Five CFL prospects to watch this NCAA season

NCAA football gets fully underway Saturday, and there will be plenty of potential future CFL players to watch. The league released the first installment ofits annual Scouting Bureau rankings Friday, and those provide a good overview of some players to keep an eye on ahead of the 2016 CFL draft. Here's a look at five of the top ones, listed in order of their ranking by the Scouting Bureau. Keep your eyes on 55-Yard Line for an upcoming look at the top CIS prospects.

#1: Tevaun Smith, wide receiver, Iowa: Toronto native Smith is a remarkable talent who should already be somewhat familiar to CFL fans; in January, he made 41 one-handed catches to break Odell Beckham Jr.'s record, which CFL receiver Andy Fantuz later broke in May. He's about much more than just crazy videos, though; he led the Hawkeyes with 596 receiving yards last season, and is widely expected to be their top receiver again this year and one of their best offensive pieces overall. However, this doesn't mean he'll be the top pick in next year's draft; Iowa blogger Patrick Vint noted Thursday that Smith is drawing NFL interest.

Thus, like many top-ranked CFL prospects before him, Smith's immediate future might be in that league. Still, he's an excellent player to watch this year, and one who might wind up being a key CFL figure down the road. Smith and the Hawkeyes open at noon Eastern against Illinois State.

#3: Arjen Colquhoun, defensive back, Michigan State: Colquhoun should also be familiar to readers of this blog, as we spotlighted him here in 2010 following his commitment to the Spartans. The 6'1'' 202-pound Colquhoun, a Windsor native, has had a solid career at Michigan State so far, mostly as a special teams player, but took a big step forward in his role on defence last year, playing in 12 games, notching 11 tackles and adding two pass breakups and an interception. He enters this year as the co-starter at field corner and could be a big piece for the Spartans' defence. Fifth-ranked Michigan State kicked off their season Friday with a 37-24 win over Western Michigan.

#6: Josiah St. John, offensive lineman, Oklahoma: St. John, another Toronto native, played in eight of the Sooners' 13 games last season. At 6'6'' and 302 pounds, he has tackle size, and he's listed as #19-ranked Oklahoma's starting right tackle for their opener against Akron Saturday (7 p.m. Eastern). Offensive linemen are always highly-valued in the CFL draft, so if St. John can hold on to that starting spot on what should be a very good Sooners' team, he'll pick up a lot of draft buzz.

#7: Dillon Guy, offensive lineman, Buffalo: Hamilton product Guy made an immediate impact after joining the Bulls in 2011, starting six games and appearing in 11 as a true freshman, which is highly unusual in the NCAA. The 6'4'', 304-pound Guy didn't start in 2012, but still saw action in 12 games, and played in 12 more games in 2013 with five starts. He missed 2014 thanks to injury, but is set to be the Bulls' starting left guard this season. They open against Albany at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Saturday.

#8: Mitchell Winters, defensive lineman, Miami (Ohio): Winters, a Mississauga native (yes, all five of these guys are from Ontario, which is interesting), appeared in seven games as a true freshman in 2012, but only recorded three tackles. 2013 saw him play in 12 games and start nine at defensive tackle, finishing with 13 tackles and a tackle for loss, and he took a further step forward last season, starting all 12 of the Redhawks' games and notching 37 tackles and two and a half tackles for loss. He mostly played hockey growing up and was a linebacker in high school, and he was listed as just 6'5'' and 255 pounds in 2013, but has bulked up since and is now listed as 6'5'', 292. He and the Redhawks will start their season at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Saturday against Presbyterian.

Check out the CFL Scouting Bureau list for other NCAA players to watch, and stay tuned to 55-Yard Line for a look at the top CIS players out there!