MESIDOR TAKES HOLD OF TOP SPOT IN CFL SCOUTING BUREAU: FALL EDITION
Miami defensive lineman named No. 1 in Class of 2026 prospect rankings
TORONTO (August 20, 2025) – University of Miami defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor sits atop the Fall edition of the Canadian Football League (CFL) Scouting Bureau. The Ottawa native leads the ranking of the top-20 prospects eligible for selection in the 2026 CFL Draft.
Two players in the rankings began their careers in U SPORTS. Devynn Cromwell (No. 8) played three seasons at the University of Guelph before transferring to Texas Tech and then Michigan State, while Giordano Vaccaro (No. 11) spent three years developing at the University of Manitoba before continuing his career at Purdue.
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: in the fall, winter and spring.
CFL SCOUTING BUREAU: FALL EDITION
Rank | Name | POS | School | Hometown
- 1 | Akheem Mesidor | DL | Miami | Ottawa
- 2 | Logan Taylor | OL | Boston College | Lunenburg, N.S.
- 3 | Wesley Bailey | DL | Louisville | Ottawa
- 4 | Nick Cenacle | WR | Hawaii | Montreal
- 5 | Albert Reese IV | OL | Mississippi State | Edmonton
- 6 | Jett Elad | DB | Rutgers | Mississauga, Ont.
- 7 | Rene Konga | DL | Louisville | Ottawa
- 8 | Devynn Cromwell | DB | Michigan State | Toronto
- 9 | Nolan Ulm | WR | Eastern Washington | Kelowna, B.C.
- 10 | Dariel Djabome | LB | Rutgers | Longueuil, Que.
- 11 | Giordano Vaccaro | OL | Purdue | Winnipeg
- 12 | Malcolm Bell | DB | Michigan State | Montreal
- 13 | Darius Bell | OL | East Carolina | Hamilton, Ont.
- 14 | Jez Janvier | OL | Southern Mississippi | Montreal
- 15 | Josh Baka | DB | Alabama Birmingham | Ottawa
- 16 | Rohan Jones | TE | Arkansas | Montreal
- 17 | Tyrell Lawrence | OL | Alabama A&M | Milton, Ont.
- 18 | Darius McKenzie | LB | South Alabama | Ottawa
- 19 | Aamarii Notice | DL | Coastal Carolina | Toronto
- 20 | Trae Tomlinson | DB | Louisiana | Winnipeg
BY THE NUMBERS
- The fall rankings include:
- Six offensive linemen
- Five defensive backs
- Four defensive linemen
- Two wide receivers
- Two linebackers
- One tight end
- 17 schools are represented in the rankings. Louisville (No. 3 Wesley Bailey and No. 7 Rene Konga), Rutgers (No. 6 Jett Elad and No. 10 Dariel Djabome) and Michigan State (No. 8 Devynn Cromwell and No. 12 Malcolm Bell) feature multiple players.
- Four of the eight first-round selections in the 2025 CFL Draft were listed in the 2024 CFL Scouting Bureau: Fall edition.
TOP-5 NEED TO KNOW
NO. 1 | AKHEEM MESIDOR | DL | MIAMI | OTTAWA
- 2024: 13 games/starts, 32 tackles (17 solo and 15 assisted), nine tackles for a loss, 5.5 sacks and one forced fumble
- All-ACC Honourable Mention (2022 and 2024)
- All-Big 12 Honourable Mention (2021)
- Shrine Bowl 1,000 List
- Played two seasons at West Virginia before transferring to Miami
- Career: 50 games, 37 starts, 145 tackles (85 solo and 60 assisted), 35 tackles for a loss, 23 sacks
NO. 2 | LOGAN TAYLOR | OL | BOSTON COLLEGE | LUNENBURG, N.S.
- 2024: 12 games, 11 starts (10 at left guard and one at left tackle), 364 dropback snaps, no sacks allowed, five games with a PFF pass block grade of over 80.0
- All-ACC Honourable Mention (2023-24)
- Shrine Bowl 1,000 List
- Entering third season at Boston College following two at Virginia
- Career: 37 games with 34 starts
NO. 3 | WESLEY BAILEY | DL | LOUISVILLE | OTTAWA
- Entering first season at Louisville after playing four at Rutgers
- Academic All-Big Ten (2024)
- Shrine Bowl 1,000
- Career: 36 games, 25 starts, 71 tackles (31 solo and 40 assisted), 14 tackles for a loss, 9.5 sacks and five passes deflected.
NO. 4 | NICK CENACLE | WR | HAWAII | MONTREAL
- 2024: 12 games, nine starts, led team in receptions (63), receiving yards (721) and touchdown receptions (six)
- Academic All-Mountain West (2022)
- Career: 36 games, 94 receptions, 1,072 receiving yards, 11.4 yards per catch and seven touchdowns
NO. 5 | ALBERT REESE IV | OL | MISSISSIPPI STATE | EDMONTON
- 2024: 12 games/starts (10 at right tackle and two at right guard) and 853 total snaps
- Kent Hull Trophy as the best offensive lineman in Mississippi
- Shrine Bowl 1,000 List
- Career: 40 games with 13 starts