DARREN DUPONT
Sports Writer

Three draft-eligible members of the Saskatchewan Huskies football team will put their skills on display this weekend at the Canadian Football League evaluation camp held in Toronto from March 4 to 6.

Receivers Jade Etienne and Braeden George along with linebacker Peter Thiel will represent the Huskies at the evaluation camp in front of CFL coaches, general managers and scouts who will evaluate the prospects ahead of the 2011 Canadian Draft on May 8.

Etienne is the highest rated of the three players at No. 15 on the recent list of top prospects published by the CFL’s Scouting Bureau in December. Players at the camp will try to improve their stock ahead of the next top 15 prospects list which will be published in April prior to the draft.

Etienne is coming off a career year with the Huskies catching 28 balls for a league-high 721 yards and six touchdowns in seven regular season games, earning him first-team all-Canadian honours.

Braeden George caught 26 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns this past season for the Huskies. Last May, George shone as member of team West in the annual East-West Bowl leading all receivers with eight grabs for 132 yards and the team’s lone touchdown in a 12-9 loss.

Peter Thiel, the third member of the Huskies invited to participate in the evaluation camp, is coming off a stellar season of his own. The third year Huskies linebacker was in on 31 tackles and recorded one quarterback sack through six games with the Dogs.

Canada West will be well represented at the camp as a total of 12 players from Canada West teams will be in Toronto looking to impress, including three Calgary Dinos who are all ranked among the top 15 prospects by the CFL’s Scouting Bureau. Slotback Anthony Parker (ranked third), wideout Nathan Coehoorn (ranked seventh), and running back Matt Walter (ranked 14th) rank among the top prospects along with Alberta kicker Hugh O’Neill (ranked 11th).

Regina’s Marc Mueller is one of only two CIS quarterbacks who will make the trip to Toronto. Last year three CIS quarterbacks were invited, including current Toronto Argonaut Danny Brannagan of Queen’s.

Of the 53 participants attending the camp, a whopping 83 per cent will be Canadian Interuniversity Sport student-athletes.

The 2011 evaluation camp begins on the Friday afternoon with player arrivals and team interviews. Strength and flexibility will be tested on Saturday at the Park Hyatt Toronto Hotel and the weekend will finish up on Sunday on the football field at Varsity Centre at the University of Toronto.

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image: Pete Yee/The Sheaf