5 CIS football stars you owe it to yourself to watch

If you want to see Canadian football with actual star power, check out a CIS game.

Everyone knows this, but no one says it. How can the university brand of three-down football, which often has a bare bones look about it, possibly offer something not available in the slickly produced CFL? Simple. The all-too-modest scale of CIS is truer to the game's roots. It's also a lower level of play, so individual talents can seem larger than life rather than merely functional pro athletes who are just a shade not good enough for the National Football League.

The CFL, bless it, can come off like it believes charisma is a communicable disease. No one argues much anymore that it is more wide-open than American ball, due to the increased use of spread and 'air raid' offences south of the border. By this point in the calendar, the entire CFL season can usually be distilled down to a continuous loop of Anthony Calvillo being praised effusively by either TSN's Glen Suitor or Duane Forde for checking down to a running back. The pro league does have thrill-a-minute performers such as Hamilton Tiger-Cats receiver/returner Chris Williams or Canadian backs such as the B.C. Lions' Andrew Harris and Calgary Stampeders' Jon Cornish, but there seems to be more thrust on whether Ricky Ray can ever actually complete a drive in the red zone. Point being, it's a game and a TV presentation that seems directed at high school coaches.

It is hardly new to say college football is more exciting than the pros. It should be said more often in Canada. The CFL is fine, but CIS is where the dynamic players take on added life.

At its most sublime, it's the broken-field scrambles that Brad Sinopoli, the Calgary Stampeders' current Canadian reserve quarterback, pulled off in his days with the Ottawa Gee-Gees. It's then-Western Mustangs quarterback Michael Faulds authoring a Willis Reed moment during the '09 Yates Cup by hobbling on to the field with a torn ACL in his knee to throw one last pass. There's a euphoria involved.

In another era, it was Saint Mary's legend Chris Flynn — who is in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame solely for his university career — dancing around defenders 20, 30 yards behind the line scrimmage and keeping plays alive endlessly before finding a receiver. Or it was Éric Lapointe, in his day at Mount Allison, running for more than 250 yards against a defence stacked to stop him and then keeping his helmet on during post-game interviews to hide his embarrassment that he couldn't will the small Sackville, N.B., school to a victory.

What is grand must be necessarily obscure. William Blake said that before football was invented, but it fits. The collegiate cousin of the CFL has a greater capacity for imagination. It's also underhyped, which means a great moment doesn't get the life choked out of it by media saturation.

Here are five players a true fan ought to watch, lest the next level find a reason they cannot make a contribution.

Kyle Quinlan, McMaster Marauders quarterback — An obvious inclusion. The fifth-year senior brought Mac and the city of Hamilton its first Vanier Cup championship while dethroning the Laval Rouge et Or in a 41-38 overtime thriller. McMaster is No. 1 to open the season and hopeful of being the first team other than Laval to repeat as national champions since Saint Mary's in 2001-02. There is little questioning Quinlan's decision making or his heart.

Austin Kennedy, Windsor Lancers quarterback — Eerily similar to Quinlan. Both are dual-threat quarterbacks from the Windsor, Ont., area who played amateur football with the Essex Ravens. Kennedy, is listed at 5-foot-10 and 205 pounds, may be too short for the CFL's liking but has the skills to be the triggerman in an offence that might look like basketball on turf. (Lancer alumni would like that; the school is traditionally much stronger in basketball.) Kennedy completed 65 per cent of his passes and averaged more than seven yards per rush as a sophomore last fall.

Rotrand Sené, Montréal Carabins running back — Laval is the colossus of the Quebec conference, but Les Bleus boast La Belle Province's most exciting player. Sené is a slashing rusher who seems almost unconstitutionally incapable of running in a straight line. He offered a taste and a tease in the Carabins' exhibition game a few days ago by tallying 183 yards from scrimmage on more than 10.1 yards per touch. A happy and healthy season could make him the province's nominee for the Hec Crighton Trophy. Enjoy him now; worry if he's CFL material later.

Steven Lumbala, Calgary Dinos running back — It probably won't be long before current B.C. Lions fullback Rolly Lumbala is "Steven's brother." The No. 3-ranked Dinos are stacked on offence and Lumbala is coming off a season where he averaged 8.1 yards per carry in a backfield-by-committee situation. The job is mostly his now and he could put up big numbers while solidifying his case to be the first running back drafted next April. The Dinos, meantime, are aiming for their third Vanier Cup berth in four seasons.

Billy Greene, UBC Thunderbirds quarterback — The reigning CIS player of the year is another pivot who can pass or outrun defenders. The CFL didn't afford him a training camp stint this spring, but all he means to a resurgent T-Birds program is, well, everything. Last fall, Greene led UBC's conference in total offence by more than 100 yards per game. He led UBC to the conference final, making them a sentimental hope from fans in the rest of Canada who would not mind if someone ended Calgary's four-year conference-title run.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.