The CJFL and U SPORTS governing bodies are very much intertwined. Coaches at the university level often look to the CJFL when recruiting players because of the oversaturated depth of talent and the skill it takes to play and excel in the CJFL.
There have been several current and past CFL and U SPORTS standouts that came from the CJFL level, including Andrew Harris (Vancouver Island Raiders), current York Lions head coach Dexter Janke (Okanagan Sun), Logan Ferland (Regina Thunder), and Sean Whyte (formerly Big Kahuna Rams, now the Langley Rams).
The CJFL was officially organized as a junior league in 1974; however, it has roots that date back to the early 1900s. The first junior championship game in Canada was played on November 29, 1908, in Montreal between the home team, Montreal AAA and the Parkland Canoe Club of Toronto, which Toronto would win 8-1.
Players are allowed to start playing in the league as early as 17 years old and can keep playing until they are 22, the same length as U SPORTS eligibility. The league is separated into three conferences: the Ontario Football Conference, British Columbia Football Conference, and the Prairie Football Conference, while all teams play to win their conference and then for a chance at the Canadian Bowl, the league's national title.
As the 2025 U SPORTS football season approaches quickly, there will be new players who have made the jump from the CJFL to a U SPORTS roster for this season. Those players will be eager to cement their roles on their new teams this year and come well prepared after numerous battles in Canada's top junior football league.
Here are four CJFL-U SPORTS transfers that we at OB.SESSED are excited about and believe can be impactful players in 2025.
Romareo Reid, ATH: Okanagan Sun to Saint Mary's Huskies
Romareo Reid is a freak of an athlete, as represented by his positional status. Most recently, Reid was a member of the Okanagan Sun in Kelowna, B.C., where he was a regular force to deal with for teams out west. Mainly, the 6'0, 210-pound Calgary native plays as a defensive lineman but has the requisite athleticism to moonlight as a ball carrier, whether at running back or fullback.
The year that best describes what kind of player Romareo Reid is came in 2022. That year, the Sun won the Canadian Bowl and became national champions as Reid played a massive part in their pursuit.
He was a CJFL Second-Team All-Canadian on the defensive line as he put up a mind-blowing 12.5 sacks, 10 tackles, and a fumble recovery in that championship season. His 12.5 sacks also rank in the top five for most in a single season, three and a half behind Evan Foster's record-breaking 16 sack-year with the Langley Rams in 2013.
Back in February, Reid committed to play at Saint Mary's University for the Huskies in the AUS for this coming season. Saint Mary's finished third in the conference in 2024 at 4-4, and their defence held up reasonably well by looking at the box score.
In three of their four losses, Saint Mary's held their opponent to under 20 points, except for their last loss against St. FX, where they gave up 26. However, more is to be desired when talking about bringing down the quarterback, as the Huskies only had eight sacks on the entire season, which places them in the bottom half of the country, tied for 22nd nationally.
Given what he has shown with the Sun, Reid is an excellent addition to the defensive line and will most definitely help to improve the Huskies' 2025 sack total. SMU will also lose a defensive line contributor in Aiden Hennessey as he ages out, which will help to open up a spot to compete for.
The Huskies and their faithful fans will happily welcome his freakish athleticism and violent pass-rushing skills as they try to flip the script out east.
Kai Kukurudza, DL: Saskatoon Hilltops to Saskatchewan Huskies
A member of Saskatoon's 2023 Canadian Bowl team that won the organization's 23rd national title, Medicine Hat, Alta.'s Kai Kukurudza has been one of the CJFL's top defenders since he entered the league in '23.
Overall, Kukurudza has 57 total tackles, six tackles for loss, 12 sacks, and two forced fumbles to go along with that interception during his tenure in the CJFL across 18 games.
A lifelong hockey player who didn't start playing football until Grade 12, his two years in the league show steady growth in his development as a defensive player overall, jumping from five to seven sacks in two fewer games from '23 to '24 and forcing two fumbles as compared to none in that same span.
At the same time, he honed his craft for one of the CJFL's best defensive teams in 2024, as the Hilltops finished top five nationally in sacks (second), interceptions (second), tackles for loss (fifth), and tackles (fifth).
For 2025, Kukurudza will stay in the Saskatoon area but will join the University of Saskatchewan Huskies in the Canada West conference for the foreseeable future. The Huskies finished second in the conference in 2024, tied with UBC at 5-3, behind league-leading Manitoba at 7-1.
They were an offensive juggernaut, finishing second in their conference in points per game (29.1) and top ten nationally in yards per game (443.6) behind the trio of quarterback Anton Amundrud, running back Ryker Frank, and receiver Daniel Wiebe; however, their defence was not as powerful.
Saskatchewan finished tied for dead last in the nation in sacks with just six and also in the bottom half of the country for points allowed per game with nearly 30. Kukurudza should help improve those totals with the speed and aggressiveness he has shown when rushing the quarterback for the Hilltops. His mere presence can cause pressure for a signal-caller.
If they can correct the defensive side of the ball, the Huskies will be a national contender as Amundrud, Frank, and Wiebe return on the offensive side of the ball.
Bringing in a relentless player like Kukurudza shows the rest of the conference that Saskatchewan is all in and is doing everything they can to fortify their defence so it complements their offensive firepower well in 2025.
Kaleb Senz, WR/Returner: Kamloops Broncos to Regina Rams
Kaleb Senz is a bad man. Playing for the Kamloops Broncos of the BCFC, Senz established himself as a fearsome return specialist and was a nightmare for players to bring down in the open field.
Kamloops struggled in 2024, but a bright spot was Senz's qualities as a return man, which earned him a 2024 First Team All-Canadian nod, and it is easy to see why. Senz returned 59 kicks in 2024 for a grand total of 1,081 yards and averaged over 18 yards a return, which is very impressive.
His highlight play of the year came on an 80-yard punt return touchdown, where he displays all of his best qualities, such as explosiveness, fearlessness, immense shiftiness, awareness, and the ability to find the right lane to run through when returning upfield. He is also a very serviceable player when lining up at receiver.
Still, his best traits shine in the open field, returning a punt or a kick straight into the abyss of an unsettled opponent as they calculate in real time how slight the possibility is of bringing Senz down.
Senz will take his talents to the University of Regina to play for a Rams team that is hungry to upset the entire Canada West landscape for the second year in a row after falling just three points shy of making a national championship appearance despite going 3-5 in regular-season play.
It is an exciting time in Regina with the new season coming, the school's rebrand, and them being chosen as the host for the 60th Vanier Cup. Senz will be a welcome addition, particularly in the return game. Regina averaged merely 5.9 return yards per punt in 2024, which settled them at 25th nationally.
That figure could use some work. They were adept, however, at returning kickoffs, finishing at 10th in the country, averaging 20.4 yards per return as a team. As mentioned above, Senz averaged over 18 yards per kick return just by himself.
Kaleb Senz can quickly turn himself into a household name out west if he immediately picks up where he left off at Kamloops and if Regina picks up some steam in the standings. Playmakers like this are ones that you will welcome with open arms.
Terrel Jones, WR: Langley Rams to Regina Rams
Another welcome addition to the 2025 Regina Rams offence is wide receiver Terrel Jones from the Langley Rams of the BCFC.
A 2024 First Team All-Canadian, Jones had an excellent season for the Rams as they finished second in the BCFC behind powerhouses Okanagan. He reeled in 33 catches for 813 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging an insane 24.6 yards per reception. Jones was a significant part of their offence and made a healthy contribution to the Rams' playoff appearance.
Regina has been very aggressive this offseason in their goal of loading up their roster to solidify themselves in the wild and unpredictable Canada West conference as a contender.
Their offensive prowess through the air was middle of the pack, with some statistical areas needing significant improvement, such as their passing touchdown figure (five) and yards per completion total (10.9), which both rank well into the bottom half of the nation.
Their identity in 2024 was inarguably a defensive one, as evidenced by them giving up the fewest points per game in Canada West (25.1) and their four All-Star selections all playing on the defensive side of the ball.
Jones will help improve the offensive numbers and will bring some more versatility to the offence in terms of available weapons for fifth-year quarterback Noah Pelletier.
If the offence, with playmakers like Jones, running back Marshall Erichsen, and D'Sean Mimbs, can match the performance level of the defence in 2025, then you can pencil in the Rams as a national contender even though they are a member of Canada's most unpredictable conference and seem to thrive when conditions are the most uncertain.
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this headline and article referenced five CJFL transfers. Mekhi Tyrell, who was reported to be on his way from the Edmonton Wildcats to the Manitoba Bisons, is not on the team's roster.