Illini RB heads fall list of top CFL prospects

September 8, 2022

Illini RB heads fall list of top CFL prospects … Illinois RB Chase Brown is the #1 prospect overall on the CFL’s fall ranking of prospects for the Canadian leagues 2023 draft this coming spring. And keeping it in the family, Brown’s twin brother Sydney, a safety with the Illini, is the #3 CFL prospect at this time. The #2 guy is massive (6-6, 320) Fresno State LT Dontae Bull, while WRs Jared Wayne of Pittsburgh and 6-5 Nick Mardner of Cincinnati round out the top 5. For the record, the top CFL prospect at a Canadian college is UBC OT Theo Benedet. The annual CFL draft is held the week after the NFL draft in early May. It is also unlikely that any of those top 5 prospects are selected that early in the CFL draft as all are likely to be either selected in the NFL draft or signed as a post-draft free agent meaning they likely won’t be available to the CFL right away. Indeed, the Illini’s Brown actually currently leads the NCAA in rushing with 350 in his first two games.