GUELPH, Ont. – On Tuesday night (April 28, 2026), a total of three student-athletes from the University of Guelph football program were selected in the 2026 Canadian Football League (CFL) Draft. Gryphon running back,
Isaiah Smith was the first U of G selection, with the 2022 OUA Rookie of the Year heading to the Toronto Argonauts in Round 2 with the 11th overall pick. Defensive back Devynn Cromwell, who played three seasons with the Gryphons (2021-to-2023) before transferring to the NCAA to suit up with the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Michigan State Spartans, was selected by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the 3rd round. Rounding out the U of G selections was Gryphons offensive lineman
Mitchel Schechinger who was taken by the Calgary Stampeders in Round 6. See below for more information on all three Gryphon selections.
Gryphons Selected in the 2026 CFL Draft
| Name |
Position |
Team |
Round |
Overall |
| Isaiah Smith |
RB |
Toronto Argonauts |
2nd |
11th |
| Devynn Cromwell |
DB |
Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
3rd |
25th |
| Mitchel Schechinger |
OL |
Calgary Stampeders |
6th |
53rd |
Isaiah Smith, a 6-foot, 230-pound running back from Burlington, Ontario, was the first University of Guelph player to be taken in the 2026 CFL Draft with the Toronto Argonauts selecting the 2022 OUA Rookie of the Year in the 2nd round, 11th overall. A human kinetics major at the University of Guelph, Smith burst onto the OUA scene in his rookie season in 2022, earning OUA Rookie of the Year honours. Smith battled through injuries the following two seasons, but continued to impress whenever he was on the field, including developing into a reliable receiving option out of the backfield during the 2025 season. Smith rushed for 306 yards and had 295 receiving yards this past season while finding the end zone 4 times.
Devynn Cromwell, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound defensive back, was the next Gryphon selected, going to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the 3rd round, 25th overall. Cromwell arrived at the University of Guelph in 2020 and played three seasons on the Gryphons football team from 2021-to-2023. The ultra athletic defensive back from Toronto, Ontario had a phenomenal first season of OUA football in 2021, where he was named a U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian at his defensive halfback position. In 2023, Cromwell add to his growing list of accomplishments as he was named an OUA Second Team All-Star after recording 21.5 tackles, 5 pass break-ups, and one interception. A psychology major during his time at the University of Guelph, Cromwell formed one of the top shutdown units in the country alongside fellow All-Canadian Siriman Harrison Bagayogo. Following the 2023 season with the Gryphons, Cromwell transferred south of the border, playing for both the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Michigan State Spartans in the NCAA Division 1 ranks.
Versatile offensive lineman
Mitchel Schechinger was the final Gryphon to be selected in the 2026 CFL Draft, with the mechanical engineering major taken by the Calgary Stampeders in the 6th round, 53rd overall. The 6-foot-2, 301-pound offensive lineman from Sarnia, Ontario was a stalwart on the Gryphon offensive line in his four seasons with the team, and was named a U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian in 2024 and an OUA All-Star in both 2024 and 2025. Schechinger excelled at both guard and centre while helping lead the way up front for a University of Guelph ground game that finished 2nd in the OUA in rushing yards (1,618). Schechinger was also a two-sport athlete at the University of Guelph, competing on the Gryphons men's wrestling team where he was U SPORTS bronze medalist in the men's 125kg weight class during the 2024-25 season.
For a
complete list of the selections in the 2026 CFL Draft, visit cfl.ca.
