LSU safety leads Class of 2027 prospect rankings
TORONTO (August 20, 2026) – LSU safety Ty Benefield sits atop the Preseason edition of the Canadian Football League (CFL) Scouting Bureau. The former Boise State Bronco transferred to LSU following the 2025 season.
Montreal native Jordan Lessard (No. 7) spent three years developing at Laval University and Winnipeg's Dolapo Egunjobi (No. 8) played one season with the Manitoba Bisons.
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, with the cycle beginning in the fall to coincide with the opening of the collegiate season, in winter ahead of prospects’ postseason, and a final ranking in the spring following CFL Combine Season.
CFL SCOUTING BUREAU: PRESEASON EDITION
Rank | Name | POS | School | Hometown
1 | Ty Benefield | DB | LSU | Altadena, Calif.
2 | Bryce Butler | DL | Texas Tech | Toronto
3 | Nick Osho | RB | North Texas | Burnaby, B.C.
4 | Edwin Kolenge | DL | Vanderbilt | Montreal
5 | Nicolas Cruji | OL | Charlotte | Toronto
6 | Nicolas Kalume | DL | Arkansas State | London, Ont.
7 | Jordan Lessard | DB | Colorado State | Montreal
8 | Dolapo Egunjobi | OL | UT Martin | Winnipeg
9 | Chris Dixon | DL | South Dakota | Toronto
10 | Leif Magnuson | OL | Cal Poly | Saskatoon
11 | Isaiah Hastings | DL | Syracuse | Toronto
12 | Nolan Latulippe | OL | Cincinnati | Aylmer, Que.
13 | Elijah St. John | DL | Purdue | Ottawa
14 | Dre Delinois | LB | East Tennessee State | Chicoutimi, Que.
15 | Gideon Bedada | DL | Bryant | Calgary
16 | Mateo Lucero | OL | Tennessee Tech | Brampton, Ont.
17 | Ryan Hughes | WR | Wilfrid Laurier | Mississauga, Ont.
18 | B.J. Barrow | RB | Rhode Island | Etobicoke, Ont.
19 | Ebenezer Bedada | DL | Campbell | Calgary
20 | Xavier Gaillardetz | WR | East Tennessee State | Trois-Rivières, Que.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Jessie Wilkins-Flaricee | LB | Wilfrid Laurier | Windsor, Ont.
Sean Rowe | OL | Manitoba | Winnipeg
Callum Wither | QB | Kentucky | Toronto
Josh Fillion | WR | New Hampshire | Quebec City
Mateo Tuioti | TE | Queen’s | Chilliwack, B.C.
TOP-20 BY THE NUMBERS
The preseason rankings include:
Eight defensive linemen
Five offensive linemen
Two defensive backs
Two running backs
Two wide receivers
One linebacker
19 schools are represented in the rankings. East Tennessee State features two players: No. 14 Dre Delinois and No. 20 Xavier Gaillardetz.
Four of the nine first-round selections in the 2026 CFL Canadian Draft were listed in the 2025 CFL Scouting Bureau: Fall edition.
TOP-5 NEED TO KNOW
NO. 1 | TY BENEFIELD | DB | LSU | ALTADENA, CALIF.
First season at LSU after three with Boise State
2025: Started all 14 games. 107 tackles (70 solo, 37 assisted), 8.5 tackles for a loss, four pass breakups, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery
Career: 41games (33 starts). 252 tackles (162 solo, 73 assisted), 18 tackles for a loss, three sacks, five interceptions and 12 pass breakups
First Team All-Mountain West at safety (2025)
Academic All-Mountain West (2024 and 2023)
Shrine Bowl 1,000 List
Father, Daved Benefield, played 13 seasons in the CFL
NO. 2 | BRYCE BUTLER | DL | TEXAS TECH | TORONTO
First season at Texas Tech after two with Washington and two with Garden City Community College
2025: 12 games (one start). 19 tackles (12 solo, seven assisted), 2.5 tackles for a loss, two sacks and one fumble recovery
Shrine Bowl 1,000 List
NO. 3 | NICK OSHO | RB | NORTH TEXAS | BURNABY, B.C.
First season at North Texas
2025 (Indiana State): 12 games (eight starts). 685 rushing yards on 119 carries (5.8 yards per carry), eight touchdowns. Ten receptions for 42 yards and a major
2023-24 (Reedley College): Ten games. 593 rushing yards (4.9 yards per carry) and four touchdowns
NO. 4 | EDWIN KOLENGE | DL | VANDERBILT | MONTREAL
First season at Vanderbilt after four with Boston College
2025: 12 games (ten starts) at defensive end. 31 tackles (17 solo, 14 assisted) and one sack
Career: 36 games (ten starts), 50 tackles (26 solo, 24 assisted), three sacks, one forced fumble and one blocked kick
NO. 5 | NICOLAS CRUJI | OL | CHARLOTTE | TORONTO
First season at Charlotte after four with Maine
2025: Individually did not allow a sack – one of 10 FCS centres with 400+ pass-block snaps to manage the feat
Career: 38 games (24 starts). 2,400+ snaps
Team Offensive Rookie of the Year (2023)