Boise State safety Ty Benefield (0) intercepts the ball in front of New Mexico wide receiver Zhaiel Smith (0) to seal the game late in the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Boise, Idaho. (AP Photo/Steve Conner)

By The Canadian Press

Benefield enters season as top-ranked player on CFL Scouting Bureau’s pre-season list

Aug 20, 2026 | 9:27 AM

TORONTO — Safety Ty Benefield enters the 2026 season as the top-ranked player on the CFL Scouting Bureau’s pre-season top-20 list.

Benefield, whose father, Daved, played 13 seasons in the CFL, is in his first year at Louisiana State University after transferring from Boise State following the 2025 campaign. Benefield started all 14 games with the Broncos last season, registering 107 tackles (70 solo, 8.5 for loss), two interceptions, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Benefield, who grew up in Vancouver, started 33-of-44 games at Boise State, recording 252 tackles (162 solo, 18 for loss), three sacks and five interceptions. He was a first-team All-Mountain West selection in 2025 and an Academic All-Mountain West pick in 2023 and ’24.

Toronto’s Bryce Butler, a defensive lineman, is the second-ranked player. Butler is in his first season at Texas Tech after appearing in 12 games (one start) last year at Washington, recording 19 tackles (12 solo, 2.5 for loss) with two sacks and one fumble recovery.

Nick Osho, of Burnaby, B.C., a running back at North Texas, is at No. 3. Osho started eight-of-12 games played last season at Indiana State, rushing for 685 yards (5.8-yard average) and eight touchdowns while adding 10 catches for 42 yards and a touchdown.

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Vanderbilt defensive lineman Edwin Kolenge, of Montreal, is the fourth player on the list. He started 10-of-12 games last season at Boston College and had 31 tackles (17 solo) with a sack.

Toronto’s Nicolas Cruji, an offensive lineman at Charlotte, comes in at No. 5. Last season at Maine he didn’t allow a sack in 400-plus block snaps and started 24-of-38 games at the school.

Rounding out the top-10 are: Nicolas Kalume, of London, Ont. (defensive lineman, Arkansas State); Jordan Lessard of Montreal (defensive back, Colorado State who spent three years at Laval); Winnipeg’s Dolapo Egunjobi (offensive lineman, UT Martin who spent one season at Manitoba; Toronto’s Chris Dixon (defensive lineman, South Dakota); and Saskatoon’s Leif Magnuson (offensive lineman, Cal Poly).

The CFL Scouting Bureau consists of league scouts, player-personnel directors and GMs and releases its rankings three times annually.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 20, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Benefield enters season as top-ranked player on CFL Scouting Bureau’s pre-season list

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