Huskies’ Lokombo listed as a top prospect ahead of 2021 CFL draft

A familiar face to Saskatchewan university football is ranked in the top 20 for the upcoming 2021 CFL draft.

The CFL released its latest rankings for the upcoming draft Wednesday, and the University of Saskatchewan Huskies’ Nelson Lokombo has cracked the list yet again.

The fourth-year defensive back was listed 19th in Wednesday’s Winter Scouting Bureau Rankings. His ranking dropped five spots from October’s rankings.

The Abbotsford, B.C., product said he has been quarantining with his brother at home on the coast, which has given him a different outlook on professional sports.

Lokombo’s brother, Bo, has five years of experience as a linebacker in the CFL with the B.C. Lions and Montreal Alouettes.

Nelson opened up about his pandemic life these past few months with his brother in a CFL Zoom call late Wednesday morning.

“It’s been tough. Earlier on, it was definitely something that was tough to handle. We couldn’t let off the gas, as far as training wise, maintaining what we can, being consistent and being real with ourselves, knowing that football is going to be coming back,” he said.

Lokombo said he felt it would be cool to someday share a defensive backfield with his brother in the CFL, but added his future is still up in the air in terms of if he will stay in the CFL if drafted or return to the U of S.

“If I get the opportunity, I want to make it last. I’ll take it day by day and just handle what’s in my control,” he said.

“Not having this season (due to COVID-19 measures), it sucked. I think right now is the best decision to declare … I talked to my coaches about it (and) they encouraged me to do so as well.”

And speaking of that coaching staff, Lokombo praised the Huskies football program for giving him the experience to get to the upcoming draft.

“(The program is) a huge part of my life. When I first got there, it was (a) new coaching staff (and) new philosophy. The whole culture was changing and that was huge. Having my coaches there, they definitely taught me lots as a player and off the field too — how to be a man. That program is one of the best,” he said, before adding the coaching staff’s professional experience also benefitted his career.

Lokombo is one of just four U Sports athletes listed in the latest rankings.

Offensive linemen Pierre-Olivier Lestage from Montreal (10th), Logan Bandy from Calgary (16th) and Bryce Bell from Laurier (20th) joined Lokombo as U Sports players in the rankings.

The CFL Scouting Bureau has published the second edition of the Top-20 prospects eligible for the 2021 #CFLDraft. pic.twitter.com/GgZvvnXF0z

— CFL (@CFL) January 20, 2021

An offensive lineman from the University of Iowa, Alaric Jackson, topped the list of prospects. The Windsor, Ont., product was also listed as the top prospect in October’s rankings.

The CFL also gave an update on its 2021 draft. The league announced that NCAA players eligible for the upcoming draft who decide to use their extra year of eligibility will not have their draft year deferred.

U Sports athletes had the opportunity to defer their draft year as well, with 132 prospects taking that route to move their draft year to 2022.