Way back in 2023, Josh Janssen started his first season on the Gee-Gees as the team’s third-string quarterback, buried behind Ben Maracle (who threw for 3,684 yards over the previous three years) and Queen’s transfer Ryan Licandro.
The season didn’t exactly go as planned. Injuries to both Maracle and Licandro forced 6’6” Janssen into the starting role by the end of September. Still, a victory in the Panda Game and an October win over Keagan Hall’s McMaster Marauders carried the Gee-Gees into the playoffs — and demonstrated that the CJFL transfer could compete with the OUA’s best.
Though he’s struggled at times with ball control (8 TD, 10 INT for his career), his production tells a different story — in ten starts since that promotion, he has only dipped below 200 yards passing once, in last year’s season opening loss vs. Western.
With Maracle and short-yardage/gadget quarterback Matt Mahler now graduated, this year is different for Janssen. He opens 2025 as the Gee-Gees unquestioned starter, the veteran in the quarterback room.
Janssen says that he feels like having more reps in camp has allowed him to gain a “good rythym” with his receivers early on. “I feel like now we're ready to take the next step,” Janssen told OB.SESSED, “and, you know, hopefully win a lot more games this year.”
Faced with disruptions from COVID-19 after his senior year of high school in 2019, Janssen spent almost two years waiting for another start, finally returning in 2021 with the CJFL's Valley Huskers, where he spent two seasons. Photo: Greg Mason/Gee-Gees
Though the social media post from the Gee-Gees’ preseason game against the powerhouse Montreal Carabins tells one story — a 37-10 loss — Janssen’s box score tells another. Before giving way after one half, the Chilliwack, B.C. native had led the Gee-Gees on two scoring drives including a touchdown, recording 131 yards on 9-of-11 passing. His efforts helped the Gees exit that first half with just a three-point deficit.
“I felt really good out there,” Janssen said. “It was nice to have a preseason game against a tough opponent like Montreal… the O-line did a great job blocking for me. I had all day to throw, and my receivers did a great job getting open. So I'm just really excited to get into a live game now and get started.”
His touchdown pass in Montreal was to Collège Champlain Saint-Lambert transfer Emyl Gregoire, who led CEGEP D3 last year with 1,238 yards on 59 catches and 13 touchdowns. “I’ve been really happy building a connection with him,” said Janssen, adding that he believes there are multiple new recruits in the receiving corps who will be impactful in 2025.
With no questions in the backfield — as Charles Asselin returns to once again contend with Jared Chisari as the province’s best rusher — the Gee-Gees’ offensive success will hinge on improved seasons from the rest of the receiving corps, which also brings back Noah Avery, Robin Collioud, Romeo Lussier, and Tristan Gilbert Thibeault.
Proving it in the big games
In 2023, Janssen strung together strong outings in consecutive weeks, throwing for 251 yards and two touchdowns against Carleton at Panda before adding 233 yards and two more scores against Laurier. A year later, he once again delivered his best work in back-to-back games — this time throwing for 302 yards against Laurier, who finished as Vanier Cup finalists, before leading the way in the Panda Game with 295 yards and a touchdown on 76.7 per cent passing.
Those late season flashes of brilliance have been tempered by slim playoff losses in back-to-back seasons. In 2023, it was a 12-8 loss at Queen’s, and last season a 26-15 defeat at the hands of Guelph — results that left the Gee-Gees feeling they had more to give.
“We felt like we've been a much better team than our record shows in the past two years,” said Janssen. “But at the end of the day, that doesn't matter. We’ve got to win those close games. So I feel like this year we'll be much more prepared in those late fourth quarter situations. So hopefully we can take that step to win those games. And if we can do that this year, I think we'll be one of the best teams in Canada.”
Janssen has delivered standout performances against nearly every team in the OUA — with two exceptions: Waterloo, who the Gee-Gees open against on Saturday, and York, their home opener the following weekend. Janssen has not seen action against either opponent — and the third-year Gee is perfectly fine with that.
“My coaches do a great job giving us a breakdown of what teams like to run, what their tendencies are, said Janssen.
“I'm just doing my best to prepare, watching film, and getting in rhythm with my receivers so that when we go out there, we can just hopefully dominate right off the bat.”