WATERLOO, Ont. - Five Laurier football players have been named to the rosters for the 2023 CFL Invitational Combine in Waterloo and the CFL Combine in Edmonton.

Defensive back Nico McCarthy, defensive lineman James Fleurissaint, and full back Taylor Stalkie will take part in the Invitational Combine, which will take place at the University of Waterloo's Feridun Hamdullahpur Field House on March 3.

McCarthy was named an OUA all-star in 2022, averaging 4.4 tackles per game. Fleurissaint led the Golden Hawks with 2.5 sacks, while Stalkie amassed 10.5 special teams tackles over nine games.

The Invitational Combine will replace the slate of regional combines seen in previous years, as players from across the country will compete to earn a spot alongside fellow top draft-eligible players at the CFL Combine in Edmonton.

Should McCarthy, Fleurissaint, and Stalkie make their way to the main event, which will run from March 22 to 26, they'll join two Golden Hawks teammates in linebacker Ife Onyemenam and defensive back Patrick Burke Jr. 

Both Onyemenam and Burke Jr. were named OUA all-stars in 2022. Onyemenam led the team with 4.6 tackles per game, while Burke Jr.'s six interceptions tied him for sixth in the OUA. Burke Jr. has already been seen by CFL (and NFL) scouts earlier this year at the College Gridiron Showcase in Fort Worth, Texas.

According to the CFL's official release, the Combine will consist of medical testing and measurements on day one while day two will include traditional on and off-field testing, including the 40-yard dash and bench press.

Days three to five will be designated for practice sessions involving individual drills and one-on-ones that have been conducted in years past, and several new additions, including the pass skeleton and inside-run sessions. As part of the new format, CFL coaches will lead positional groups and install offences and defences.

"We are excited for these student-athletes getting an opportunity to showcase their abilities in front of the CFL scouts and coaches at this year's combine," said Laurier's manager of football operations and head coach Michael Faulds.

"We have had a great recent track record of our players doing well in the CFL. This year's group looks to continue that success. They have all been training hard for this opportunity, which will allow them to compete with confidence."

FULL INVITATIONAL COMBINE INVITEE LIST

FULL NATIONAL COMBINE INVITEE LIST


-With files from the CFL