TORONTO – Dinos Robert Woodson and Rashaun Simonise were named by the CFL's Scouting Bureau on their Top-20 Prospects List in advance of the league's 2017 Canadian Draft. 
 
In total, 13 U Sports standouts cracked the second rankings of the season – one less than on Sept. 15 - including six in the Top 10.

Former Canada West Defensive Player of the Year, Woodson ranks in at No. 17 on the list. The fourth-year defensive back was a key factor in the secondary for the Dinos during their run to the Vanier Cup this season. The two-time All Canadian recorded 32 tackles throughout the regular season as well as playoffs in 2016. Former Dino Simonise ranks in at No. 4 on the second top prospects list to come out this year. The Vancouver native was named a 2015 First-Team All-Canadian. 
 
The other U Sports stars named to the new Top 20 are former Laval's Antony Auclair, Manitoba offensive lineman Geoff Gray (No. 5 / up six), Wilfrid Laurier defensive lineman Kwaku Boateng (No. 6 / down four), McMaster receiver Danny Vandervoort (No. 7 / down three), Montreal defensive lineman Junior Luke (No. 9 / up four), Carleton receiver Nate Behar (No. 12 / down four), McGill offensive lineman Qadr Spooner (No. 13 / down four), Laval offensive lineman Jean-Simon Roy (No. 14 / up four), Laurier linebacker Nakas Onyeka (No. 18 / down two), St. Francis Xavier defensive lineman Kay Okafor (No. 19 / down two), as well as previously-unranked receiver Mitchell Picton of Regina (No. 20).
 
Boateng was the highest-ranked U Sports player back in September, trailing only Senior on the overall list, while Gray's stock rose after he was selected along with Auclair to play in the upcoming Shrine Game. 
 
Last May, Laval offensive lineman Philippe Gagnon was the first U Sports player selected in the CFL Canadian Draft when the Montreal Alouettes called his name at No. 2. Gagnon had been ranked 15th, 13th and ninth, respectively, on the three prospect lists released over the course of the season.
 
Fifty-three U Sports players were selected in the 2016 CFL Draft (out of 70 total picks), including four in the first round. 
 
NOTE: The CFL Scouting Bureau releases its rankings three times each year: in September, December and April. The Bureau is comprised of CFL scouts, player personnel directors and general managers from the league's nine teams. 
 
CFL release: http://www.cfl.ca/2016/12/08/auclair-skyrockets-december-cfl-scouting-bureau-rankings/
 
CFL SCOUTING BUREAU DECEMBER 8, 2016 LIST:
 
Rank   Name                           Pos.     University       Hometown                  Ht.       Wt.      Sept 15            

1.         Justin Senior                OL       Mississippi St.  Montreal, Que.                        6-5       310      1
2.         Antony Auclair           TE        Laval               Notre-Dame-des-Pins, Que.   6-6       254      10
3.         Eli Ankou                     DL       UCLA               Ottawa, Ont.                6-3       325      5
4.         Rashaun Simonise       REC     Calgary                        Vancouver, B.C.          6-5       190      7
5.         Geoff Gray                 OL       Manitoba         Winnipeg, Man.                       6-6       310      11
6.         Kwaku Boateng          DL       Laurier             Milton, Ont.                 6-2       250      2
7.         Danny Vandervoort   REC     McMaster         Barrie, Ont.                  6-2       204      4
8.         Christophe Mulumba   LB        Maine              Laval, Que.                  6-1       245      6
9.         Junior Luke                DL       Montreal          Montreal, Que.             6-3       288      13
10.       Mason Woods              OL       Idaho               Port Coquitlam, B.C.   6-9       320      15
11.       Faith Ekakitie              DL       Iowa                Brampton, Ont.                        6-3       290      14
12.       Nate Behar                 REC     Carleton           London, Ont.               6-0       195      8
13.       Qadr Spooner                         OL       McGill             Brossard, Que.             6-4       314      9
14.       Jean-Simon Roy         OL       Laval               Quebec City, Que.       6-3       285      18
15.       Dariusz Bladek                        OL       Bethune-Cookman  Kissimmee, Fl.             6-4       308      NR
16.       Jordan Herdman         LB        Simon Fraser   Winnipeg, Man.                       6-2       235      NR
17.       Robert Woodson        DB       Calgary                        Calgary, Alta.               5-11     197      12
18.       Nakas Onyeka                        LB       Laurier             Brampton, Ont.                        6-0       210      16
19.       Kay Okafor                DL       StFX                Enugu, Nigeria             6-4       275      17
20.       Mitchell Picton                        REC     Regina             Regina, Sask.               6-2       205      NR

* Simonise played for the University of Calgary from 2013-2015 but was not on the Dinos' 2016 roster.