Former five-stars now playing in the CFL
The NFL season is still a few months away but our neighbors to the north in the Canadian Football League kick off in earnest this weekend. Several former big-name recruits now make their living playing in Canada and we take a look back at former five-stars playing in the CFL this season.
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Background: Williams didn’t sign as a high school recruit in 2011 and spent time in junior college before earning a five-star ranking in the class of 2014. After initially committing to LSU, Williams eventually flipped to Auburn during the summer of 2013. His career with the Tigers got off to an amazing start as he had nine receptions for 154 yards in his first game with the school. He finished his first year with 45 catches for 730 yards and five touchdowns. Things went downhill in 2015 as his production declined and he was eventually dismissed from the team after appearing in five games and recording 12 catches for 147 yards.
How he landed in Canada: Williams went undrafted in 2016 and signed with the Los Angeles Rams but failed to make the team’s regular season roster. He signed with the Edmonton Eskimos in 2017 and appeared in 13 games, recording 46 catches for 715 yards and four touchdowns. Williams is expected to be a starter for the Eskimos again this season.
Background: Wilder’s recruitment came down to Florida, Florida State and Georgia and despite rumblings that he would end up in Athens, Wilder surprised many and committed to the Seminoles. As part of a crowded backfield in Tallahassee, Wilder saw playing time, but never truly had a breakout season with the Noles. His best season came in 2012, when he rushed for 640 yards and 11 touchdowns while also finishing with 141 yards receiving. After rushing for 563 yards as a junior in 2013, Wilder elected to declare early for the NFL Draft.
How he landed in Canada: Wilder went undrafted in 2014 but signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. He spent two years with the team and one season with the Buffalo Bills, but never recorded an NFL statistic. In 2017, he signed with the Toronto Argonauts and had a huge rookie season, rushing for 872 yards while also recording 533 yards receiving. Wilder played a key role in the team’s run to the Grey Cup Championship. Back with the team this season, Wilder is expected to be the team’s starting running back.
Background: The No. 5 overall player in the class of 2009, Campbell initially committed to Michigan before backing off his pledge following the retirement of Lloyd Carr. After that, he had a national recruitment that came down to Alabama, LSU, Michigan, Miami and Florida. Campbell officially visited all five schools, before announcing for the in-state Wolverines at the Army All-American Game. Campbell played in all 12 games as a freshman in 2009, but was converted to offensive line hallway through the 2010 season. He later returned to the defensive line in 2011 and by the time his career ended in 2012 he had appeared in 47 consecutive games.
How he landed in Canada: Campbell was a sixth-round pick of the New York Jets in 2013 and he spent one full season with the team. After once again converting to offensive line, Campbell had stints with Buffalo, Green Bay and Tennessee but never saw any regular season playing time. In 2017, he signed with the Toronto Argonauts and started 14 games as a rookie. He’s expected to be a starter for the team again this season.
Background: The son of former Dallas Cowboys star Jim Jeffcoat, Jackson was well-known name in the state of Texas from early on in his high school career. He officially visited Houston, Arizona State, USC, Oklahoma and Texas before announced his commitment to the Longhorns just prior to National Signing Day in 2010. He went on to have a very productive career in Austin, including a freshman All-American season in 2010 and a consensus All-American senior year in 2013.
How he landed in Canada: Despite his exceptional college career Jeffcoat went undrafted in 2014 before eventually making the Washington Redskins roster. He played in nine games over two seasons for the Redskins after being waived following an injury. Jeffcoat failed to make Cleveland’s roster in 2016 and after spending a year out of football signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers last year. In his rookie CFL season he started all 16 games and finished the season with 36 tackles and seven sacks. Jeffcoat is expected to be a starter with the Blue Bombers again this season.
Background: Gable’s recruitment came down to a battle among four schools, with him taking official visits to Ole Miss, Cal, USC and Arizona within a two-month span. After taking all four trips, he announced his decision to stay home and play for the Trojans a few weeks before National Signing Day in 2006. His college career got off to a promising start with the Trojans but he struggled with nagging injuries throughout his career as a Trojan. He finished his career with 1,549 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns.
How he landed in Canada: Gable went undrafted in 2011 and had stints with New Orleans and Denver in the NFL but never recorded a statistic. He spent a season with the Nebraska Danger of the Indoor Football League before signing with the Hamilton Tiger Cats in 2013. That season he went on to rush for more than 700 yards and finished as the runner-up for the league’s rookie of the year award. After spending four seasons with the Tiger Cats, Gable was traded to Edmonton halfway through last season. In his CFL career, Gable has 2,739 yards and 19 touchdowns. He is expected to be the Eskimos' starting running back this season.
Background: Toliver had a national recruitment and played it out all the way until National Signing Day, officially visiting LSU, Florida, Oklahoma, Tennessee and USC before eventually picking the Tigers. He went on to have a productive career in Baton Rouge, highlighted by a 2009 season that saw him catch 53 passes for 735 yards.
How he landed in Canada: After going undrafted in 2011, Toliver bounced around the NFL with stops in Houston, Detroit, Chicago and San Diego but he never recorded an NFL statistic. He signed with the Hamilton Tiger Cats in 2015 and has had back-to-back successful seasons, highlighted by a 2016 season that saw him go over 1,000 yards receiving. His 2017 season lasted only one game before he suffered a season-ending knee injury. Back healthy, Toliver is expected to be a starter for the Tiger Cats this season.
Background: Hazelton saw a number of national powers vying for his commitment as a recruit and took official visits to Tennessee, USC, Miami and Penn State during his senior year. After making all four trips, he announced his commitment to USC on New Year’s Eve in 2005. With the exception of a sophomore season that saw him catch 50 passes for 540 yards, Hazelton’s career with the Trojans never really took off. He caught just seven passes combined as a freshman and a junior, and transferred to Cincinnati for his senior season, where he caught six passes for 63 yards.
How he landed in Canada: Hazelton went undrafted in 2011 and spent time with San Diego, Cincinnati, Tennessee and the New York Jets in the NFL between 2011-13. After not recording an NFL statistic, Hazelton spent 2014 with the Boston Brawlers of the Fall Experimental Football League. He headed north to Canada in 2015 and signed with the Toronto Argonauts. He spent a season and a half with the team before signing with Edmonton in late 2016. In his three seasons in the CFL, Hazelton has 139 catches for 1,724 yards. Still a member of the Eskimos, Hazelton is expected to be a starter this season.