Argos sign Wagner College defensive lineman Julian McCleod

Photo courtesy: Wagner Athletics

The Toronto Argonauts have signed American DL Julian McCleod through the 2021 Canadian Football League season.

The six-foot-three, 285-pound McCleod played four years at Wagner College from 2016 to 2019. He recorded 38 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in 12 games during his senior season with the Seahawks.

The Miramar, Florida native played 45 career games with Wagner while recording 102 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, five sacks and two forced fumbles. He set new single-season career highs each season on campus in New York. Following the 2019 season, McCleod competed in the FCS Bowl.

The Argos are already familiar with the Wagner football program, as Toronto drafted former Seahawk linebacker Mathieu Loiselle in the seventh round, 60th overall during the 2018 CFL Draft.

McCleod becomes Wagner’s latest CFL player and first since former All-American running back Ryan Fulse signed a deal with the B.C. Lions in February. The third former Seahawk currently under contract in the CFL is defensive tackle Charbel Dabire, who was drafted by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the sixth round, 44th overall during the 2019 CFL draft.

The longest-tenured former Wagner standout to ever play in the CFL was linebacker and fullback C.O. Prime, a 2013 third-round pick, 19th overall by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats where he went on to enjoy a five-year year career (2013-2017) and helped his team to Grey Cup appearances in 2013 and 2014.