WATERLOO, Ont. - Once again, the Laurier Golden Hawks are among the top producers of CFL talent heading into the 2023 season. 

An impressive 13 Laurier alumni are currently on the active or practice roster of CFL teams – tied with Western for the most of any OUA team – for the campaign set to kick off on Thursday, June 8. 

All five Golden Hawks from last year's Grey Cup-winning Toronto Argonauts team are back to help defend their title. The Argos' active roster counts Sam Acheampong, 2022 Most Outstanding Canadian finalist Kurleigh Gittens Jr., and Grey Cup hero Robbie Smith, who blocked a potential game-winning field goal by Winnipeg to secure the victory for Toronto. 

Brandon Calver and Braydon Noll are on the practice roster while the Argos have also retained the rights on 2023 sixth-round draft pick Ife Onyemenam, who will return to Laurier for his final season of OUA eligibility. 

The six Golden Hawks in the Argos' system make up a quarter of the U SPORTS players on their rosters. Toronto begins the year with a bye weekend and will open its season against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on June 18.

Those same Ti-Cats welcomed two Golden Hawks to the team this offseason; free-agent signing Kwaku Boateng and fourth-round draft pick Patrick Burke Jr. They open their season Friday, June 9 against Tanner Cadwaller and the Blue Bombers. 

Elsewhere in the league, defensive backs Scott Hutter and Godfrey Onyeka will face off when their respective teams the Edmonton Elks and Saskatchewan Roughriders open their seasons on Sunday, June 11. 

Finally, Thursday's opening night matchup will feature two former Golden Hawks linebackers in the BC Lions' Isaiah Messam and the Calgary Stampeders' Brad Cowan, with offensive lineman Bryce Bell also suiting up for Calgary. 

The full list of Golden Hawks in the CFL is as follows: 
 

BC Lions 

Isaiah Messam, LB, active roster 

Calgary Stampeders 

Bryce Bell, OL, active roster 

Brad Cowan, LB, active roster 

Edmonton Elks 

Scott Hutter, DB, active roster 

Hamilton Tiger-Cats 

Kwaku Boateng, DE, active 

Patrick Burke Jr., DB, practice 

Saskatchewan Roughriders 

Godfrey Onyeka, active roster 

Toronto Argonauts 

Sam Acheampong, DL, active roster  

Brandon Calver, LB, practice roster 

Kurleigh Gittens Jr., WR, active roster 

Braydon Noll, OL, Toronto, practice roster 

Ife Onyemenam, LB, Toronto, rights retained 

Robbie Smith, DL, Toronto, active roster 

Winnipeg Blue Bombers 

Tanner Cadwallader, LB, active roster