GUELPH, Ont. – A brand new season of Gryphon football is fast approaching, with the Guelph Gryphons set to kick off the 2025 OUA football season at home on Saturday night (6pm - August 23) when they play host to the reigning Yates Cup champions, the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks. Ahead of Saturday evening's opener at the University of Guelph's Alumni Stadium, we get you set for the season ahead with a look at the 2025 edition of the University of Guelph football program.
Guelph Gryphons vs Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks
Date: Saturday, August 23, 2025
Time: 6pm kickoff (gates open at 4:30pm)
Tickets: available online at
www.gryphons.ca/tickets
Broadcast info: Watch live on RogersTV Cable 20 & online at
www.oua.tv
Gryphons head coach
Mark Surya enters his second season in charge of the University of Guelph football program, looking to build off a strong 2024 campaign in which the team posted a 6-2 record during the regular season, followed by a playoff victory over the Ottawa Gee-Gees before falling to the Western Mustangs in the OUA semifinals. In 2025, Surya oversees a talented and experience roster, with the Gryphons featuring nine returning starters on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Eleven varsity football programs from across the province will do battle over an eight-game, nine-week OUA regular season (one bye week per school) with the top seven teams in the conference earning a spot in the playoffs. The top team in the conference will earn a first round bye into the OUA semifinals, while the remaining six playoff-bound teams will meet up in the OUA quarterfinal stage on October 25. The OUA semifinals will take place on November 1, before the OUA season wraps up on November 8 with the playing of the 117th Yates Cup. The OUA champion will head west to play the Canada West champion in the 2025 Mitchell Bowl, with the winner earning a spot in the national championship game, with the 60th Vanier Cup set to take place on November 22, 2025 from Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Gryphons will head into the new season looking for their fifth Yates Cup in program history (2015, 1996, 1992 & 1984) and second national title in program history (with the lone Vanier Cup victory for the program coming in 1984).
"The theme for the season is pressure is a privilege," says Gryphons head coach
Mark Surya, who has been with the University of Guelph football program since 2019, serving as the team's offensive coordinator prior to becoming the team's head coach last season. "This time last year, teams around the OUA were not quite sure exactly what we had. This year, expectations have changed with a window of opportunity for this program, and I'm excited to see what this group can do."
Quarterbacks
Tristan Aboud and
Marshall McCray return to University of Guelph for their third season to lead a dynamic QB room.
Tristan Aboud (Montreal, QC) showed a lot of growth last season establishing himself as one of the premier quarterbacks in the conference. The management economics and finance major was one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the OUA with a completion percentage of 68.6% (3rd in OUA) to go along with his 1,959 passing yards (5th in OUA) and 13 touchdown passes (4th in OUA). Aboud added a running element to his game last season, rushing for 292 yards with 3 rushing touchdowns, and continued to his development in the offseason while attending Hamilton Tiger-Cats training camp as part of the CFL's 'QB internship' program with U SPORTS. Third-year pivot
Marshall McCray has proven to be one of the most dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks in the country during his time as a Gryphon. The human kinetics major from Niagara Falls finished the 2024 regular season with 287 rushing yards and found the end zone 5 times. McCray also showed improvement in the passing game, completing 20-35 passes for 239 yards with 4 touchdowns. Over his first two seasons at U of G, McCray has recorded 15 rushing touchdowns in 18 career games played.
Running Backs
The Gryphons return one of the deepest and most talented running back rooms in the conference for the new season. Fourth-year running back,
Donavin Milloy leads the charge from the backfield following another outstanding season which saw him solidify himself as one of the premier running backs in the country. The Hamilton, Ontario native rushed for 567 yards (5th in OUA), 94.5 yards-per-game (4th in OUA), averaged 8.3 yards-per-carry (tied 2nd in OUA) while scoring 3 touchdowns in six games which earned him recognition as an OUA Second Team All-Star for a second consecutive season. Third-year running back
Caleb Sargeant made his mark in the Gryphon backfield last season, rushing for 367 yards on 44 carries, averaging 8.3 yards-per-carry to go along with his two rushing touchdowns. 2022 OUA Rookie of the Year,
Isaiah Smith, is also back with the Gryphons for his third season. Smith, a human kinetics major from Burlington, Ontario, will look to return to his 2022 form and re-establish himself one of the top running backs in the conference after being sidelined with injury for the majority of the 2024 season.
Receivers
Following a breakout sophomore season,
Willem Arseneau leads the Gryphon receiving core heading into the new season. The third-year standout from Calgary, Alberta emerged as the team's big play threat and leading receiver, leading the team with 631 receiving yards (4th in OUA), 90.1 yards-per-game (2nd in OUA), 24.3 yards-per-catch (led OUA) and 7 touchdowns (tied for 3rd in OUA) as he was named OUA Second Team All-Star. Local product
Jakob Tomas (Guelph, ON) is also expected to play key role for the Gryphon offence this upcoming season. The management econmics and finance major will look to build on a promising season a year ago that was derailed by an injury, where he played in four games and amassed a career-high 189 receiving yards on 9 receptions with 2 touchdowns.
Offensive Line
An experienced offensive line returns to the Gryphons football program to lead the way up front in 2025. The 2025 offensive line sees the return of one of the best guards in the country and two-sport athlete,
Mitchel Schechinger. The fourth-year mechanical engineering major is one the anchors on the offensive line and was named an U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian and OUA First Team All-Star in 2024 after helping his team average 490.9 yards of offence per game and help lead the second-best rushing attack in the province. The standout guard from Sarnia, Ontario is also a member of the Gryphons men's wrestling team, where he won a bronze medal in the men's 125kg weight class last season at nationals.
Ethan Pyle and
Daniel Hocevar both return to the Gryphons offensive line after being selected in the 2025 CFL Draft in May. Pyle (Milton, ON), who was drafted by the Toronto Argonauts in May, returns to Guelph as the team's starting centre and was named an OUA Second Team All-Star last season. Hocevar, a marketing major at U of G, started in all eight games last season as one of the key cogs up front and returns to the Gryphons after a stint in Edmonton Elks camp in the spring.
Defensive Line
The Gryphon defensive line sees the return of fourth-year game wrecker
Robert Keyes-Wilson to help lead the way. Keyes-Wilson finished last season as the team leader with 5.5 sacks (3rd in OUA) and 8.5 tackles for loss (3rd in OUA) as he's poised to build off that as one of the team's leaders. Nicholas Partchencho returns to the team for his final season to go along with talented first-year lineman from London,
Andre Thompson.
Linebackers
The Guelph linebacker room will be bolstered with
Braeden MacDougall,
Jevaun Jacobsen and
Yunus Larry leading the charge. MacDougall, a fourth-year environmental management major was on his way towards a big season in 2024 before having his season cut short due to injury. In three games last year, MacDougall (Windsor, ON) racked up 18.5 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss.
Jevaun Jacobsen provides plenty of versatility for the Gryphon defence in a hybrid role after seeing time at linebacker and in the secondary in 2024. The psychology major from Burnaby, B.C. finished last season with 16.5 tackles in his five games played and is poised for a big season.
Yunus Larry, one of the team's leading tacklers last season returns for his fourth season with the program. Larry, an economics major from Hamilton, appeared in all eight games last season, finishing with 29.5 tackles (2nd on team), 2.5 sacks and 4 tackles-for-loss.
Defensive Backs
A deep, experienced and talented group of defensive backs will look to propel the Gryphon defence to new heights in 2025. Third-year defensive backs,
Kyle Simon-Guerin and
Nathaniel Slawter, will look to build off their impressive sophomore seasons. Simon-Guerin, a sociology major from Brampton, emerged as one of the top corners in the conference, finishing the season with 17 tackles, 3 pass break ups and 2 interceptions to go along with his 2 picks in the postseason as he was named an OUA Second Team All-Star.
Nathaniel Slawter (Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia) took a major leap forward in his second season with the team last season, finishing fifth on the team with 22 tackles and had two interceptions while appearing in all eight games. Versatile DB
Miles La Foucade will solidify the secondary after starting in five games last season before an injury ended his season early. Joining the Gryphon secondary is grad transfer DeEmetrius Masuka from McMaster. Masuka, a 6'2" defensive back from Hamilton was drafted earlier in to the CFL earlier the year and was named an OUA Second Team All-Star in 2022.
Special Teams
Benjamin Lane solidified himself as the team's place kicker after a fantastic season in 2024. The Puslinch, Ontario native made 12 of his 15 field goals and all 23 of his extra points last season including two successful field goals from a career best distance of 52-yards with one of the makes in the OUA semifinals against Western.
The Gryphon return unit is led by two steady and reliable defensive backs in
Anakin Guthrie and
Kyle Simon-Guerin. Guthrie, a fifth-year local product, showed his return prowess last season averaging 12.5 yards per punt return including a long of a 40-yard return. Simon-Guerin was a consistent returner averaging 20.1 yards per kickoff return.
Caleb Sargeant showed off his versatility as Guelph's special teams ace, earning OUA First Team All-Star status as one of the top gunners in the conference on kick coverage.
Kickoff for the Gryphons 2025 football season opener is set for 6pm on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, with the pre-game show (featuring former Gryphon quarterback and Canadian football insider, Justin Dunk, and GryphVision host, Scott Fraser) set to get underway at 5:50pm. All four Gryphons home football games in 2025 will be broadcast live on Rogers TV Cable 20. The games can also be streamed live, online at
www.oua.tv.
