Ahead of NFL draft, Brampton’s Metchie hauls in college football award — again

By

Published April 19, 2022 at 7:14 pm

Twice is nice for Brampton’s own John Metchie III, who received the Jon Cornish Trophy on Tuesday.

The honour from Football Canada is bestowed upon the top Canadian player in college football south of the border. Metchie, a pro-bound Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver who will hear his name in both the NFL and CFL drafts over the next two weeks, was also the 2020 recipient when he helped ‘Bama capture the College Football Playoff national championship.

In 2021, Metchie started 13 games for coach Nick Saban’s powerhouse Crimson Tide before a torn anterior cruciate ligament injury in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship game ended his season. He gained 1,142 yards through a team-most 96 receptions with eight touchdowns. He also had four 100-yard games while playing in what is considered the strongest conference in college football’s Power 5. Alabama finished with a 13-2 record, falling to Georgia in the CFP championship.

Metchie has declared for the NFL Draft, which takes place from April 28 to 30. He is also the top-ranked prospect for the Canadian Football League draft on May 3.

“It’s always great to be recognized by your country and your peers,” Metchie told Football Canada during a virtual acceptance speech. “Just like last year, this is an honour I share with my family.”

Metchie, listed at five-foot-11 and 189 pounds, lined up as both an outside receiver and a slot receiver at Alabama. Pro Football Focus recently related that he could be a second-round pick in the NFL draft, largely on the strength of his fluency with running short and intermediate pass routes.

On Wednesday, Metchie said he had progressed well since his knee injury.

“I’m ahead of schedule,” he said. “No speed bumps over the last four months, and I’ve been running for over a month now.”

All five Cornish Trophy finalists were from Ontario.

Mississauga native Nick Mardner, a junior wide receiver for the Hawai’i Warriors, finished fourth in the voting. Mardner had a breakout season at Hawai’i in 2021 with 913 receiving yards on 46 catches for an impressive 19.8 average.

Illinois running back Chase Brown of London, Ont., was the runner-up. Penn State linebacker-defensive end Jesse Luketa, of Ottawa, finished third in the voting. Another wide receiver, Jarred Wayne of the Pittsburgh Panthers and Peterborough, finished fifth.

insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising