Bombers sign 2020 CFL Draft pick, Canadian receiver Brendan O’Leary-Orange

Photo courtesy: Nevada Athletics

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have signed Canadian receiver Brendan O’Leary-Orange.

O’Leary-Orange was selected in the fourth round, 37th overall by the Bombers in the 2020 CFL Draft.

The six-foot-four, 210-pound pass catcher saw playing time in only six games at the University of Nevada in 2019 due to injury, recording five receptions for 85 yards in his senior season. He played in 11 games in 2018, starting seven, grabbing 14 passes for 214 yards and tied his career-high with four touchdowns.

The Toronto native was a member of Nevada’s 2018 Arizona Bowl victory team. O’Leary-Orange played in 11 of the Wolf Pack’s 12 games in his sophomore year, starting nine times and producing single-season career highs in all categories, 39 receptions for 618 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

There are Nevada connections in the CFL with who O’Leary-Orange has been in contact, two of them are Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ running back Don Jackson and Saskatchewan Roughriders’ quarterback Cody Fajardo.

Winnipeg has also signed 2021 Global Draft selection, linebacker Les Maruo. The six-foot, 230-pound Yokkaichi, Japan native grew up in Wichita, KS after his family moved to the United States when he was nine years old.

Maruo played his NCAA ball at the University of Texas-San Antonio, graduating in 2018 with a degree in exercise science. He started all 12 games for the Roadrunners in his senior season, posting 86 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss, two sacks, two fumble recoveries, one interception, and one pass knockdown.

After finishing at UTSA, Maruo spent two years playing in Japan’s X League with the Asahi Challengers. He tested well at the CFL’s Global Combine, finishing with 28 reps in the bench press and running a 4.77 forty-yard dash.