In the past it wasn’t very common to see skill position Canadians making plays south of the border. We got use to seeing just offensive linemen and defensive linemen making it across the border to play in the NCAA and NFL and didn’t think much of the skill position guys until recently. There has been a huge growth of Canadian content south of the border recently when it comes to the skill positions. The coaching has improved around the country, and that explains the growth in talent but what has also come to fruition has been the exposure. Before, there may have been talent at every position on the field coming from Canada but nobody was here to see it. The Canadian universities were the only ones getting to look at the players in the country and had them play at their schools then the CFL. That took away all of the opportunities they could have had to play division one football and on Sundays but now with social media playing a large role in recruiting and the development in Canada not only coming in the athletes but the coaches as well with their relationships with coaches around the globe the secret has gotten out. People are now starting to realize what kind of talent is in Canada.
In the 2021 NFL Draft the record of four Canadians selected was tied, while even seeing four more sign undrafted free agent contracts on day three of the draft, paving the way for future Canadian athletes like defensive back Jaden Victor.
Victor is a Montreal, Quebec native. He’s from the same area as newly drafted Washington Football Team cornerback Benjamin St Juste and at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds he is ready to make an impact at the next level. He is entering his first season across the border, also his senior season of high school with Miami International Academy. He goes into his first season with a number of division one offers which he has been receiving since he began talking with coaches like Coach Jean Guillaume, one of his former teammates’ Edwin Tara-Kolenge’s mentors from the Ottawa, Ontario area. Among his offers are Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Eastern Carolina, Temple, UCONN, Toledo, Arkansas State and more. When asked by JZ Media’s Jordan Zlomislic about the offers Victor said with a big smile, “It is awesome.” he continued, “I’ve been working hard and to see it pay off a little bit makes me work even harder knowing that what I want is reachable.” What he wants right now? To help the team he is on now win games, “I want to make plays this year and continue to show schools out there who I am and why they should get me.”
In Victor’s interview with Jordan Zlomislic he also touched on how thankful he is to be in the position he is in. He has a teammate, Edwin Tara-Kolenge who is one of the top athletes from Canada and recently committed to Boston College that went through the entire recruiting process but as he goes through it himself he says, “its crazy” he explained, “My phone has been blowing up with all of the coaches that like my film. I’m thankful to be where I am. I am going to continue making the most of every opportunity because its not every athlete that gets these chances, especially coming from Canada.”
Jaden Victor has also recently been invited to the Martin Luther King Jr Day All-Star Classic Bowl in Las Vegas alongside Tara-Kolenge from Montreal.
JZ MEDIA 