GUELPH, Ont. - The 2023 OUA football season is upon us, with the Guelph Gryphons set to officially kick off their regular season schedule on Saturday, August 26 when they play host to the University of Toronto Varsity Blues at Alumni Stadium.
After having reached the OUA semifinal stage in each of the previous four seasons, including a Yates Cup appearance in 2018, it was an uncharacteristic 2022 campaign for the Gryphons, one in which the team posted a 1-7 record while missing out on the playoffs. In 2023, the Gryphons will look to once again return to winning ways, with a strong returning core complimented by an exciting 2023 recruiting class. Eleven varsity football programs from across Ontario will do battle over the course of a nine-week OUA season (8 games and 1 bye week per school) with the top seven teams in the conference earning a playoff spot. The conference's top team will earn a bye into the OUA semifinals while the remaining six teams will compete in conference quarter-final action on October 28. The OUA semifinal matchups will take place on November 4, before the culmination of the OUA season on November 11 with the playing of the 115th Yates Cup.
For Gryphon head coach Ryan Sheahan, now in his fifth season as the leader of the University of Guelph football program, the 2023 season will mark his fourth season of on-field action (with the 2020 campaign cancelled due to COVID). For Sheahan, there is plenty of optimism surrounding the University of Guelph football program in 2023, despite fielding one of the youngest teams in the conference.
"We have a very young nucleus on this team, but one with no shortage of talent," says Sheahan. "We feel that this year's recruiting class will nicely compliment our returning class of student-athletes from 2022, but the bulk of our team is on the younger side. For those student athletes returning from last season, the off-season efforts that were put forward, and the results that have come out of that, was an outstanding body of work. This group is not satisfied with what happened in 2022 and are eager to make changes this season. We are looking forward to the opportunity this 2023 season presents us and cannot wait to see this group take the field for the first time this season."
Quarterbacks
The 2023 edition of the Gryphons welcomes in a new era at the quarterback position with five freshman joining a single retuning student-athlete from last season. Incoming rookie,
Tristan Aboud (Montreal, QC) arrives at the University of Guelph from prep school in New Hampshire (Phillips Exeter Academy).
Gryphon rookie QB's, Tristan Aboud (left) and Marshall McCray (right)
The 6-foot-4, 215lbs Montreal native impressed in his first training camp as a Gryphon, and is coming off of an impressive season south of the border at Phillips Exeter Academy where he showcased a strong arm and impressive football IQ while leading the Big Red to a 7-1 record in his senior season. Aboud, who will be studying management, economics, and finance at the University of Guelph, is one of several student-athletes battling for the starting spot under centre for the Gryphons in 2023. Another exciting freshman with the Gryphons in 2023 is 6-foot-1, 200lbs Niagara Falls native,
Marshall McCray. McCray joins the Gryphons out of Notre Dame College School in Welland, Ontario, where the 18-year-old put together a sensational high school career, which included catching the eye of Gryphon coaches with his performance at U of G's Alumni Stadium in a preseason game against Nelson High School. McCray is the most athletic quarterback on the U of G roster, with the ability to make big plays both through the air as well as on the ground. The lone returning student-athlete in the QB room in 2023 is
Troy Hawkins, a 5-foot-11, 176lbs pivot from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, who redshirted with the Gryphons a season ago. The Gryphons also welcome Kingston, Ontario native, and Regiopolis-Notre Dame graduate, Ben Mignault to the program. At 6-foot-3, 200lbs, Mignault impressed from the pocket while playing for the Limestone Grenadiers of the Ontario Provincial Football League. Rounding out the quarterback room is
Rhys Staley (Windsor, ON) and
Amrit Atwal (Guelph, ON). Staley, standing at 6-foot-1, 200lbs joins the Gryphons from south of the border where he played his high school football at St. James prep school in Maryland. Atwal, a 6-foot-1, 185lb local product out of Centennial C.V.I., is a former Junior Gryphon as well as a District-10 champion after leading Centennial to a 48-6 win over G.C.V.I. in the 2022 championship game.
Running Backs
The Gryphon quarterbacks will see plenty of talent next to them in the backfield this year, with another season of impressive depth at the running back position for the Gryphons in 2023,
led by standouts
Isaiah Smith and Donovan Milloy. Smith, the reigning OUA Rookie of the Year, returns for his sophomore season looking to build off of an impressive rookie campaign that saw the Burlington native eclipse the 100-yard mark on three separate occasions and finish the season 8th in the conference in rushing yards.
Isaiah Smith's memorable freshman season in 2022 ended with him becoming just the fourth player in program history to take home OUA Rookie of the Year honours as the top freshman in the conference. Donovin Milloy, another player entering his second season with the program in 2023, will bring additional speed and explosiveness to the Gryphon backfield. The Hamilton native dressed in every game last year at tailback while also helping out in the return game where he averaged 22.4 yards per return. A pair of experienced backs help round out the Gryphon ground game with
Mason Duvall (Belleville, ON) and
Craig Sherrington (Burlington, ON) both returning for the 2023 season.
Receivers
When it comes to the Gryphons receiving corps, offensive coordinator Mark Surya will have plenty of talent competing for targets in 2023 with a deep positional room of returning and incoming student-athletes. Leading the way is 2022 OUA First Team All-Star,
Vyshonne Janusas.
The 6-foot, 210lbs,
Vyshonne Janusas quickly established himself as the No. 1 receiver for the Gryphons last season with former All-Canadian and now Calgary Stampeder,
Clark Barnes, sidelined for much of the year with injuries. Janusas, a Windsor, Ontario native, tallied 428 receiving yards and 30 receptions in seven games for the Gryphons, which included a breakout 160 yard, two-touchdown performance against the Waterloo Warriors in Week 3. Following Janusas, is
Laurent Paquin who is primed to take on a significant role in the Gryphon offence this season. Paquin, a native of Terrebonne, Quebec, stands at 6-foot-3, 217lbs, providing the Gryphons with a physical presence at wideout who now enters his second year with the program.
Ryan Ogilvie (Stoney Creek, ON) and
Jakob Tomas (Guelph, ON) will provide plenty of speed for the Gryphons as experienced receivers. Ogilvie finished the season with the 3rd most receiving yards on the team while Tomas finished just behind in 4th. Returning veteran,
Kaine Stevenson (Windsor, ON) returns for his senior season and is coming off a strong showing at the 2023 East-West Bowl.
Jaxson Zurby, arrives at U of G as a transfer from the Toledo Rockets who were crowned Champions of the NCAA's Mid-American Conference (MAC) in 2022. The 6-foot-3, 215lbs Port Dover native will provide another big target for Gryphon quarterbacks in 2023. Zurby was a highly-touted prospect coming out of Clarkson Football North and could make an immediate impact in his first season as a Gryphon.
Offensive Line
The 2023 edition of the Gryphon offence will see en experienced nucleus of the offensive line take shape, despite the fact that this positional group saw the departure of a trio of starters this offseason in Ben Petrie,
Spencer Masterson, and
Matthew Famurewa. The 2023 Gryphon offensive line will once again feature 6-foot-2, 280lbs centre,
Ethan Pyle, who is back with the Gryphons for his 3rd season of eligibility. The sport and event management major from Milton brings valuable experience to the o-line having appeared in all eight games for the Gryphons last season.
Daniel Hocevar (Hamilton, ON) and
Thomas Bourikas (Oakville, ON) return for their third seasons and will be featured next to Pyle. Hocevar, 6-foot-4, 293lbs, and Bourikas, 6-foot-7, 305lbs, will bring both size and experience to the line after both dressed for the Gryphons last season. Another student-athlete returning to the Gryphon line is 6-foot-2, 310lbs University of Ottawa transfer,
Julian Iamundo. Rounding out the returning lineman is second year Sarnia native, Mitchell Schechinger. The 6-foot-3, 285lbs criminal justice major joined the Gryphons as a rookie last season out Clarkson Football North and quickly made his mark, working his way into the starting lineup in 2022.
Defensive Line
The 2023 Gryphon defensive line unit features several returning starters with a depth of experience who will be looking to terrorize opposing quarterbacks and run games this season.
The unit is overseen by new defensive line coach Art Tolliver, who brings a wealth of experience from every level of football across North America. Tolliver played at the NCAA Division I level before spending time playing for the NFL's New Orleans Saints, the USFL, and the CFL before coaching in the NCAA Division I and U SPORTS. The 2023 Gryphon defensive line will once again be led by a pair of standout interior lineman in
Curtis Woodmansey and
Josh Campbell. Woodmansey (Toronto, ON) returns for his fifth season with the Gryphons (fourth year of eligibility). The 6-foot-3, 291lbs tackle was invited to the East-West Bowl this past May after appearing in all eight Gryphon games in 2022. Next to Woodmansey is another East-West Bowl participant and defensive tackle in
Josh Campbell (Montreal, QC). Campbell, also a fourth year student-athlete, stands at 6-foot-2, 287lbs and was one of the Gryphons most productive pass-rushers last season, totally 12.5 tackles which included a pair of sacks. Defensive end,
Scott Murray, returns for his fifth season with the program (fourth year of eligibility) after earning U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian honours a season ago. Murray's 2022 season saw the real estate major from Mississauga find his way into opposing backfields for a conference-leading 11 tackles-for-a-loss and 6 sacks (tied for 3rd in the OUA). The 6-foot-2, 230lbs edge rusher's totals were also good enough for 3rd and 7th in the nation, respectively. The Gryphon D-line unit also boasts a trio of third-year lineman adding experience and depth in
Yusuf Al-Khaldi (Hamilton, ON), Kobi Ofuokwu (Hamilton, ON), and
Seamus Milligan (Guelph, ON) who all have the talent and ability to become high-impact players in 2023.
Linebackers
The Gryphon linebacker room is led by returning team-leading tackler, and local Guelph product,
Brandon Fergio. Ferigo, a 6-foot-1, 229lbs middle linebacker, tallied 58 tackles in 2022 which tied for the most in the conference and was third in the nation. Finishing just behind Ferigo was
Kole Watson, who ended last season with the second-most tackles on the Gryphons with 38 (9th in the OUA). Watson, a 6-foot-3, 213lbs outside linebacker from Ardrossan, Alberta, also demonstrated his ability to find the football in 2022 picking up a pair of forced fumbles. The Gryphons also return a pair of second-year linebackers in
Yunus Larry (Hamilton, ON) and
Denver Beazley (Waterdown, ON) who both made significant contributins in 2022 and will look to continue to do so in the middle of the U of G defence this season, while
Braeden MacDougall (Windsor, ON) will look to build off of a strong rookie season that saw the 6-foot, 220lbs management economics and finance major total 23 tackles while appearing in every game.
Defensive Backs
Defensive coordinator Dennis McPhee's Gryphon secondary boasts one of the best defensive backs in the country in 2021 U SPORTS All-Canadian
Devynn Cromwell, who enters his third year of eligibility. The 6-foot-1, 200lbs Toronto native has showcased not only tremendous talent, but also outstanding versatility during his time at U of G, excelling at multiple positions within Coach McPhee's defensive schemes.
Cromwell's return will help soften the blow of the departure of two-time U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian cornerback,
Siriman Harrison Bagayogo, who was selected by the BC Lions with the 14th overall selection in the 2023 CFL Draft. Lining up alongside Cromwell in the Gryphon secondary in 2023 is Brampton native,
Miles La Foucade, who enters his fourth year with the team and third year of eligibility. The 6-foot-2, 193lbs defensive back lined up all over the field for the Gryphons in 2022 allowing him to finish fifth on the team in total tackles with 24.5. Toronto native, Malcolm James, also returns to the Gryphon secondary in 2023 after experiencing a breakout season in 2022, totaling 26.5 tackles (3rd most on the team), two fumble recoveries, and a pair of pass break-ups. 2023 will also see the much-anticipated return of
Anthony Moretuzzo to the Gryphon defence. The fourth-year (third year of eligibility) Stoney Creek native returns to the field after missing the 2022 season with an injury. The 6-foot-1, 193lbs defensive back will look to return to his rookie-season form where he finished third on the team in total tackles (27), while also earning himself a sack, interception, and four pass break-ups. Mississauga native
Gianni Green impressed as a freshman in 2022, with the 6-foot-2, 184lbs defensive back finishing the season with 17.5 tackles and a pair of interceptions. Green is now set to return for his sophomore season at U of G as part of a talented secondary for the Gryphons.
Kicking/Special Teams
The Gryphon special teams unit will once again be led by special teams coordinator Donnavan Carter, who has helped the Gryphons excel in both the return game and kicking game since being appointed U of G's special teams coordinator back in 2019.
Under Coach Carter's leadership, the Gryphons have produced multiple U SPORTS All-Canadians including former kicker, and now member of the Gryphon coaching staff,
Eric Stranz as well as current Calgary Stampeders receiver and former Gryphon return specialist
Clark Barnes. This season will see some new faces take key roles in the unit, including in the kicking game, where
Nicholas Guardiero returns to the program to compete for the full-time kicking duties. Last season, the Guelph native impressed in limited opportunities, with a 100% success rate kicking field goals and extra points. Guardiero, a criminal justice and public policy major, also gained experience punting, averaging 37.7 yards per punt which would have been good enough for 7th among OUA kickers. The Gryphon kicking game will also see Puslinch, ON native and political science major
Benjamin Lane return for his 5th season with the team. The kickers room should see some healthy competition in 2023 with the addition of incoming rookie
Gabriel Canabrava who joins the Gryphons out of Clarkson Football North.
The Gryphon special teams also feature one of the best long snappers in the country in returning senior,
Simon Chaves, who was forced to miss all of the 2022 season due to injury. Chaves, a Guelph native, is also a two-sport athlete at U of G, as he competes with the Gryphons men's wrestling team in addition to the football program. Prior to his injury, Chaves had already established himself as one of the top long snappers in the nation, attracting attention from the CFL when the criminal justice major was invited to the 2022 Ontario regional combine.
All eight of the Gryphons 2023 regular season games can be seen live, online at oua.tv, while the four home games will also be broadcast live on RogersTV. Both single-game tickets, as well as season ticket packages, are now available for purchase online at
gryphons.ca/tickets. Kickoff on Saturday, August 26 versus the University of Toronto is set for 1pm.
