U of R’s Connor Klassen hoping to turn heads at CFL combine

Connor Klassen only played six-man football until he was finished high school.

But now, the offensive lineman is set to showcase his skills to CFL scouts with the hope of being selected in April’s draft.

“It’s been pretty surreal,” Klassen said.

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“A couple years ago, I kind of had the realization that something like this was possible. When you’re still a few years off of it, it’s kind of in the back of your mind.”

The Big River, Sask. product will be among the players participating at this year’s national combine, which is being held in Regina.

“I’ve been training for it for a few months,” Klassen explained.

“It’s kind of hard to put into words how exciting it is. It’s just a cool experience in general. Across Canada, not a whole lot of guys that play football get this chance. (I’m) just grateful that I have the opportunity and just trying to make the most of it.”

The University of Regina Rams offensive lineman said he didn’t have a lot of exposure to football outside of watching it on television.

“I grew up watching the Roughriders with my dad, and then my dad also was a die-hard Green Bay Packers fan from the NFL, so I first started by just watching games and that kind of got me into the sport,” Klassen said.

Klassen, who is listed at six-foot-four and 310 pounds, first played the sport in Grade 5 due to his size. But because of how small Big River is, he only played six-on-six football throughout high school.

But despite that, the Regina Thunder eventually gave him a shot.

“I wasn’t scouted, and they didn’t really know who I was, but a great thing that the Thunder do, in my mind, is they send out information about their winter camps to different high schools throughout the province,” Klassen said.

“I was actually D-lineman at that point. I never played offensive line. The techniques I had were very subpar, but the head coach there, Scott MacAulay, told me, ‘We don’t cut guys that are your size.’ So that helped me a lot,” Klassen said.

Klassen played three seasons with the Thunder (2019, 2021, 2022) and was named the Prairie Football Conference’s Outstanding Lineman and a first-team All-Canadian in 2022.

That same year, he was one of three Thunder players who got a chance to participate in the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ training camp.

“That was really the moment that I kind of thought ‘Wow, this is a possibility.’ I went to the Rider training camp as a junior player. Obviously, I didn’t stand out a whole lot – still pretty raw as a player, and young. Just going there and not being too out of place kind of made me realize in a few years once I get some more experience and get a little bit bigger and a little bit faster, it’s a real possibility,” Klassen said.

“It was mind blowing at first. Growing up watching the Riders, and especially from a small town, you’re never really thinking that football was a real opportunity. Just going there was a real moment of pride for me.

“Dan Clark was in his last year when I when I was there, so it was cool talking to him and practicing with him. When I was in Grade 6 or 7, he came and talked to our school, so it’s kind of like a full-circle moment for me.”

Connor Klassen (66) helped the Rams win the 2024 Hardy Cup. (Piper Sports Photography)

Klassen made the move to the Rams for the 2023 and 2024 seasons, and helped Regina win the Hardy Cup this past season.

Now, preparing for an opportunity to get drafted to the CFL, Klassen has been training with Clark and former Rider Nick Dheilly with True North Ballers in order to get ready for the skills showcase.

“It’s really giving me the confidence,” he said.

“I know what to expect – what different teams are going to kind of ask me and what they want to see in terms of technique on the field and flexibility and positions – so I’ve had a really good number of guys that I’m able to reach out to.”

Klassen said getting a call from a CFL franchise would be a dream come true.

“To have all your hard work and kind of dedication throughout this process be paid off, it’d be incredible. And then just for me, being a small-town kid from northern Saskatchewan where football is not as dominant as it is in the south, it just means a lot to be an outlier there and show other kids, the other football players, it really doesn’t matter where you played or where you’re from. It’s just if you can work hard enough and kind of dedicate yourself to the sport, you can do what you want,” Klassen said.

“It doesn’t matter what what team calls me. I’ll be just as excited to go over to Montreal or Ottawa, anywhere. If I can get it, get an opportunity, I’ll make the most of it.”