While the CFL combines and draft are still months away, Ethan Graham and Riley Schick already had a chance to show of their skills in front of professional scouts.

Just over a week ago, Graham attended the College Gridiron Showcase, while Schick participated in the Dream Bowl. Both events were held in the Dallas-Fort Worth area from January 9-11.

When asked about playing in the football-obsessed state of Texas, Graham did not mince words.

"It was definitely mind-blowing," said Graham. "Football is like religion to them."

"We played in a stadium that holds twenty-six thousand people, and they called it a small high-school stadium."

For reference, Mosaic Stadium has a capacity of around 33,000.

The Dream Bowl took place at AT&T stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys. For Schick – who is from Lumsden, Sask. – it was a super cool experience.

"We got to tour the stadium the night before we played there," said Schick. "We saw their locker rooms and got to run out of the same tunnels that they do."

For both players, it was a great opportunity to build relationships with scouts well ahead of the rest of the CFL draft hopefuls.

"They now know me more personally, so when I see them again at the combine, we can jump right into football stuff," said Graham.

He also took advice from Rams offensive lineman Connor Klassen, who attended the showcase last year, as well as offensive line coach Brett Jones, who has numerous years of American football experience playing in the NFL.

"[Klassen] really let me know what to expect down there," said Graham. "And then obviously with Brett playing in the NFL, he gave me pointers to play American ball."

Schick – the Rams starting centre for the past two seasons – was asked to play guard, a position he hasn't had to play with the Rams, but he says has heard nothing but positive feedback from scouts and coaches.

"[It's good] having that question hanging over my head gone," said Schick. "My agents talked to a lot of teams after the showcase, and they thought I performed really well."

While lining up against NCAA competition can be intimidating, both linemen agreed that the difference in skill level between U SPORTS and American college players is not as drastic as many might think.

"In terms of skill, I think it was very similar," said Schick. "The big difference is the muscular side of it all."

Graham agreed.

"After going there, I don't think the gap between U SPORTS and NCAA is as big as people think," he said. "I was right up there with them."

After learning that they were invited, Graham and Schick began preparing together at the Regina Sports Performance Centre.

They also had to adjust to the fact that the defense does not have to be a yard off the ball, which is a big change for offensive linemen.

"You have to be ready to play through contact that is instant," said Schick. "I made sure I was athletically ready to play."

The 2026 CFL National Combine will be held in Edmonton from March 27-29. The 2026 CFL Draft is set for April 28.