Top-rated CFL prospects accept invites to Tropical Bowl

University of Maine linebacker Christophe Mulumba and University of Montreal defensive lineman Junior Luke have accepted invites to the Tropical Bowl.

The event features a week of practices in front of pro scouts that leads into game day on Saturday, January 15 in Daytona Beach, Fla., which showcases senior prospects. 27 NFL and four CFL teams with more than 70 scouts attended the inaugural event last year. Three players were invited to the NFL Scouting Combine and over 25 athletes from the Tropical Bowl went to NFL training camps in 2016.

Mulumba recorded 97 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and two pass break-ups in 10 games during his senior year with the Black Bears. The Montreal native racked up 347 career tackles while playing four seasons at Maine. The six-foot-one, 245-pound tackler was selected to the New England Football Writers’ All-New England team and garnered his third All-CAA (Colonial Athletic Conference) first-team selection after the 2016 campaign.

Luke, a 2016 USports All-Canadian, put up 15.5 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, one forced fumble and one interception for a Carabins defence that gave up the fewest points (72) and yards per game (267.4) in Canadian university football. It will be the second trip to Daytona Beach in as many months for Luke, he won the lineman MVP at the National Bowl on December 4.

On the December CFL Scouting Bureau rankings, Mulumba checked in at No. 8 and Luke No. 9.