The 2025 CPL-U SPORTS Draft presented by Degree goes down this Thursday, Dec. 5, when 16 student-athletes from across the country will hear their names called by Canadian Premier League clubs.

A total of 184 players are eligible to be picked, all of which can be found listed here. However, a few names might stand out more than others.

Here, listed alphabetically are just 10 of the top players who might have a chance of being selected in this year’s draft.

Luca Accettola

School: York University
Hometown: Woodbridge, Ont.
Position: Midfielder
Year: 3rd

Accettola was a critical part of York’s run to an OUA silver medal and a U SPORTS bronze medal in 2024. He was named the OUA’s Rookie of the Year for the West Division, with seven goals and five assists for the Lions in 16 matches — including four goals in his team’s last six games. A former Toronto FC II player with 12 appearances in MLS NEXT Pro, as well as four games for Canada’s U-15s in 2019, Accettola is a talented central midfielder with a creative spark, with strong close control and an instinct for a key pass.

Ibrahim Chami

School: McGill University
Hometown: Montreal
Position: Left-back
Year: 1st

Named to the 2024 U SPORTS All-Rookie Team, Chami is a talented defender who thrives as a traditional fullback. He started 15 out of 16 games for McGill this year, and was also picked to the tournament All-Star Team at the U SPORTS national championship, where McGill placed fourth. Chami also has experience playing for FC Laval in Ligue1 Québec — as well as against CPL side Forge FC in the 2023 Canadian Championship — and he played for the Lebanon U-23 side at the 2024 ACF U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Lucas Dasovic

School: University of British Columbia
Hometown: Burnaby, B.C.
Position: Centre-back
Year: 3rd

A tall and agile centre-back with a strong ability to break lines with his passing, Dasovic had an excellent campaign with UBC en route to a national gold medal, playing every minute of their campaign. He was named a tournament All-Star at the U SPORTS national championship. At club level, Dasovic played 17 games for the Vancouver Whitecaps 2 in MLS NEXT Pro in 2023, and also previously signed a professional contract with NK Maksimir in Croatia.

Mehdi Essoussi

School: University of Toronto
Hometown: Ottawa, Ont.
Position: Midfielder
Year: 3rd

A technically-proficient central midfielder with significant experience playing in USL League One with Toronto FC II, as well as League1 Ontario with Alliance United, Essoussi was a standout player for U of T in 2024. He was an OUA East First-Team All-Star for 2024, captaining the Blues in all 12 of their games while contributing two goals and two assists. Essoussi is a versatile midfielder who also provided significant threat from set-pieces for Toronto.

Henri Godbout

School: University of British Columbia
Hometown: Seattle, Wash.
Position: Winger
Year: 2nd

A revelation on the wing for UBC this year, Godbout was Canada West’s Rookie of the Year and a Second Team All-Star, contributing 10 goals and eight assists in 20 games played. He also earned a nod to the tournament all-star team at the U SPORTS national championship, where he was pivotal to UBC’s gold medal campaign. A dual citizen between the United States and Canada, Godbout is described as a fast winger with a knack for picking out a cross, and his 6-1 frame helps him impose himself physically when cutting toward the box.

Niklas Hallam

School: University of Toronto
Hometown: Victoria, B.C.
Position: Winger
Year: 1st

The native of Victoria, B.C. was the OUA East Division’s Rookie of the Year in 2024, with 10 goals for U of T — second-most in the conference. He scored two hat tricks for the Blues, including one in just his second game at the OUA level, and also found himself named a Second Team All-Star. He was also picked to the U SPORTS All-Rookie Team and was named a Second Team All-Canadian. The talented, goal-dangerous winger is one of the youngest players in this year’s draft class at just over 19, but he has proven himself capable at the U SPORTS level.

Jevontae Layne

School: Toronto Metropolitan University
Hometown: Brampton, Ont.
Position: Forward
Year: 3rd

Layne was a standout at both the League1 Ontario and OUA levels this year, representing Simcoe County Rovers in addition to the TMU Bold. He played 90 minutes at BMO Field for Simcoe in their Canadian Championship contest with Toronto FC, and went on to be named L1O Premier’s Forward of the Year as well as a First Team All-Star. Layne scored 13 goals in League1 plus a further 10 for TMU in the OUA, establishing himself as a pacey forward and proven finisher, who has put the ball in the net consistently everywhere he’s played.

Joven Mann

School: University of British Columbia
Hometown: Surrey, B.C.
Position: Midfielder
Year: 1st

Named to Canada West’s All-Rookie team for 2024, Mann went on to deliver an outstanding performance for UBC at the U SPORTS national championship. He had three goals and one assist at nationals, including the dramatic 92nd-minute winner in the gold medal game to win the championship for UBC over Montréal. Mann was named the tournament MVP for his efforts after lifting UBC to their first national title since 2013.

Matthew Medeiros

School: York University
Hometown: Vaughan, Ont.
Position: Centre-back
Year: 2nd

A standout defender with a strong ability to distribute the ball from the back, Medeiros was a key member of the York defence this year. He started all 15 of the Lions’ matches and added three goals as a centre-back. He also enters the draft with strong club experience, having played in MLS NEXT Pro with Toronto FC II as well as, this past year, Vaughan Azzurri in League Ontario.

Matthew Paiva

School: McMaster University
Hometown: Georgetown, Ont.
Position: Centre-back
Year: 1st

Paiva was one of the top defenders in Ontario this season, earning a nod to the OUA’s West Division First Team All-Star selections. He scored two key game-winning goals for McMaster, starting 12 of the school’s 13 matches. He’s described as a technically-proficient centre-back, with an ability to hit a pass as well as carry the ball out of the back himself. Paiva played in League1 Ontario for Scrosoppi this year, and was a finalist for the Premier Division’s U-20 Player of the Year.