Two of the top 20 prospects in the 2025 CFL Draft are unlikely to participate in the final day of the CFL Combine after suffering injuries on Saturday.
Université de Montréal defensive lineman Jeremiah Ojo bowed out after tweaking his hamstring during special teams drills, while Western University offensive lineman Erik Andersen suffered a concussion early in the first padded inside run session.
The two players placed seventh and tenth, respectively, on the CFL’s most recent scouting bureau rankings. They are two of the four highest-ranked players in attendance in Regina and were both top 15 picks in 3DownNation’s first 2025 CFL Mock Draft.
Windsor linebacker Devin Veresuk, who is ranked No. 15, attended the CFL Combine but chose not to participate in most of the on-field drills involving contact to avoid risk of injury. The six-foot-two, 240-pound defender could draw NFL interest after running a blazing forty-yard dash at the recent University at Buffalo pro day.
Queen’s defensive lineman Darien Newell, the No. 13-ranked prospect in this year’s draft class, participated early on Saturday before returning home for personal reasons.
Unlike the NFL Combine and collegiate pro days, the CFL Combine includes padded drills and scrimmages. Teams like the extra opportunity to evaluate players, some of whom have limited film against strong competition. The downside, however, is that prospects inevitably get hurt due to the intensity and violence of the game. With players looking to impress on every rep, there’s no half-speed.
Notably, Saskatchewan defensive back Charlie Ringland suffered a torn ACL in 2023, which caused him to miss his entire rookie season.
In the past, the league sent players home if they refused to fully participate in testing or drills. Peter Godber and Matthew Boateng were jettisoned in 2018 and eventual first-overall pick Shane Richards was shipped out in 2019.
The league has since softened its stance, allowing players like Lwal Uguak and Kail Dava to attend and interview with teams without participating in drills. Given that Veresuk wasn’t sent home mid-event, this trend appears to be continuing. Per his agent, Sasha Ghavami, the league was told before the event got underway that he wouldn’t be a full participant.
The final day of the CFL Combine is set for Sunday, March 23 with practice scheduled for 9:00 a.m. CST.
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