{"id":573595,"date":"2026-03-31T20:13:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T20:13:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/573595\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T20:13:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T20:13:13","slug":"3-cfl-combine-standouts-who-could-be-the-next-big-thing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/573595\/","title":{"rendered":"3 CFL Combine standouts who could be the next big thing"},"content":{"rendered":"

TORONTO \u2014 The CFL Combine presented by Anytime Fitness Canada continues to offer valuable insight into this year\u2019s draft class, as prospects look to translate testing numbers into on-field performance.<\/p>\n

Every year, a handful of players leave the combine having done more than just check boxes. They make a case to be the next breakout name at the professional level, following a path similar to current CFL standouts like Tyson Philpot and Kevin Mital, who used strong pre-draft showings to springboard into impactful careers.<\/p>\n

While testing numbers grab attention, it\u2019s the full body of work across drills, interviews and competition that helps separate those players from the rest. With the 2026 CFL Draft approaching, a number of prospects took meaningful steps forward in Edmonton and positioned themselves as potential next big things.<\/p>\n

Here are three players who stood out over the weekend.<\/p>\n

\"\u00bb\"CFL COMBINE PRESENTED BY ANYTIME FITNESS
\u00bb\u00a0Full results from testing portion of 2026 CFL Combine<\/a>
\u00bb 7 prospects who stood out at CFL Combine<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a05 CFL Combine participants compare themselves to CFL stars<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a03 players that stood out on CFL Combine Sunday<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a03 standout performers that dominated CFL Combine testing day<\/a><\/p>\n

MATT SIBLEY | RECEIVER | CALGARY
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Sibley showcased his speed and quickness, carrying strong testing numbers into a productive final practice (Paul Swanson\/CFL.ca)<\/p>\n

Matt Sibley tested well across the board, highlighted by a 4.59-second 40-yard dash and a 6.88 3-cone. He carried that momentum into Sunday\u2019s on-field session, where he consistently found ways to separate and make plays, being selected as one of the coaches\u2019 picks for the day<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While slightly undersized, Sibley showed enough athleticism and quickness to make up for it, emerging as a receiver who could be the next to make noise at the professional level.<\/p>\n

JESULAYOMI OJUTALAYO | RECEIVER | WILFRID LAURIER
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Ojutalayo paired size with explosiveness, finishing near the top in multiple testing categories (CFL.ca)<\/p>\n

Jesulayomi Ojutalayo backed up his size with impressive testing, posting a 4.58-second 40-yard dash while finishing top five in both the vertical and broad jump. At nearly six-foot-two and 217 pounds, he brings a combination of size and explosiveness that will appeal to CFL teams.<\/p>\n

His physical profile and testing results suggest a player with plenty of upside heading into the draft.<\/p>\n

ETHAN STUART | DEFENSIVE BACK | MCMASTER
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Stuart\u2019s elite change-of-direction testing highlighted a strong all-around performance in the defensive back group (Paul Swanson\/CFL.ca)<\/p>\n

Ethan Stuart quietly put together one of the most impressive combines among defensive backs, finishing first in both the 3-cone and shuttle. At six-foot and 220 pounds, he pairs size with strong athletic traits.<\/p>\n

That combination, along with his movement skills, gives him the potential to make a significant impact at the next level.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TORONTO \u2014 The CFL Combine presented by Anytime Fitness Canada continues to offer valuable insight into this year\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":573596,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":[49,48,521,522,520,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-573595","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cfl","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-canadian-football-league","11":"tag-canadianfootballleague","12":"tag-cfl","13":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/573595","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=573595"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/573595\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/573596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=573595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=573595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=573595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}