FB: Five Canada West players to watch at the CFL Western Combine
CFL.ca Staff
REGINA, Sask. — The CFL Combine presented by adidas is approaching quickly, but not before one more important showing on Thursday at the Western Regional Combine.
A handful of prospects have already added their names to the national combine roster. Who else is going with them?
With 45 players coming out to Regina's Evraz Place, we check in on a few names you should know about:
MITCHELL HILLIS | REC | SASKATCHEWAN
At a regional combine rich with receivers, Mitchell Hillis will look to stand out on Thursday following four productive seasons at the University of Saskatchewan.
The 6-foot, 185-pound pass-catcher who doubles as a returner played in 30 games over four years with the Huskies, last year appearing in six games and hauling in 35 receptions for 423 yards (12.1 yards per reception).
Hillis' best season came in 2015, when the Saskatoon, Sask. native piled up a career-high 1,052 receiving yards on 66 receptions to go with seven touchdown catches.
ALEX MORRISON | REC | UBC
After a shortened two-game season, Thursday's regional combine in Regina provides Alex Morrison the opportunity to show prospective CFL teams he's a legitimate next-level receiving prospect.
Morrison was invited to the East-West Bowl a year ago, when he ran a 4.61 in the 40 — a solid time for his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame.
While his career-high 395 receiving yards in 2015 don't necessarily stand out, Morrison's measurables make him someone to keep close tabs on at Evraz Place.
ADAM LAURENSSE | DB | CALGARY
Adam Laurensse comes to the combine with some fairly impressive credentials, starting with his four Canada West All-Star nods — a rare feat at the university football level.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound corner and return man started 10 games in 2016, recording three interceptions while returning 15 punts for 229 yards. Laurensse's 2015 season, meanwhile, earned him a trip to the East-West Bowl, where he ran a 4.84 at the East-West Bowl Combine.
A Sherwood Park, Alta. native and former Edmonton Wildcats player (CJFL), Laurensse was a back-to-back First Team All-Canadian in 2014 and 2015, cementing his status as one of the country's top defensive backs throughout four seasons with the Dinos.
TYLOR HENRY | REC | ALBERTA
A 5-foot-11 pass-catcher out of the University of Alberta, Tylor Henry has been a consistent producer over four seasons with the Golden Bears.
Henry hasn't missed a game in his USports career, piling up 174 receptions for 2,357 yards over the span of 32 appearances — the height of it all coming as a first-year player in 2013 when he recorded a team-high 59 receptions for 688 yards.
Also an ace special-teamer, particularly on punt returns, Henry is a dynamic playmaking talent and will be hard to miss on Thursday.
AUSTEN HARTLEY | REC | CALGARY
After a strong final season with the Dinos, Calgary's Austen Hartley will look to carry that momentum into the Western Regional Combine on Thursday.
Hartley was named a conference All-Star for the first time in his career in 2016, leading the Canada West conference in yards per game (110.2) thanks to his 661 receiving yards on 45 receptions. The versatile 5-foot-10, 190-pound receiver also totaled four touchdowns.
Plagued by injury mid-season, Hartley had to miss two weeks as well as the Hardy Cup.