With the 2017 season getting underway, there are a few key players to keep an eye on.

From the Ram’s quarterback Noah Picton to the Huskies’ receiver Mitch Hillis, here are five players to watch in Canada West.

Hometown: Spruce Grove, AB

High school / Cegep: Spruce Grove CHS

Position: Running back

Academic program: Business

Year of eligibility: 5

Height: 5-10

Weight: 220

Key stats from 2016: 750 rushing yards on 151 attempts (3rd in Canada West)

Awards & honours (since start of U SPORTS career): Member of the 2016 East-West Bowl Roster/ Golden Bears football rookie of the year (2013)/ Academic All-Canadian/ Led Canada West in TD’s with nine in 2014

PROFILE

An offensive leader since day one with the Golden Bears, fifth-year running back Ed Ilnicki is once again expected to not only lead the Alberta offence, but potentially the conference in rushing this season. Behind one of the strongest offensive lines in Canada West, it would come as no surprise if the senior Bear eclipsed last year’s mark of 750 rushing yards. The Spruce Grove native is also making a charge up the Golden Bears all-time record books, currently sitting in fourth in TD’s (20), fourth in rushing yards (2,677), and fifth in career carries (495).

2. Michael Schmidt — University of Calgary Dinos

Hometown: Calgary, Alta.

High school / Cegep: Western Canada High School

Position: Defensive Back

Academic program: Haskayne School of Business / Arts-Economics

Year of eligibility: 5

Height: 5-11

Weight: 190

Key stats from 2016: Did not play (injury)

Awards & honours (since start of U SPORTS career): 2015 Canada West all-star

PROFILE

Michael Schmidt watched the University of Calgary Dinos’ run to the Vanier Cup game last year from the sidelines – literally.

Heading into the late stages of the 2016 CFL regional combine, Schmidt was turning heads, posting several personal-best performances. Then, with just minutes left in the final drill of the event, he tore his ACL – a development that changed his trajectory in the classroom and on the football field.

An Academic All-Canadian, he had just three classes remaining in a finance degree from the Haskayne School of Business, along with a single year of U SPORTS eligibility. He was faced with a decision: have surgery and miss an entire year of football, or risk playing without a ligament in his knee. The graduate of Calgary’s Western Canada High School selected the first option and went under the knife in the summer of 2016.

“My main goal was to come back and play my fifth year with the Dinos,” he said. “The rehab went great, and I’m ready to go, but it has been a long process. It’s great to be back out there with my teammates.”

As the Dinos went through a roller-coaster campaign in 2016, suffering a string of injuries but overcoming them on their way to the Hardy Cup and Mitchell Bowl titles and a narrow Vanier Cup defeat, their all-star starting safety tried to stay involved as much as he could. He joined the Dinos coaching staff, passing along his veteran know-how to younger players while still being around the team.

“I came to every practice and every game last year, but not being able to help my team by actually playing was difficult,” he explained. “Still, being out there was big for me mentally, and it would have been harder to be away from football entirely. I wish I could have helped more; what the team did last year was so special, and it was tough to be on the sideline. I’m excited to see what we can do and what I can contribute to the team on the field this year.

“Michael has been a key member of our program for the last six years, and even though he missed last year he was very valuable as a coach,” said third-year Calgary Head Coach Wayne Harris. “He’s a leader on our defence. He understands our systems very well and is able to direct and be the quarterback on defence in so many ways. His communication is key to our success.

“We’re just very excited from the standpoint of his leadership, his knowledge, and his athleticism to have him back in the program.”

Back on the field for training camp, Schmidt likes what he’s seeing as the 2017 season draws closer.

“We’re doing lots of good things, and we’re coming together as a unit. We have lots of veteran players, we’re flying around, communicating a lot, and in many ways haven’t missed a step. We just need to keep taking steps up the ladder each day.”

While spending 15 months rehabilitating his knee back to game shape, Schmidt decided to add an economics major to his finance degree. Now, heading into 2017, he’s just three courses shy of a pair of University of Calgary degrees, and will complete his academic requirements in December.

From there? The path is still to be determined for No. 13.

“I wanted to perform best as possible at the combine last year, and I have always wanted to play at the highest level of football possible,” he said. “If that means the CFL is in my future, I’ll take that opportunity and try to make it there.”

3. Jamel Lyles – Manitoba Bisons

Hometown: Surrey, BC

High school / Cegep: Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary

Position: Running back/kick returner

Academic program: University One

Year of eligibility: 2

Height: 6-0

Weight: 205

Key stats from 2016: Did not play at university level in 2016 but in 2015, he led the conference and second in U SPORTS in all-purpose yards with 1,564. In kick returns, the multi-purpose player was tied for ninth in U SPORTS (third in conference) with 407 kickoff return yards and tied for first in U SPORTS and conference with one kickoff return TD plus Lyles was also tenth in U SPORTS (second in conference) for punt return yards at 344 and tied for first in U SPORTS (tied for first in Canada West) with one punt return TD.

Awards & honours (since start of U SPORTS career): 2015 Canada West Rookie of the Year, a 2015 Canada West All-Star at two positions (running back and kick returner) plus was selected as a 2015 U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian at the kick returner position

PROFILE

He may have changed his number from his amazing rookie season in 2015 with the Manitoba Bisons yet running back and kick returner Jamel Lyles is expected to produce the same results and even have more expectations as he returns to university football level in 2017.

Lyles, 21, took a year absence from the Bisons in 2016 where he returned to junior football and set record and received numerous accolades with the Westshore Rebels. The 6’0”, 205 lbs. versatile player was the British Columbia Football Conference (BCFC) Outstanding Offensive Player and Top Offensive Back for 2016. Lyles helped the Rebels win the BCFC championship in the 2016 season and set a new conference rushing yards record with 1,604 (on 187 carries) plus scored 15 rushing TDs to lead the BCFC along with first in BCFC all-purpose yards at 2,370 yards (rush: 1,604; kick return: 390; punt return: 283; receiving: 93) in ten regular season games. In addition, he earned 2016 Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) Peter Dalla Riva Outstanding Offensive Player award after winning the CJFL rushing title and was a CJFL All-Canadian at running back.

With his return to the University of Manitoba, Lyles is once again poised to rack up some impressive numbers as he had in his rookie season in 2015. All Lyles produced was a stack of awards as he was named Canada West Rookie of the Year, a Canada West All-Star at two positions (running back and kick returner) plus was selected as a U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian at the kick returner position.

In year one with the Bisons in 2015, Lyles led the conference and second in U SPORTS in all-purpose yards with 1,564. He was ninth in the country (third in Canada West) with 691 rushing yards while playing in all eight conference games. In kick returns, the multi-purpose player was tied for ninth in U SPORTS (third in conference) with 407 kickoff return yards and tied for first in U SPORTS and conference with one kickoff return TD plus Lyles was tenth in U SPORTS (second in conference) for punt return yards at 344 and tied for first in U SPORTS (tied for first in Canada West) with one punt return TD.

Bison football head coach Brian Dobie talked about Lyles return, “Jamel has proven to be one of the most productive and dynamic football player in the nation. In 2015, he was conference rookie of the year and an integral part of the Bison offence. In 2016, Jamel had an incredible and dominating season in the BCFC, breaking Andrew Harris’ single season rushing record. We are very much looking forward to Jamel return to Manitoba and becoming a significant contributor to our offence again in 2017.”

Lyles should be again a dominant offensive force not only in the conference but the whole nation and will give Manitoba an explosive threat at numerous positions in his sophomore campaign.