Patrick Cumberbatch says it’s “kind of hard to explain, but communication is very easy” with his twin brother Eric. It’s the kind of connection amongst a secondary unit that even the best coaches wish they could teach and foster, and a connection that the Ottawa Gee-Gees will be without for the first time in three years when their season kicks off with a trip to Waterloo’s aptly-named Warrior Field on Aug. 23.
Despite being twins, Patrick’s draft year didn’t line up with Eric’s, who was drafted by the Ottawa Redblacks in the fifth round of last spring’s CFL Draft and made their roster out of training camp.
Both originally committed to the University of Ottawa at the same time, shortly after their 17th birthdays, way back in 2019. Patrick came via Collège La Cité and took a bit longer to suit up in garnet and grey. The 6’3”, 185 pound defensive back finally made his debut during 2022 — where a shoulder injury derailed his hopes of starting, a phase of his career Cumberbatch labels as “rough.” But that phase wasn’t going to hold him down forever.
Patrick Cumberbatch, Eric Cumberbatch, and Kevin Victome helped make up a daunting Ottawa secondary that helped the Gee-Gees to the fourth best defence in the conference in 2024. Photo: Emir Atli/Gee-Gees
In 2023, Cumberbatch broke out in a big way, starting all eight regular season games and nabbing two interceptions during the regular season. On the road at Richardson Stadium in the OUA quarterfinals, he picked off Queen’s quarterback Russell Weir for another interception and racked up a season-high 6.5 tackles.
The Cumberbatch name and brand became nationally known shortly thereafter, as Eric was named a first-team All-Canadian following his OUA First Team All-Star nod. A year later, it was Patrick’s turn. With Eric missing the second half of the 2024 season due to injury, Patrick’s two interceptions, six pass breakups, and 24.5 tackles per game earned him a place on the OUA 2024 Second Team All-Stars.
Eric was far from the first defender that Gees defensive coordinator Jean-Vincent Posy-Audette graduated to the professional ranks, and he’s certainly not going to be the last. Alongside Eric, offensive lineman Tristan Fortin was signed by the Redblacks, while the previous year, linebacker Max Charbonneau was drafted by Winnipeg, and the year before that, it was James Peter to Ottawa.
And before that, it was Jamie Harry, and Jackson Bennett, and Alain Pae, and Khadim Mbaye, and… you get the point. The Vanier Cup winner and two-time All-Canadian defensive back has more than 20 years of coaching experience, 10 with the Gee-Gees.
“He makes sure that the best players are going to be on the field,” says Patrick of Posy-Audette. “He’s been really helping a lot of guys in their progression, helping guys progress and play at the best of their abilities for sure.”
Cumberbatch played for the East in the 2025 East-West Bowl, the annual preseason Canadian university football all-star game. Photo: Kha Vo/OUA
For Cumberbatch, a trip to May’s East-West Bowl in Waterloo kicked off the grind of his own draft year. “We’ve been planning on being drafted forever,” says Patrick on the long road to his eligibility. “It’s motivating for sure [seeing Eric get drafted], it gives me that extra motivation that it’s my turn this year, and super excited for it, really.”
But if the path seems simpler to him now, it was far from that growing up in Alexandria, a town of just over 3,000 located about 40 minutes north of Cornwall and an hour east of Ottawa. “It’s very hard to get recognized playing for small-town Glengarry,” said Cumberbatch, who played alongside Eric for organizations in both Cornwall and Ottawa growing up.
“My mom did most of the driving, she used to drive us to Ottawa for practices three times a week, plus games. [I’m] very thankful for both of my parents, just for helping us to be where we’re at today for sure.”
Cumberbatch makes it clear: he doesn't ignore the schedule or pretend to ignore the schedule, but rather studies it, and he likes what he sees. The defensive back says that opening the season with a road win on Aug. 23 at Waterloo — “a team we know we can beat” — can set the tone for the rest of the season.
“We have some pretty good home games this year,” notes Cumberbatch, referencing Panda in particular. As the neutral-site Panda Game at TD Place will officially count as a Ravens’ home game this year, the Gee‑Gees will play four times at Gee‑Gees Field, doubling last year’s total (they played their home opener at TD Place as well last season). A bye in Week 6 after a home game against Laurier provides a timely break before that Panda Game, offering rest before the playoff push.
For a Gee-Gees team that went 4–4 last season — with narrow losses to Windsor (21–18) and eventual Yates Cup champions Laurier (32–20) — every game on the schedule matters. Ottawa extended its OUA playoff streak to eight straight seasons in 2024 but was faced with a road matchup in the quarterfinals for the second year in a row.
And for a veteran stepping up to lead a secondary who is hungry to take his game to the next level, those teams and games aren’t just memories. They’re targets. And just like the targets to the receivers on Patrick Cumberbatch’s side of the field, they’re being tracked well in advance.