In preparation for the Canadian Football League (CFL) draft, the 2025 CFL National Combine was hosted in Regina, Sask. from March 21 to 23.
The invite-only event gives prospects one last opportunity to showcase their ability to CFL scouts. In attendance were three Queen’s Football players, Darien Newell, ArtSci ’25, Silas Hubert, ArtSci ’25, and Ashton Miller-Melancon, ArtSci ’25.
The trio have been standouts from an established Queen’s program, dominating opponents on the defensive line and in the secondary. This combine marks one of the last stops in the group’s scouting cycle, having already travelled south to Fort Worth, Texas to participate in the College Gridiron Showcase earlier this January.
Miller-Melancon began his career as a defensive back being named to the OUA Football All-Rookie team during the 2021 season. In his second year, he was named a U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian and finished the season as a Top Eight Academic All-Canadian.
Throughout his career, he’s recorded 150 total tackles, with 16 interceptions and 27 deflections.
The pair of Newell and Hubert have combined to wreak havoc on opposing offensive lines. Hubert also earned U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian honours in his second year with the squad. This past season, he received an OUA Second Team All-Star honours, recording 34 tackles, including eight for loss and four sacks.
Newell is perhaps the most highly touted prospect, projecting as one of the most “pro-ready” player in the class.
At the College Gridiron Showcase, he drew an interview from the New England Patriots and was one of a half-dozen Canadians to participate in the University of Buffalo pro day in front of 25 CFL and NFL scouts. In the latest CFL Scouting Bureau prospect ranking, Newell ranks 13th.
His impressive size and production have earned him U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian honours in 2022, and U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian honours in the previous two seasons. In Newell’s four years, he has 92 total tackles, with 27.5 tackles for loss, and 18 sacks.
At the combine, prospects participate in drills and a testing phase, listing measurables in the 225-pound bench press, 40-yard dash, vertical leap, broad jump, shuttle-run, and three-cone drill.
Newell tested impressively with a 9’ 11 3/4” broad jump on the second day of the combine, the second highest of all defensive linemen. However, a personal emergency left him unable to complete the rest of the drills on the final day of testing.
Miller-Melancon posted 12 reps on the bench press, 4.75 second 40-yard dash, 34-inch vertical leap, 9’ 9 3/4” broad jump, 7.2 second shuttle run, and 4.39 second three-cone drill.
Hubert tested very similarly with 20 reps on the bench press, 4.76 second 40-yard dash, 30-inch vertical leap, 9’ 9 3/4” broad jump, 7.28 second shuttle run, and 4.40 second three-cone drill. An impressive feat considering his position as a defensive lineman, and a performance that would highlight Hubert as a standout performer on the final day of the combine.
After showcasing their abilities in front of scouts from all nine CFL teams, the trio will have to wait until the 2025 CFL draft on Apr. 29 to see if their efforts were enough to be earn a spot on a professional roster.
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