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Canuck U: Stanford WR Elic Ayomanor reportedly among Senior Bowl opt-outs

Canuck U is a weekly report on the top Canadian players and storylines in college football
ByAlex McComb|
Stanford wide receiver Elic Ayomanor, as seen jogging between plays, will not play in Saturday's Senior Bowl after previously accepting his invite, per a report from Arye Pulli.
Stanford wide receiver Elic Ayomanor, as seen jogging between plays, will not play in Saturday's Senior Bowl after previously accepting his invite, per a report from Arye Pulli. | Michael Reaves/GettyImages

After the longest college football season on record, it’s understandable that some players are choosing to start offseason recovery or combine preparations rather than compete at pre-draft showcase games.

Stanford wide receiver Elic Ayomanor is one of those players who’s opted out of this weekend’s Reese's Senior Bowl, Arye Pulli reported Monday on X, formerly known as Twitter. The standout pass-catcher from Medicine Hat, Alberta, was one of two Canadians invited to the premiere NFL Draft prospect showcase — Wilfrid Laurier’s Taylor Elgersma became the first-ever Canadian university (U Sports) quarterback to receive a Senior Bowl invite last week. Elgersma, who measured in with the longest wingspan (77 2/8 inches) among all seven Senior Bowl QBs, will be the only Canadian in the game with Ayomanor dropping out.

Other prominent opt-outs include some of Ohio State’s national champions: QB Will Howard, linebacker Jack Sawyer and defensive tackle Ty Hamilton, as first reported by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts was also on that list.

Ayomanor finished his sophomore season with 831 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 63 catches. The Canadian averaged 13.2 yards per reception; down 3.1 yards from 2023 when he eclipsed the millennium yards mark (1,013).

Ayomanor’s best game this season came in a 59-28 loss to NC State. He hauled in a TD, tallied 108 yards and 27 yards after catch on just four receptions, and averaged 27 yards per catch. Pro Football Focus gave Ayomanor a 90.3 offensive grade and an 89.3 receiving grade for the game; his career single-game highs.

But the Albertan’s top career performance was in 2023 against Deion Sanders’ Colorado defense. Not even future Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter could cover Ayomanor on his way to 294 receiving yards, 197 yards after catch and three TDs — including a 97-yarder — to beat the Buffaloes, 46-43, in double-overtime. The thrilling win was one of three games that season where he recorded over 120 yards.

It’s hard to forget this Mossing.

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