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.
The CFL Scouting Bureau, comprising of 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.
The 6-foot-3, 280-pound Mesidor begins the year at No.1 and is entering his fourth year at Miami after two seasons at West Virginia. Across 50 collegiate games, the defensive lineman has racked up 145 tackles, 35 tackles for loss, 23 sacks, and four pass deflections while claiming All-ACC honourable mentions in 2022 and 2024.
Sitting second in the fall edition is Boston College offensive lineman Logan Taylor. The 6-foot-7, 308-pound blocker has made 34 starts across 37 contests, as he enters his third year at Boston College after two seasons at Virginia. The Lunenburg, Nova Scotia native claimed All-ACC honourable mentions the past two seasons and allowed zero sacks on 364 pass blocking snaps in 2024.
Beginning the year third on the Scouting Bureau is Louisville defensive lineman Wesley Bailey. In 36 games, including 25 starts across four years with Rutgers, the Ottawa native recorded 71 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, and five pass deflections. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound defender is beginning his first season as a Cardinal after claiming Academic All-Big Ten in 2024.
Hawaii wide receiver Nick Cenacle claims the No.4 spot as he enters his fourth year with the Rainbow Warriors. The Montreal native led his team in receptions (63), receiving yards (721), and touchdown receptions (six) last season. Across 36 career games, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound wideout has made 94 catches for 1,072 yards and seven touchdowns.
Starting the year fifth in the rankings is Mississippi State offensive lineman Albert Reese IV. The 6-foot-7, 330-pound blocker started all 12 games for the Bulldogs last season (10 at right tackle and two at right guard), claiming the Kent Hull Trophy, which is awarded to the best offensive lineman in Mississippi. In 2023, the Edmonton native played in all 12 games and didn’t allow a sack in 79 snaps.
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-Lafayette | Winnipeg
Overall, 17 schools are represented in the rankings, while Louisville (Bailey and Konga), Rutgers (Elad and Djabome), and Michigan State (Cromwell and Bell) feature multiple players.
Two players in the rankings also began their careers in U SPORTS. Cromwell (No. 8) played three seasons at the University of Guelph before transferring to Texas Tech and then Michigan State, while Vaccaro (No. 11) spent three years developing at the University of Manitoba before continuing his career at Purdue.
Four of the eight first-round selections in the 2025 CFL Draft were listed in the 2024 CFL Scouting Bureau: Fall edition.
