MESIDOR RETAINS NO. 1 IN CFL SCOUTING BUREAU: SPRING EDITION
Miami D-lineman completes sweep of top spots across rankings for Class of 2026
TORONTO (April 21, 2026) – University of Miami defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor is No. 1 in the Spring edition of the Canadian Football League (CFL) Scouting Bureau. With the ranking, the Ottawa native has swept the top position across all three editions of the Scouting Bureau for the Class of 2026.
The Ottawa REDBLACKS hold the first overall selection in the 2026 CFL Canadian Draft, which will be conducted on April 28, beginning at 7 p.m. ET. The first two rounds will air live on TSN and rounds 3-8 will stream exclusively on TSN+.
The CFL Scouting Bureau, comprising CFL scouts, as well as player personnel directors and general managers from the league’s nine clubs, releases its rankings three times each year, with the cycle beginning in the fall to coincide with the collegiate season, in winter following collegiate regular seasons, and in spring following Combine season.
Previous rankings for the Class of 2026
CFL SCOUTING BUREAU: SPRING EDITION
(Rank (Previous) | Name | POS | School | Hometown)
- 1 (1) | Akheem Mesidor | DL | Miami | Ottawa
- 2 (2) | Logan Taylor | OL | Boston College | Lunenburg, N.S.
- 3 (4) | Rene Konga | DL | Louisville | Ottawa
- 4 (5) | Wesley Bailey | DL | Louisville | Ottawa
- 5 (3) | Albert Reese IV | OL | Mississippi State | Edmonton
- 6 (10) | Rohan Jones | TE | Arkansas | Montreal
- 7 (–) | Kevin Cline | OL | Boston College | Boca Raton, Fla.
- 8 (7) | Dariel Djabome | LB | Rutgers | Longueuil, Que.
- 9 (6) | Jett Elad | DB | Rutgers | Mississauga, Ont.
- 10 (9) | Malcolm Bell | DB | Michigan State | Montreal
- 11 (19) | Giordano Vaccaro | OL | Purdue | Winnipeg
- 12 (8) | Nuer Gatkuoth | DL | Wake Forest | Edmonton
- 13 (12) | Darius Bell | OL | East Carolina | Hamilton, Ont.
- 14 (–) | Niklas Henning | OL | Queen’s | Milton, Ont.
- 15 (11) | Nick Cenacle | WR | Hawaii | Montreal
- 16 (20) | Émeric Boutin | FB | Laval | L’Assomption, Que.
- 17 (–) | Malick Meiga | WR | Coastal Carolina | Montreal
- 18 (18) | Nate DeMontagnac | WR | North Dakota | Mississauga, Ont.
- 19 (15) | Jonathan Denis | OL | Louisiana Tech | Homestead, Fla.
- 20 (13) | Darius McKenzie | LB | South Alabama | Ottawa
BY THE NUMBERS
- The spring rankings include:
- Seven offensive linemen
- Four defensive linemen
- Three wide receivers
- Two linebackers
- Two defensive backs
- One tight end
- One fullback
- 17 schools are represented in the rankings. Boston College (No.2 Logan Taylor and No. 7 Kevin Cline), Louisville (No. 3 Rene Konga and No. 4 Wesley Bailey) and Rutgers (No. 8 Dariel Djabome and No. 9 Jett Elad) feature multiple players.
- All eight first-round selections in the 2025 CFL Canadian Draft were listed in the 2025 CFL Scouting Bureau: Spring edition.
TOP-5 NEED TO KNOW
NO. 1 (1) | AKHEEM MESIDOR | DL | MIAMI | OTTAWA
- 2025: 15 games/starts, 60 tackles (36 solo and 24 assisted), 15.5 tackles for a loss, 10.5 sacks and four forced fumbles
- 2025 National Championship: Three tackles (two solo and one assisted) and two sacks
- All-ACC First Team (2025)
- All-ACC Honourable Mention (2022 and 2024)
- All-Big 12 Honourable Mention (2021)
- Played two seasons at West Virginia before three at Miami
- Career: 65 games, including 52 starts, 205 tackles (121 solo and 84 assisted), 50.5 tackles for a loss and 33.5 sacks
NO. 2 (2) | LOGAN TAYLOR | OL | BOSTON COLLEGE | LUNENBURG, N.S.
- 2025: 12 games/starts (eight at right guard, three at left tackle and one at right tackle)
- Team captain (2025)
- All-ACC Second Team (2025)
- All-ACC Honourable Mention (2023-24)
- Played two seasons at Virginia before three at Boston College
- Career: 49 games, including 46 starts
NO. 3 (4) | RENE KONGA | DL | LOUISVILLE | OTTAWA
- 2025: 12 games, including 11 starts, 29 tackles (13 solo and 16 assisted), five tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks and six pass breakups
- All-ACC Second Team (2025)
- Played three seasons at Rutgers before two at Louisville
- Career: 44 games, 63 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss and five sacks
NO. 4 (5) | WESLEY BAILEY | DL | LOUISVILLE | OTTAWA
- 2025: 12 games/starts, 39 tackles (17 solo and 22 assisted), seven tackles for a loss, six sacks and five quarterback hurries
- Academic All-Big Ten (2024)
- Played four seasons at Rutgers before one at Louisville
- Career: 48 games, including 37 starts, 110 tackles (48 solo and 62 assisted), 21 tackles for a loss and 15.5 sacks
NO. 5 (3) | ALBERT REESE IV | OL | MISSISSIPPI STATE | EDMONTON
- 2025: Nine games/starts
- SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week (2025 Week 2 against Arizona State)
- Kent Hull Trophy as best offensive lineman in Mississippi (2024)
- Career: 49 games, including 22 starts