New names to know for 2021 training camp: B.C. Lions

Training camp: a time of excitement, optimism and sometimes confusion.

As a CFL fan, it’s hard enough to keep track of all the established players moving from team-to-team each off-season without throwing a few dozen fresh-faced rookies in the mix. Some will become future stars, most will simply be camp fodder, but how are you supposed to figure out which ones to care about?

Nobody listed is guaranteed to make the roster or even be the best player, but each has an interesting story, opportunity or skillset worthy of your attention. Consider this a one-stop shop for the name drops that will impress your friends and neighbours as B.C.’s training camp opens.

1. Jordan X. Williams, LB, East Carolina (N) – It’s hard to discount the potential impact of the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 CFL Draft — he’s a physical freak with 4.48 speed that could allow B.C. to start two Canadians at linebacker. The only problem? He hasn’t played a football game since 2017, so will he be ready to step up?

2. Isiah Swann, DB, Dartmouth – There are ballhawks and then there is Isiah Swann. The 23-year-old racked up 17 interceptions and 49 pass breakups while earning an Ivy League diploma, all that’s left is proving that translates to the pros.

3. Lewis Neal, DT, LSU – The Leos desperately need some interior push and Lewis Neal might be the guy to do it. A squatty six-foot, 280-pound tackle, he put in some time as a gutsy undersized backup with the Dallas Cowboys and will hope to get back to the form that saw him post 12 sacks in two seasons starting at defensive end in the SEC.

4. Takeru Yamasaki, K, Obic Seagulls (G) – B.C. may have drafted Aussie punter Jake Ford with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 Global Draft, but it is the third-rounder Yamasaki who is the only primary placekicker on the roster. He has a shot to replace Sergio Castillo if he wants to take it.

5. Keon Hatcher, REC, Arkansas – A lack of ideal long speed spelled his doom in the NFL, but file Hatcher in the fun to watch category. More sudden than fast, he graded out as one of the SEC’s best receivers as a senior and almost never goes down on first contact thanks to a thick six-foot-one, 212-pound frame.

6. Kendall Futrell, DE, East Carolina – A classic tweener, Futrell is loose and unrefined, but shows the type of burst and bend that could get a pass rush starved Lions fan base excited. The 23-year-old got to the quarterback 11 times his senior year.

7. Alex Wesley, REC, Northern Colorado – In 2019, the Lions lacked a guy to take the top off a defence. Wesley, a college track star, clocked a 4.45 forty-yard dash at the NFL Combine and posted back-to-back thousand-yard seasons in the CFL talent-producing Big Sky. A match made in heaven.

8. Kevin Thurmon, DT, Arkansas State – Another potential menace in the middle, Thurmon flashes some impressive explosiveness and the ability to win quickly at the point of attack. The question is whether he can do it consistently enough to reach his true potential.

9. D’Angelo Fulford, QB, Mount Union – The focal point among quarterbacks in camp will be Canadian Nathan Rourke and rightfully so, but Fulford is a name to root for. The former NCAA Division III standout throws a beautiful ball and used that skill to record 134 passing touchdowns in 45 college games. Over the same span, he threw just 13 interceptions.

10. TJ Rahming, REC, Duke – When the New York Giants drafted franchise quarterback Daniel Jones, the common refrain was that he had no weapons in college. That’s pure TJ Rahming erasure. The five-foot-ten, 170-pound receiver is a dangerous gadget man and talented speedster who caught 253 passes for 2,919 yards and 13 touchdowns with the Blue Devils.

11. Tyvis Powell, DB, Ohio State – The Defensive MVP of the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship, Powell was viewed as a pure box safety in the NFL and had difficulty sticking. In Canada, he has the tools to excel as a SAM linebacker thanks to solid tackling, good range and his 4.46 speed.

12. Andrew Pocrnic, RB, Langley Rams (N) – Signed as a territorial exemption, Pocrnic set a CJFL record back in 2019 by rushing for 27 touchdowns. For context, the old BCFC record of 20 was held by some nobody named Andrew Harris. I wonder what happened to that kid…