Coach Blake Nill lists six groups which have inqured about fourth-year tackles Theo Benedet and and Giovanni Manu as UBC preps to start 12 months Friday in Regina
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The UBC Thunderbirds kick off their soccer season Friday and, to listen to coach Blake Nill inform it, there might be NFL groups monitoring them alongside the best way.
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Nill says that the Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts have inquired about both UBC proper deal with Theo Benedet, left deal with Giovanni Manu, or each of his offensive line ebook ends.
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He didn’t get into particulars with that.
UBC got here in at No. 9 within the season-opening U Sports activities nationwide rankings this week. They’re on the Regina Rams on Friday to start their eight-game Canada West common season, and have their residence opener Sept. 9, with the Calgary Dinos offering the opposition at Thunderbird Stadium.
The Laval Rouge et Or have been No. 1 ranked crew nationally, and the highest Canada West crew was the No. 3 Saskatchewan Huskies. The nationwide rating, in keeping with the U Sports activities internet web page, is a mix of an algorithm that generates a statistical calculation primarily based on personalized variables and a media ballot. The Canada West preseason coaches ballot, in the meantime, had the Huskies and T-Birds tied to complete atop their common season.
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UBC and Saskatchewan’s lone assembly is Sept. 29 in Saskatoon.
The 6-foot-7, 305-pound Benedet, who’s from North Vancouver, and the 6-foot-8, 350-pound Manu, who’s from Pitt Meadows, each may have gone to play within the CFL this season, however they opted to drag out of the draft and return to highschool, taking a chance caused by the COVID pandemic. They re each of their fourth 12 months of eligibility however their fifth years of college.
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Benedet, who received the J.P. Metras Trophy final 12 months because the U Sports activities nationwide lineman of the 12 months, was No. 8 on the 2023 CFL Draft rankings that got here out final September. Manu was No. 15.
The newest 2024 rankings have been launched final week and Benedet was slotted at No. 3 and Manu at No. 8. They’re the highest two U Sports activities gamers on the 20-man listing.
Benedet took half within the East-West Shrine Bowl in February in Paradise, Nevada, taking part in towards gamers from marquee NCAA applications. Benedet is the primary UBC participant to take part within the occasion since defensive lineman Nick Johansson in 2005.
Nill added longtime CFL offensive line coach Dan Dorazio to his employees this low season.
Benedt and Manu are amongst a number of gamers who opted to return to the T-Birds this season, Nill explains.
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Manu had mentioned that he and Benedet finalized their resolution flying again from Saskatoon final November after UBC fell 23-8 to the Huskies within the Canada West Hardy Cup championship recreation. UBC completed the common season at 4-4 after which received 28-14 in Regina in Hardy Cup semifinals.
The Huskies went on to advance to the Vanier Cup, the place they misplaced 30-24 to the Rouge et Or.
“It is a crew that is aware of we have now the potential to do some good issues,” Nill mentioned of his UBC squad. “We nonetheless need to stroll the stroll. That’s one thing that all of them appeared ready to do. There’s a special degree of urgency then I’ve seen since I’ve been right here.
“Now we have a variety of our athletes who’ve chosen to come back again for this season after they may have moved to the professional ranks or just moved on with their lives. That ’s beginning to say one thing in regards to the tradition.”
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Nill had profitable runs with each St. Mary’s and Calgary earlier than coming to UBC in 2015. The T-Birds received the Vanier Cup that season, they usually’ve been attempting to recapture that kind ever since.
Nill lauds the depth of this 12 months’s T-Hen crew, and that features at quarterback, the place his crew options Garrett Rooker and Derek Engel, each third-year pivots recruited out of the Texas highschool ranks.
Rooker suffered a posterior hip dislocation with a fracture in an Oct. 22 residence recreation towards Saskatchewan final 12 months and had his season shut down. He’s wholesome once more and would be the starter, in keeping with Nill.
“He’s proven large effort to come back again from the harm,” Nill mentioned.
Nill additionally mentioned that he’s eager discovering methods to make use of Engel, and that “you’ll begin to see him increasingly more.”
“We’ve obtained a 1-A and a 1-B at quarterback,” Nill mentioned.
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