TORONTO – Seven members of the University of Calgary Dinos football team have been invited to the Canadian Football League (CFL) Combine Season, as part of more than 170 draft-eligible prospects showcasing their skills at two events for general managers, coaches and player personnel.
Waterloo, Ont., will once again host the CFL Invitational Combine on March 6. The top prospects identified at the event will then join the top-ranked class of 2026 in Edmonton for the CFL Combine from March 27-29.
Of the seven Dinos selected, five have developed their skills for their hometown university as they call Calgary or the surrounding area home.
Jordan Chizda,
Chris Pashula and
Matt Sibley will head to Waterloo, while
Ben Dobson,
Franklin Ibelo,
Osasere Odemwingie and
Brayden Szeman are off to Edmonton.
Chizda is the latest standout in the Dinos defensive backfield. The Winnipeg native has five career interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. He has played all eight games each of his four seasons on campus and finished the 2025 campaign with 19 total tackles - 15 solo - to go with two passes defensed and one fumble recovery.
Dobson has been one of the hardest hitters in Canada West for the last four years. A 6-foot-1 linebacker from nearby Cochrane, he has racked up 91 total tackles in 27 games over the last four seasons, including tallying career highs in both total tackles (30) and solo tackles (22) this past season despite being limited to just six games. Dobson also added a forced fumble, two passes defensed and half of a sack during this past season.
A physical force up front, Ibelo represents the Dinos' defensive line with his invitation to Edmonton's CFL Combine. The 6-foot-7 force from Calgary's Notre Dame High School, Ibelo has consistenly been able to both stuff the run and pressure the quarterback. He has a total of 27 tackles - 2.5 behind the line of scrimmage - to go with one forced fumble, one pass breakup and one blocked kick.
Also hailing from Notre Dame High School, Odemwingie has been one of the most consistent linebackers in all of U SPORTS since his first day on the UCalgary campus. He led the Dinos in tackles in both 2023 and 2024 and finished second on the team this season with 40 tackles - 26 of which were of the solo variety. In all, Odemwingie has 161 total tackles, 109 solo tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, five forced fumbles, four knock downs and two fumble recoveries in 31 total games thus far in the Scarlet & Gold.
Pashula is a versatile offensive lineman who has primarily been the Dinos left guard the majority of the time over the last four years. The local product from St. Francis High School earned his way into the starting lineup midway through his rookie season and hasn't looked back. This past year, he made seven starts at left guard, while also showing his range with a spot start at left tackle when his team needed it.
It was a big fourth year for Sibley. The veteran in a young receivers room, Sibley led the Dinos in both receptions (37) and receiving yards (506 - a career high) this past fall, despite being limited to just six games due to injury. The Ernest Manning High School product also hauled in a pair of touchdowns to bring his career total to seven. Sibley has also shown his dependability, amassing over 120 kick and punt returns in his university career.
Another in the long list of offensive lineman to earn a look at the next level, Szeman has been as dependable as they come in his four years in Calgary. The 6-foot-2 lineman from Vernon, B.C. has been the Dinos starting centre each of the last 32 games.
This year's CFL Draft is scheduled to take place April 28.
DINOS AT COMBINES
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