The countdown to the 2025 Alberta Golden Bears football season is officially underway, with fall training camp going full speed ahead. Inside camp, teammates and coaches noted that senior running back Ope Oshinubi has been locked in, bringing energy, focus, and strong performances as he gears up for his final year.
A running back entering his fifth year with the Golden Bears, Oshinubi has spent most of his collegiate career as a backup. Over four seasons, he’s totaled 887 rushing yards and six touchdowns, numbers that don’t fully reflect his athletic ceiling.
His progression has been steady: 132 yards in 2022, 309 in 2023, and a career-high 364 in 2024. He’s also added value on special teams, recording 273 career kick return yards. The production may look modest number-wise, but the trend-line shows consistent growth.
Last year, the 6'2", 225-pound rusher averaged 6.2 yards-per-carry, which would have ranked third in the conference among running backs had he had enough attempts to qualify (needing just five more rushes on the season to do so).
That potential was on full display at the 2025 CFL combines. At the invitational combine in Waterloo, he stole the spotlight with a 4.45-second 40-yard dash — the fastest at the event.
He followed up at the CFL National Combine with a 4.41-second 40, the top time at thate event and the fifth-fastest in CFL Combine history. He added 25 bench press reps at 225 lbs, a 32-inch vertical, a 9’8” broad jump, a 7.39 three-cone, and a 4.4 short shuttle. Despite posting elite measurables, Oshinubi went undrafted in April.
The question lingers: did his limited game film and backup role overshadow his athleticism? Ahead of the 2025 season, OB.SESSED sat down one-on-one with the Calgary native for an exclusive preseason Q&A about what missing out on being drafted and returning to the Golden Bears means for him.
Oshinubi admitted not seeing his name called in Calgary was "pretty rough…definitely a lot of heartbreak missing out on something you worked so hard on."
Oshinubi, returning to the program he first joined in 2021, said a fifth year with the Golden Bears “means a lot.”
“I love the sport,” said Oshinubi. “I'm glad to have another opportunity to play and I love the program here at U of A. My goals are to have fun and enjoy every moment of what could be my last season and prove that I am able to play at the professional level."
When it comes to the leadership that will be expected of him from coaches, younger teammates and rookies, the senior running back acknowledged that he's "never been the most vocal guy" but makes it a point to "lead by example."
With one year left to prove he can hang with the pros, Oshinubi has decided to cash in his final year of eligibility and run it back with the Golden Bears for a fifth season.
Asked what he wanted people watching him this season to know — from fans to CFL scouts — Oshinubi laughed at the idea of having a dedicated fanbase, but ultimately made his message clear: “I want people to know that I’m back, I’m better, and I’m gonna put on a show.”
This season, he’ll step into the RB1 role vacated by Matthew Peterson, who was by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the fourth round of the 2024 CFL Draft and traded to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on draft day this spring.
Peterson, the 2023 CW Player of the Year, has served as a more-than-capable backup to 2024 CFL Most Outstanding Player Brady Oliveira with the Bombers this season.
Teammates, coaches, and CFL scouts will be watching to see if Oshinubi can follow suit, and translate his combine speed and strength into on-field dominance, no longer behind Peterson on the depth chart.
Oshinubi also hopes to help lead the Golden Bears back to the always-competitive Canada West playoffs this year, after the team narrowly missed qualifying last October in a 29-22 Week 8 loss to the Regina Rams.
After dropping their preseason opener to the Calgary Dinos, the Golden Bears will open their regular season on Friday, Aug. 29, when the Saskatchewan Huskies come to town.