{"id":939946,"date":"2026-10-20T10:42:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T10:42:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/939946\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T10:42:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T10:42:18","slug":"kareame-cotton-moving-up-u-sports-record-book-with-windsor-lancers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/939946\/","title":{"rendered":"Kareame Cotton moving up U Sports record book with Windsor Lancers"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhoto: Ian MacAlpine\/Queen’s Athletics<\/p>\n

With only one regular-season game left on the schedule, Windsor Lancers quarterback Kareame Cotton has a chance to climb even higher up the U Sports record book.<\/p>\n

The six-foot-two, 200-pound passer has completed 67.1 percent of his throws for 2,113 yards, 25 touchdowns, and three interceptions on the year, leading his team to a 5-2 record. He\u2019s also rushed for 441 yards and three scores.<\/p>\n

Cotton leads the country in touchdown passes \u2014 nobody else has more than 17 \u2014 and has already tied Steve Bilan, Noah Picton, and Jordan Yantz for seventh-most in a single season. He needs only one more to tie Cal Wither and Teale Orban for fifth place, and two more to tie Tre Ford and Chris Flynn for third place.<\/p>\n

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The single-season record, which includes only regular-season games, was set by McMaster Marauders quarterback Asher Hastings at 31 in 2015.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Matching the record) would be a big accomplishment, of course, but that\u2019s not really what I\u2019m chasing,\u201d Cotton recently told 3DownNation. \u201cI\u2019m just trying to win football games at the end of the day. I\u2019m trying to win the Yates (Cup), I\u2019m trying to win my last game, so that\u2019s what I look forward to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Windsor is coming off a bye week, and will visit the Guelph Gryphons on Saturday. A win would clinch a home playoff game in the upcoming OUA quarter-finals, and secure a fourth-straight top-four finish in the OUA standings.<\/p>\n

Cotton\u2019s path to the U Sports ranks was far from conventional.<\/p>\n

After being a standout player in football and basketball at North Little Rock High School, Cotton enrolled at Northwestern State University in 2021. The school competes in the Southland Conference of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), and is located in Natchitoches, La., only 120 kilometres southeast of the ill-fated CFL expansion Shreveport Pirates<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Cotton spent three seasons on campus as a backup at quarterback and receiver. He finally got the opportunity to play in 2024, and contributed at quarterback, running back, and receiver, throwing for 90 yards, rushing 19 times for 52 yards, and making nine receptions for 95 yards.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just the type of offence (we ran). That last year, (head) coach (Blaine) McCorkle came in, he was more of a pro-style offence-type guy. It was finding what was best for me and just letting me be able to make plays, honestly,\u201d said Cotton.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just a thing that happened. It was like they wanted me to line up here, do these things, and whatever I needed to do for the team, I would always do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the season, Cotton had a decision to make regarding his future. He had one more year of NCAA eligibility remaining and entered the transfer portal, when he was contacted by University of Windsor assistant coach Pat Donovan.<\/p>\n

Canadian football personnel people sometimes say it can be tough to recruit American-born players. This wasn\u2019t the case with Cotton.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was already interested in coming to Canada to play football,\u201d said Cotton. \u201cI wanted to play in the CFL because I didn\u2019t really think where I was at in my career that I was NFL-bound.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought that the CFL would probably be my best route to playing professionally. I feel like I\u2019m a professional athlete, so I just felt like that was my best opportunity to keep playing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cotton transferred to Windsor in 2025 and made the team as a receiver, recording 29 receptions for 247 yards and one touchdown. He also threw a 15-yard touchdown pass in a 36-25 loss to the Queen\u2019s Gaels during the playoffs.<\/p>\n

When he returned to the team in 2026, Cotton set his sights back on the quarterback position.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were trying to spice it up at quarterback. I told (offensive coordinator Joe Circelli), \u2018If this is what we\u2019re doing, I would like to put my full chips out there, let me try my best at quarterback, and see where it goes from there. If not, I\u2019ll go play receiver,’\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like I was a better quarterback, so I just wanted to try it out. He gave me an opportunity and I just ran with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Lancers ended up choosing Cotton as their starter, which turned out to be a smart decision.<\/p>\n

\u201c(I give the credit to) my teammates because I can\u2019t do this all on my own,\u201d he said. \u201cI can\u2019t block everybody, I can\u2019t catch the ball. My teammates are just such good teammates. They just help me out to let me be this dual-threat quarterback I am, honestly. My O-line, my receivers, running backs, just the whole nine yards. I can\u2019t do it alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

3DownNation published a preseason watchlist for the Hec Crighton Trophy<\/a>, which is awarded to the top player in all of U Sports. Nearly a dozen coaches were consulted prior to its publication, including at least one from each conference. Cotton\u2019s name was never mentioned, and thus he did not make the list.<\/p>\n

The 24-year-old has since taken the OUA by storm, and is arguably the front-runner to win the award next month.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would mean a lot to me, for sure,\u201d said Cotton. \u201cJust knowing what I\u2019ve been through and the journey that it took to get here, it would be a blessing to see it all like come come to fruition and have that trophy to celebrate with my teammates because like I said, I couldn\u2019t do it without them.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to CFL rules, foreign-born players can qualify for National status provided they play at least three seasons at a U Sports institution and earn a degree. With one more year of U Sports eligibility remaining in 2027, Cotton plans to return to school before setting his sights to the 2028 CFL Draft.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt all worked out to where I could come up here and get my Canadian tag, and still be able to go to the CFL, or possibly even get drafted,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was just a big opportunity that I was willing to take a risk on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Evidently, it seems the risk has certainly paid off.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

John Hodge is a longtime Canadian football reporter, insider, and podcaster for 3DownNation. Based in Winnipeg, Hodge is also a freelance television and radio broadcaster.<\/p>\n

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