The CFL draft proved fruitless for the Mustangs this year, with no athletes called among the 74 selections.
The last time Western University went without an athlete drafted to the Canadian Football League was over 20 years ago in 2003. At the time, the draft had six rounds, compared to eight today.
Western began with five hopefuls in the draft process, three of which competed at the CFL Invitational Combine in Waterloo in early March. Their goal was to receive an invite to the National CFL Combine in Edmonton at the end of the month — the final opportunity for athletes to showcase their talents before the draft.
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Fourth-year fullback Sandro Pierini, fourth-year defensive lineman Conner Franzisi and 2025 graduate receiver Sam La Roue all had strong showings, but none received an invitation to Edmonton.
Mustangs defensive lineman Conner Franzisi squats before he propels into his jump during the broad jump drill at the CFL Invitational Combine in Waterloo, March 6, 2026.
Western still had hope, with fifth-year offensive lineman and OUA-first-team all-star Keegan O’Neil and fifth-year backup quarterback Jérôme Rancourt — who had the second most rushing touchdowns in the OUA this season — already having secured their spots among the 100 athletes at the CFL Combine.
Despite their sparkling resumes and strong scores — including O’Neil leading the combine bench press with 30 reps and running the third-fastest three-cone drill of all offensive linemen — neither saw their names called.
“The Western Mustangs football program has a rich history of excellence, with 35 Yates Cup championships since its inception, and a strong legacy of developing top-tier players who play in the CFL,” said Western football head coach Michael Faulds in a statement to the Gazette.
Just two days after the draft, O’Neil was signed as a free agent to the Toronto Argonauts.
The draft was dominated by American universities at the start, with 19 of the first 29 picks coming from the NCAA loop, and eight of nine first-round selections coming from U.S. schools.
Despite this, U Sports ended the night representing over 60 per cent of the players taken in the draft.
With the draft in the rearview, Western will look to bounce back from a frustrating season when they kick things off against the York University Lions at home on September 6.