PRSVRE Preseason Power Rankings - August 22, 2025
The season officially starts tonight…
For the first time ever, we’ll be presenting the PRSVRE Power Rankings every three weeks, throughout the 2025 U SPORTS football season.
But first, we have some rules.
PRSVRE Preseason Power Ranking Rules For 2025:
The final four from 2024 open the season as the Top 4 in 2025
The reigning National Champion automatically opens the season ranked at No. 1
The team that lost in the National Championship automatically opens the season ranked at No. 2
The two other conference champions, who lost in the National Semifinals, automatically open the season ranked in the Top 4
The PRSVRE Power Rankings will consist of a Top 10, followed by five teams (11-15) who are “On The Brink”
Let’s Tap Into The Top 10
PRSVRE Preseason Power Rankings - August 21, 2025
1. Laval Rouge et Or 🏆
Thoughts: Spot is earned, not given - They’re are the defending National Champions.
Note: They’re basically brining back the same team btw.
2. Laurier Golden Hawks 🟣🟡
Thoughts: Spot is earned, not given - The team that lost in the National Championship starts off in the No. 2 spot.
Note: With the obvious exception of Taylor Elgersma, Laurier is also brining back the same roster in 2025.
Another Note: What can we expect from Ohio QB transfer Callum Wither? Big shoes to fill, but surrounded by All-Canadian talent on offence.
3. Regina Rams 🐏
Thoughts: Spot is earned, not given - They’re the defending Hardy Cup Champions who took Laval to the limit in the Mitchell Bowl and almost shocked the country.
The Regina Rams came within just three points of knocking off the eventual National Champions - let that sink in for a moment if it hasn’t already over the past nine months.
Question: Despite being slotted at No. 3 in these rankings, let’s not forget that this was a team that went 3-5 last season and almost missed the playoffs before finding their stride in late October.
Heading into 2025, the big question will be how the Rams start the season - and whether they can create consistent success as opposed to having to spark a late-season Cinderella run.
4. Bishop’s Gaiters 🐊
Thoughts: Spot is earned, not given - The defending AUS Champions. Won a conference championship last season for the first time since 1994 before falling to Laurier in the Uteck Bowl.
Note: It feels like this team is set up to repeat in the AUS - we’ll see what SMU and STFX have to say about that, though.
5. Montréal Carabins Ⓜ️
Thoughts: Considering the last three National Champions have come out of the RSEQ - and with Montréal consistently neck-and-neck with Laval - the No. 5 ranking feels like the right spot for this team heading into the season. How they perform this weekend will tell us a lot more about where they truly stand.
Note: With former Hec Crighton Award winner Jonathan Sénécal no longer under center, the Carabins enter a new era at quarterback. For a program that historically struggled to find consistency at the position before Sénécal’s arrival, this transition will be one of the biggest storylines to watch this season.
6. Western Mustangs 🐎
Thoughts: For the first time in a long time, Western doesn’t enter the season as the undisputed favourite in the OUA. And whether you want to admit it or not, it’s a strange feeling.
Despite winning three of the last four Yates Cups, it feels like Western enters 2025 with something to prove. In 2023, they scraped their way through the regular season, ultimately capturing another Yates Cup while battling injuries. Last year carried a similar vibe - only this time, it was Laurier who finally got the Mustangs’ number.
But, here’s the truth: Since September 2021, the only OUA team to defeat the Western Mustangs has been the Laurier Golden Hawks. Until proven otherwise, Western remains one of the gold standards of U SPORTS football.
With cornerstone players like Evan Hillock set to graduate after this season, the Mustangs have every reason to be motivated. This group will be determined to close out this era of Western football the same way it began - with a championship.
7. Manitoba Bisons 🦬
Thoughts: On paper, the Manitoba Bisons have been a great team for the better part of the last three seasons.
They’ve always found themselves in Hardy Cup conversations, and rightfully so.
But, despite having what feels like a boatload of talent (All-Stars, All-Canadians, a Lineman of the Year winner and even a Conference MVP) the Bisons have not been able to actually win the Hardy Cup.
Can you really blame them, though? We all know the Canada West is unpredictable.
Would it be fair to say they’ve simply just been unlucky? Possibly.
Whether you blame them for their shortcomings or not, here’s the truth: With 20 players entering their fourth or fifth years of eligibility - including standouts like 2025 Canada West MVP Jackson Tachinski, Nathan Udoh, De Shawn Le Jour, and Breydon Stubbs - this season likely represents Manitoba’s last clear shot at a Hardy Cup for some time. With so much veteran talent set to likely move on, 2026 is shaping up to be more of a retooling year for the program.
This is it for this group.
8. Saskatchewan Huskies 🐺
Thoughts: Last season was a challenging one for the program, as they sat below .500 by Week 6. However, Saskatchewan caught fire down the stretch, finding their rhythm and making a late push that nearly earned them the Hardy Cup. It felt like a team rediscovering its identity at just the right time.
The Huskies suffered a few key defensive losses with Lane Novak, Cam Skinner, Katley Joseph, and Finn Marcotte-Crib moving on. However, on the offensive side, they return nearly the entire unit from last season. The expectation remains that they’ll once again be in the mix for the Hardy Cup.
Key Transfer: Defensive back Anesu Latmore, who participated in the 2025 CFL Combine, has transferred from Waterloo to Saskatchewan. For a program that lost several high-calibre DBs this offseason, his arrival provides a much-needed boost to the Huskies’ secondary.
9. UBC Thunderbirds ⚡️🦅
Thoughts: Former Canada West All-Star QB Garrett Rooker is not listed on this roster, so tbh this pick can change very quick depending on how UBC starts the season.
Question: It’s Derek Engel’s time to take over at QB, he’s been impressive before, will he shine when given the green light on a full-time basis?
10. Guelph Gryphons 🔴🟡
Thoughts: This team is just exciting to watch.
That said, their 6–2 record in 2024 comes with some question marks, as five of those six wins were against opponents who finished the season records of .500 or below (Carleton, Toronto, McMaster, Waterloo, and York).
This year, Guelph’s first four games will be Laurier, Western, Windsor, and Ottawa - tough.
Add in McMaster in Week 5, and that makes five consecutive opponents who reached the playoffs in 2024 to open the 2025 season for Guelph.
Here’s the kicker: despite the brutal schedule, Guelph should have the talent to handle it.
We’ll find out who the Guelph Gryphons truly are, real quick.
Who’s On The Brink?
11. Windsor Lancers ⚔️
Thoughts: Is Windsor’s Yates Cup window officially closed?
Never say never.
But, on paper, this is still a really good football team.
On offence, the Lancers return a deep backfield featuring Weagbe Mombo, Joey Zorn (55th overall pick in the 2025 CFL Draft by Toronto), and Liam Talbot, along with conference all-star calibre receiver Colby Ginn.
On defence, Windsor boast arguably the OUA’s top secondary, headlined by Harrison Daley, Robert Springer, and Istvan Assibo-Dadzie (30th overall pick in the 2025 CFL Draft by Toronto), along with Ethan John. They’ll also be anchored by linebacker Liam Hoskins, selected 43rd overall in the 2025 CFL Draft by Saskatchewan.
The key losses on JP Circelli’s Lancers have come within their front seven. This past offseason saw the departures of DL Demir Tagangi, DE Kolade Amusan, and LB Devin Veresuk - three players who were instrumental in Windsor leading the OUA in sacks last season.
12. Queen’s Gaels ⚡️🦅
Thoughts: Tbh, Guelph and Queen’s are pretty similar.
Guelph gets the slight edge thanks to a deeper veteran core—but Queen’s isn’t far behind.
Much like Windsor, this was a team that had a strong Yates Cup window earlier in the decade, reaching back-to-back finals before falling to Western.
Since then, the rest of the OUA has caught up, but Queen’s remains a tough matchup on any given day and continues to be a program that can’t be overlooked.
13. SMU Huskies 🐺
Thoughts: Experience matters - this team has 28 players entering their fourth or fifth year of eligibility.
And when you factor in the heartbreaking circumstances of last year’s Loney Bowl loss, it’s hard not to believe this group will be more motivated than ever heading into 2025.
14. STFX X-Men 🔵⚪️
Thoughts: If you’re a true fan of U SPORTS football, just drop the AUS hate and appreciate the 2025 STFX X-Men.
While we’re far removed from X’s three-peat era, there are still plenty of key pieces remaining from the team that last won the Loney Bowl in 2023.
Led by 2x AUS MVP QB Silas Fagnan, 1x AUS MVP RB Malcolm Bussey, and playmakers like REC Ben Harrington, REC Zachary Houde, RB Caleb Fogarty, and REC Devaughn Blackwood, this group ranks among the most talented offensive units in recent AUS history.
Some players will return next year, others will move on. But one thing is certain: 2025 marks the final time this specific group will take the field together.
So, just appreciate them.
15. Ottawa Gee-Gees 🐴
Thoughts: Ottawa always finds themselves in the middle. Still higher than Carleton, though, for now.
Two Teams With Lots of Hype, But Also Lots to Prove
York Lions 🦁
Thoughts: This might just be the most entertaining rebuild in U SPORTS football. If you’ve been following the York Lions, you’ll know they’ve pulled off nearly a complete roster overhaul across the last two offseasons - bringing in transfers from nine different U SPORTS programs, two NCAA Division I schools, and 25 former CJFL players. It’s impressive, no doubt.
But the reality remains: This is a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2004. For all the roster moves to truly matter, York needs to win more than two games in 2025. Expectations are higher than ever - probably the highest they’ll ever be for a 2–6 program - and now it’s about proving the rebuild is more than just hype.
McGill Redbirds 🔴🐦
Thoughts: The word going around in Quebec is many believe the 2025 McGill Redbirds can get to the Dunsmore Cup - interesting, let’s unpack this a little.
They’ve also landed a standout recruiting class, headlined by Jerry Momo—the top RB in CEGEP in recent years. Last season with the Champlain Cougars, he racked up 1,265 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, cementing himself as one of the most exciting young talents in the country.
But the undeniable star of this team is Eloa Latendresse-Regimbald, who in 2024 threw for 2,245 yards and 8 touchdowns while adding 858 rushing yards and 9 scores on the ground. Think Tre Ford 2.0 - only this time in a 6’4” frame. Certainly a favourite to win RSEQ MVP.
With Laval returning much of its core and opening the season as favourites to capture a 13th National Championship, all eyes in the RSEQ shift to Montréal. The Carabins appear to be entering a transition year, with many of the stars who defined the first half of the decade now departed.
Whether a new contender can break into the Dunsmore Cup picture remains to be seen. But if McGill wants to be that team, they’ll need to steal a win from either Laval or Montréal during the regular season - and set the tone.