very exciting wide receiver to pair with whoever becomes their number one.
1. QB Drew Viotto, UBC Thunderbirds
With UBC quarterback Garrett Rooker not returning to the roster in 2025 despite having one year of eligibility remaining, the Thunderbirds have a gap in the depth chart under center.
But, UBC does have options at the position to fill the void, primarily the in-house option of fifth-year quarterback Derek Engel, who has been Rooker's backup the past two seasons, and the shiny new transfer from the NCAA, Drew Viotto.
It leaves a much-anticipated storyline to follow from UBC's training camp as to who will be the Week 1 starter.
The hype for Viotto, coming as a transfer from Missouri State University, might lead you to believe that he has plenty of NCAA experience, but that is not the case. In his three seasons of college football south of the border, Viotto never saw playing time.
However, after graduating from high school, he was a three-star recruit and initially committed to the University of Minnesota before transferring to Eastern Michigan and then to Missouri State.
This is why it feels like Viotto falls into the breakout candidate category. He has yet to have an opportunity to prove himself, but at the same time, his talent is evident when considering his pre-university hype.
Viotto has some big shoes to fill after Rooker brought UBC to a Vanier Cup in 2023 and led the conference in passing. It will be an interesting story to see if Viotto wins the job out of camp and if he can fill that position as a clear number one. And if that happens, UBC will be a tough team to beat — not just in 2025, but until Viotto's eligbility runs out.
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story included Luke and Jack Gutek of the Calgary Dinos, who are not returning in 2025.