Midseason OUA Football Award Predictions
By Dashawn Stephens
Can you believe we’re already halfway through the 2021 OUA football season? It feels like just yesterday we were sitting at home, with our fingers crossed, praying we wouldn’t go another year without university football.
And now, here we are.
Deep into what’s been one of the most shocking and compelling seasons of recent memory.
With only three more weeks of action left to go, it’s still unclear who will hoist the Yates Cup this November. The field is wide-open and strong Yates Cup arguments can be made for eight of the 11 OUA teams. But what is clear are the names who’ve risen to the occasion and taken centre stage in 2021.
We’re looking at four midseason OUA award predictions.
Coach of the Year: Jean-Paul Circelli
School: Windsor
Let’s be real for a second: The OUA showed no mercy for Windsor when they created the 2021 football schedule.
After finishing last in 2019, Windsor was placed in a six-team division that includes Western, McMaster, Waterloo, Laurier, and Guelph - all of whom were perennial Yates Cup contenders at the start the season. Five of their six regular season games pitted them against teams who made the playoffs in 2019 - the most of any OUA schedule. And finally, the Lancers were chosen to be the unlucky team that must put up with the Western Mustangs not just once, but twice.
So, it would be fair to say the Lancers were dealt an unfair hand of cards, especially when considering they’re a rebuilding program.
But currently sitting at 2-1 and tied for first-place in the OUA West, along with Western and Waterloo, it’s also fair to say what Jean-Paul Circelli has done with the Lancers is nothing short of remarkable.
In just his first season as head coach, Circelli has already exceeded expectations and silenced doubters. Through three games, the Lancers have recorded jaw-dropping victories against two Top 10 opponents and are a Top 10 themselves in the eyes of most fans.
With three games remaining, two of which will be against Western, the Lancers are alive and well in the OUA West playoff race.
Despite all of the on-field success, the most impressive part of Circelli’s tenure so far has been his ability to create a new culture that is embodied within the Lancer football program. For the first time in seemingly forever, the Windsor Lancers are oozing with confidence when they touch the field. You can tell that they are an empowered group who take pride in donning the blue and gold every Saturday, and that’s special.
Whether Windsor goes on to somehow capture the Yates Cup, makes the playoffs, or miss the postseason altogether, it’s clear that the “Circelli-effect” is real, and it’s helped make the Lancers the most improved team in 2021.
The future seems bright for this program, but for now lets all stay in the moment and see how far these Lancers can continue to climb.
Rookie of the Year: James Hinsperger
Position: Linebacker School: Waterloo
Waterloo has quietly been producing promising recruiting classes for the last five years. Their 2016 recruiting class featured CFLers such as Tyler Ternowski, Dion Pellerin, and Kurtis Gray. Their program-changing 2017 recruiting class saw the arrival of Tre Ford - that years Rookie of the Year - along with Tyrell Ford and Gordon Lam, while 2018 brought forth another Rookie of the Year in Jack Hinsperger.
So it’s not a coincidence that Waterloo’s 2020 recruiting class boasts another rookie gem in James Hinsperger.
Since week one, the civil engineering major has held it down as the starting strong side linebacker for the black and gold. In fact, Hinsperger currently sits fifth in the conference in total tackles (19.5), and is tied for first in interceptions (2).
Prior to sustaining a knee injury in his senior year of high school, Hinsperger was receiving serious attention from NCAA Division 1 schools such as Notre Dame, Stanford, Penn State, and Michigan, and it’s easy to see why.
At 6’3”, 225Ib, he posseses the speed to cover crossing receivers, the power to dig into the trenches to help stop the run, and the skill to make open-field tackles.
It’s clear. There is no rookie who is more OUA-ready than Hinsperger.
Lineman of the Year: Anthony Federico
Position: Defensive Lineman School: Queen’s
For the first time in 10 years, the Queen’s Gaels have the top-ranked defence in the OUA.
They’ve allowed the fewest points, excel at stopping the run, and never fail to collapse pockets and send pressure at quarterbacks.
These days, the Gaels are disarming opposing offences and a large part of it is due to the fantastic campaign Anthony Federico has put together.
Through just four games, the fourth-year defensive lineman leads the nation in sacks (6) and has gotten to quarterbacks on his own more times than 15 other U SPORTS football teams at this point of the season.
What’s equally astonishing is the damage Federico causes in the backfield. On his conference-leading nine tackles for loss, the 6’4 lineman has pushed opposing offences back a total of 63 yards, another conference-high.
This isn’t the first season Federico has found himself among the OUA’s elite pass-rushers. In 2019, he led the conference in both sacks and tackles for loss, but was edged out by his then-teammate, and current Montréal Alouette, Cam Lawson for this award.
But as he continues to wreak havoc on offensive lines, while producing an eight-game season’s worth of numbers in just six games, expect Federico to be the clear-cut favourite for this award come November.
Outstanding Stand-Up Defensive Player: A.J. Allen
Position: Linebacker School: Guelph
If there’s one award that’s a toss up, it’s this one.
There’s a handful of defensive players who’ve shown out in 2021 to a large degree. Names such Tommy Bringi, Michael Reid, Tyrell Ford, Nolan Bedard, and Andrew Beatty immediately come to mind.
But with half the season still left to be played, AJ Allen is the current front-runner for the Stand Up Defensive Player of the Year award as his return to the OUA, after being drafted by the Saskatchewan Roughriders, has been a blessing for the Guelph Gryphons in 2021.
Disruptive best describes Allen’s 2021 campaign so far. The starting middle linebacker for one of the conference’s top defences seemingly finds himself involved in every defensive play. His 27 tackles over two games prove that his pursuit to the ball is unmatched - a credit to the speed that accompanies his size and strength.
With each game that passes, it becomes more clear that your best chance at thriving offensively is through identifying and avoiding Allen prior to the snap of the ball. This was evident in Guelph’s Week three matchup with Queen’s, when the entire second half broke out into a chess match between Allen and the Gaels offence.
Any player that forces you to re-write your game plan is special, and Allen is that player in the OUA right now.
Yes, he’s also third in the OUA in tackles (23) and has two sacks under his belt, but what matters more is his disruptive nature.
Most Valuable Player: Rasheed Tucker
Position: Running Back School: Queen’s
Surprised, right? Commentators and pundits have led you to believe that this award was unanimously given to Waterloo’s Tre Ford before the season even began. And why not? He’s the best quarterback in the conference, leading one of the most lethal offences in the conference, on one of the best teams in the conference.
And don’t get it twisted, Ford has delivered. The senior signal-caller currently sits third in the OUA in passing yards (803), and sixth in rushing yards (280). But no player in the OUA has been more productive this season than Queen’s ball-carrier Rasheed Tucker.
Tucker has been an absolute workhorse for the Gael’s offence, cementing himself as the cornerstone of arguably the top rushing attack in the nation.
Tucker’s stats this season: 72 carries, 520 rushing yards, 4 rushing touchdowns, averaging 130.0 rushing yards per game. His total yardage is ranked first in the nation along with his rushing touchdowns and rushing yards per game.
To put things into perspective the yards margin between Tucker and the OUA’s second leading rusher, Keon Edwards, is 156 yards.
Of course, the OUA MVP race comes down to more than just stats. It’s about team success - something that was made evident in 2019 when Clay Sequeira was failed to win the award after being the nation’s leading-passer for the 2-6 Varsity Blues.
That shouldn’t be a problem, though, as the Gaels are undefeated, first in the OUA, and a mainstay in the Top 10.
The Gaels are back in the Yates Cup picture, having their finest season since 2013, and Tucker is well on pace to finish as the nations leading rusher by a mile and a half.
At this point of the season, there is no doubt that Rasheed Tucker is the leading candidate for OUA MVP.
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