Nov. 12, 2026 – Saskatchewan quarterback Anton Amundrud has been named the 2026 Canada West Football Player of the Year.

The Lloydminster, Alta. product authored a senior season for the ages, cementing his legacy as one of the most productive quarterbacks in Huskie history. Amundrud guided the Dogs to a 6-2 record while leading the offence to a conference-best 35.9 points per game.

Individually, he led Canada West in nearly every major passing category, including passing yards per game, averaging 335.8 – more than 85 yards above the next-closest quarterback. He also paced the conference with 15 touchdown passes.

Amundrud’s remarkable season comes one year after he was forced to step away from football midway through the 2025 campaign following a cancer diagnosis. With the support of the entire USask community and tremendous perseverance throughout his recovery, he battled his way back to the field to start the 2026 season, completing an incredible comeback story with one of the finest seasons in Huskie history.

Amundrud will advance as the conference’s Hec Crighton Trophy nominee for U SPORTS Player of the Year.

The conference unveiled its full list of major award recipients on Thursday morning. Three members of the BioSteel Hardy Cup-bound UBC Thunderbirds were honoured, including Caleb Cunningham as Outstanding Lineman, Marvyn Larozar as Rookie of the Year, and Blake Nill as Coach of the Year.

Manitoba’s Nic Pereira was named Outstanding Defensive Player, while Calgary’s Saboor Zeeshan earned the Student-Athlete Community Service award.

Alberta running backs coach Ray Salverda was named the conference’s Gino Fracas Award nominee.

All recipients will advance as Canada West’s nominations for the U SPORTS national awards.

UBC and Regina set to battle in the 89th BioSteel Hardy Cup

The conference’s football season is set for an exciting conclusion this Saturday, as the UBC Thunderbirds host the Regina Rams in the 89th BioSteel Hardy Cup.

The winner of the BioSteel Hardy Cup will travel east to take on the RSEQ champion in the U SPORTS Uteck Bowl (national semifinal) on Nov. 21. Laval and Montreal will battle in the RSEQ championship this Saturday.

The winner of the Uteck Bowl advances to the 2026 Vanier Cup in Laval on Nov. 28.

MAJOR AWARD WINNERS & ALL-STARS

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Anton Amundrud (Saskatchewan Huskies)
​Position: Quarterback
​5th Year | Lloydminster, Alta. | Arts & Science

In his final season as a Huskie, quarterback Anton Amundrud adds another accolade to one of the most remarkable stories in the country.

Returning from a cancer diagnosis that sidelined the Lloydminster, Alta. product last season, Amundrud led Saskatchewan to a 6-2 record while commanding the most potent passing attack in U SPORTS. The fifth-year pivot led the nation with 2,686 yards through the air and topped the conference with 15 passing touchdowns to go along with a 66.3 completion percentage.

As if his return to the gridiron was not historic enough, Amundrud also broke the Huskie program record for career passing yards which had been held by Canada West Hall of Famer Brent Schneider for 30 years. He also closed out his Green & White career second in touchdown passes (54) and completions (662).

Amundrud becomes the sixth Saskatchewan quarterback to be named Canada West Player of the Year, joining former pivots Mason Nyhus (2022), Laurence Nixon (2010), David Stevens (2005), Steve Bilan (2004), Brent Schneider (1996, 1994, 1993), and Dave Pickett (1973). The honour also marks the twelfth time a Huskie has been recognized as the conference’s MVP and the second consecutive season after Daniel Wiebe took home the honour a year ago.

“What makes this award so special is everything he had to overcome to get here. After everything he has gone through over the last year, it is remarkable he was on the field at all. He came back with incredible determination. To finish his career by leading the nation in passing yards and being recognized as Player of the Year speaks not only to his talent, but to his resilience and character as a player and as a person. We couldn’t be more proud of him.” – Saskatchewan Huskies Head Coach Scott Flory

OUTSTANDING LINEMAN: Caleb Cunningham (UBC Thunderbirds)
​Position: Offensive Lineman
​Third Year | West Kelowna, B.C. | Arts

Third-year offensive lineman, Caleb Cunningham, has been named Canada West Outstanding Lineman, joining a list of some of the very best athletes UBC Football has produced to win the award.

A native of Kelowna, B.C., Cunningham has proven himself to be a leader both on the field and in the locker room. Starting at left tackle, Cunningham has played every game the last two seasons and led an exceptional O-line in 2026 which paved the way for one of the country’s most prolific offensive units.

Cunningham and the T-Birds allowed just six quarterback sacks all season. Building a solid resume, Cunningham was named a first team All-Canadian in 2025 and earned a Canada West All-Star nod for the second time last week.

The Canada West nominee for the J.P. Metras Trophy, Cunningham is the first T-Bird to win conference Lineman of the Year since Theo Benedet earned back-to-back awards in 2022 and 2023.

“Caleb Cunningham is the next in line at UBC to make a reputation for himself. You look back at guys like Dakota Shepley, Diego Alatorre, obviously Theo (Benedet) and Giovanni (Manu), Arvin Hosseini – now here comes Caleb. He has certainly established himself in Canada West as a very formidable athlete. He’s become a leader in the locker room and I feel very fortunate he’s a UBC Thunderbird. I really appreciate his work to continue to be as good as he is while making our program as good as he can. Caleb has really flourished under Coach Pete Buckley and he will continue to do so until he’s ready to be a pro.” – UBC Head Coach Blake Nill

OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Nic Pereira (Manitoba Bisons)
​Position: Linebacker
​Fifth Year | Winnipeg, Man. | Management

A leader among one of the youngest rosters in recent memory, Nic Pereira joins the list of Manitoba Bisons major award winners as the 2026 Outstanding Defensive Player.

The fifth-year hometown product picked up where he left off last season, earning his second-straight All-Star award. After earning Defensive Athlete of the Week honours in Week 1 when he picked up his first career interception to go with 5.5 tackles and one pass breakup, he would continue flying around the field picking up three more interceptions to hold a share of the conference lead (with teammate Carter Dallas) while also finishing in the top 10 in pass breakups (5, tied for fifth), solo tackles (29, tied for ninth), total tackles (39.5, tied for eighth), and tackles for a loss (4, tied for seventh).

The St. Paul’s Crusader alumnus is the first major award winner for the Bisons under Stan Pierre, the first since Jackson Tachinski, Giordano Vaccaro and coach Brian Dobie in 2024, and the first Outstanding Defensive Player winner since DJ Lalama in 2016, and looks to repeat Lalama’s performance and become Manitoba’s third Presidents’ Trophy winner as the U SPORTS Defensive Player of the Year (Joey Mikawoz, 2000).

“I get a lot of comments from other coaches about how productive he is. Nic’s career has just kept building. He was a Canada West All-Star last year and has continued to get better and better. He came in as a really physical guy who loved to play football, and he’s developed into a really physical guy who truly understands the game and is a great leader. He’s going to do everything and more than what he’s supposed to do. There’s a consistency to his work. Everything he gets, he really deserves. He’s definitely one of the best players in our conference, and I think he’s got a really good chance to be the national defensive player of the year.” – Manitoba Head Coach Stan Pierre

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Marvyn Larozar (UBC Thunderbirds)
​Position: Running Back ​
​First Year | Ottawa, Ont. | Arts

One of the most dynamic freshmen in UBC Thunderbirds Football history, Marvyn Larozar is the 2026 Canada West Rookie of the Year.

Finishing his first collegiate season with a remarkable 891 total yards in just seven regular season contests, the Ottawa native led the entire country in both rushing yards and touchdowns. Scoring nine times on the ground, the product of Asheville School in North Carolina added a receiving major for an even ten on the year.

Boasting 149.3 all-purpose yards per game, tops in the conference, ‘the missile’ also threw a touchdown on his only throw attempt of the season, a 90 yard catch-and-run to Trey Montour.

Bursting onto the scene in his first home game at Thunderbird Stadium, Larozar rushed for 285 yards and four touchdowns, the fifth-highest single game total in UBC history.

Larozar is the third Thunderbird under Blake Nill’s tenure to be named Rookie of the Year and the U SPORTS Peter Gorman Trophy nominee, joining quarterback Garrett Rooker (2021) and current defensive lineman, Deacon Sterna (2022).

“What stands out most for me about Marvyn is his toughness. He carried the ball a lot and most of those were inside runs. When you look at his film, yes, he’s had a couple breakouts and he can certainly stretch, but most of his yards come in the middle where he’s making an initial guy miss before he’s gang tackled. He caught us by surprise. We knew what kind of kid we were getting and we felt very fortunate he chose UBC, but he’s still an 18-year old kid and to come in and take control of that position like he did is very unusual. This is a deserved honour for Marvyn and a big feather in the cap of Coach Shomari Williams and his network and his ability to attract top talent.” – UBC Head Coach Blake Nill

STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Saboor Zeeshan (Calgary Dinos)
​Position: Receiver
​First Year | Calgary, Alta. | Kinesiology – Exercise & Health Physiology

In his first Canada West season, Saboor Zeeshan exemplified incredible leadership, citizenship and selfless service, all principles the Russ Jackson Award seeks to recognize. A standout student-athlete with a perfect 4.0 GPA in Kinesiology at the University of Calgary, Zeeshan’s commitment to making a difference extended well beyond the football field, with contributions spanning healthcare, youth mentorship, concussion prevention and international humanitarian initiatives.

Whether providing companionship to elderly hospital patients, mentoring young athletes, advocating for concussion prevention, or establishing organizations dedicated to improving global healthcare, Saboor consistently demonstrated an extraordinary willingness to serve others.

His contributions are particularly remarkable because he has not limited himself to participating in existing initiatives. He has actively sought opportunities to lead, create, and expand programs that will continue benefiting others.

“Saboor represents the very best of university athletics: a student-athlete who recognizes that his greatest contributions may ultimately be measured not by his accomplishments on the football field, but by the positive impact he makes in the lives of others.” – Calgary Head Coach Ryan Sheahan

Coach of the Year: Blake Nill (UBC Thunderbirds)

Leading the UBC Thunderbirds to a 6-2 record and a first place finish in the regular season, Blake Nill has been named the 2026 Canada West Coach of the Year.

The second time in the last four seasons the veteran coach has guided his squad into the Hardy Cup Final, this marks Nill’s first Coach of the Year nod since joining the blue and gold in 2015.

Nill and the T-Birds led the conference with a +83 point differential in 2026, establishing one of the country’s most balanced offensive attacks while boasting a stifling defence.

Closing in on 100 total conference wins, this marks Nill’s fourth Canada West Coach of the Year award having won three times with the Calgary Dinos.

A three-time Vanier Cup champion head coach, winning with the T-Birds in his inaugural season on the west coast, the Hanna, Alberta native has booked his ticket to a sixth Hardy Cup final with UBC, looking to hoist the trophy for a ninth time.

“I’m so thrilled for Blake to be recognized as Canada West Coach of the Year. While his resume over the last few decades speaks for itself, perhaps what impresses me most about Blake is his tireless work and passion to develop quality football players but even more importantly, helping guide young men into quality characters and leaders. Blake’s work ethic is unparalleled. Whether it’s on the recruiting trail, preparing his athletes and coaching staff or working in the gym with our strength and conditioning team, no one outworks Blake Nill and the results are shown both on and off the field. We are so lucky to have Blake leading UBC Football and I can’t wait to see what the rest of this year and the coming years have in store.” – Kavie Toor, UBC Managing Director of Athletics

GINO FRACAS AWARD NOMINEE: Ray Salverda (Alberta Golden Bears)

Ray Salverda, running backs coach with the Alberta Golden Bears, is Canada West’s nominee for the Gino Fracas Award, which honours the nation’s top volunteer assistant coach in U SPORTS football.

A dedicated volunteer coach for more than 12 years, Salverda has made a lasting impact on three Canada West programs, contributing to the success of Calgary, UBC and Alberta. During that time, he has been part of four Hardy Cup championship teams (2013, 2016, 2017 and 2023), while helping develop several running backs who went on to professional careers, including Mercer Timmis, Jeshrun Antwi, Jonathan Rosery and Isaiah Knight. His impact continues today through his work with Alberta running back Seth Poelzer, who enjoyed a breakout season with the Bears in 2026.

Beyond his on-field contributions, Salverda is recognized for his positive approach, attention to detail and commitment to developing student-athletes both on and off the field. A trusted mentor to players and fellow coaches alike, he has embraced different coaching environments and staffs while consistently putting the needs of his players and programs first. Despite serving in a volunteer capacity, Salverda has travelled thousands of kilometres and dedicated countless hours to the game, making a difference that extends well beyond the football field.

Quote from Alberta Golden Bears Head Coach Stevenson Bone

“When you evaluate an assistant coach, you look at how he prepares, how he teaches and whether he makes the people around him better. Ray does all three. He brings a positivity every day that players respond to, but he also understands that caring about someone means holding them to a high standard. He pays attention to the little things, takes the time to teach them properly and helps young men build the habits that allow them to succeed far beyond the game.

What I appreciate just as much is his ability to work with different people. Across three programs, four head coaches and different coaching staffs, he has embraced the responsibility in front of him and found ways to help. He has also been an important mentor to young coaches. He shares what he knows, listens to others and understands that a staff gets better when everyone keeps contributing towards a shared goal.

Ray does all of this as a volunteer. He has travelled thousands of kilometres over the past 12 years and sacrificed time at home because being there for his players matters to him. And that commitment continues after they leave his position group. He wants to see them build careers, contribute to their communities and become members of society others can depend on. When a coach gives that much of himself over that many seasons, his influence carries well beyond the field. That is what Ray has done, and that is why this recognition is so well deserved.