When parsing through the 201 players available in this year's CPL-U SPORTS Draft presented by Degree, as always, there are several who will stand out to diehard Canadian Premier League supporters.
Whether they have played in the league before, previously been drafted, or are even related to someone currently playing in the league, these names always draw particular attention for their professional experience and the intrigue as to whether or not they will find a new CPL home.
Here are five familiar faces available in the 2026 CPL-U SPORTS Draft:
Chanan Chanda
University: Mount Royal
Position: Attacker
Year: 1st
A North Star Cup champion with Cavalry in 2024, the 19-year-old striker played 10 matches for the Calgary side over the past two campaigns. Over the summer, he joined the Mount Royal Cougars, where he won the U SPORTS rookie of the year award after scoring 11 times, and adding three assists, in 16 matches in all competitions. The Cougars went all the way to the national title game. With those kinds of numbers, and two seasons of pro experience, Chanda could be a player who piques the interest of a CPL club in the draft.
Trivine Esprit
University: Ontario Tech
Position: Midfielder
Year: 4th
The 11th overall selection in the 2023 CPL-U SPORTS Draft by York United, Esprit is one of the most experienced players available in this year's draft. Between 2013 and 2014, he played 24 matches for York United in the Canadian Premier League. This past year, he joined Simcoe County Rovers in League1 Ontario, scoring once in 15 matches. The 23-year-old also put together a strong season with Ontario Tech in U SPORTS, starting all 11 matches with a goal and an assist.
Monti Mohsen
University: McMaster
Position: Full-Back
Year: 1st
Another former CPL champion, in fact a two-time winner, available in this year's draft is McMaster full-back Monti Mohsen. The 25-year-old made 20 appearances for Forge in CPL action between 2019 and 2021, scoring once and winning CPL titles in 2019 and 2020. After spending multiple seasons in League1 Ontario, before joining McMaster this year, Mohsen is searching for another CPL opportunity. In 10 games for the Mauraders this season, the full-back had three goals and four assists. He is also coming off a strong season in League1 Ontario, scoring seven goals in 15 matches for Burlington SC.
Michael Williams
University: York
Position: Goalkeeper
Year: 3rd
The 19-year-old spent several matches as York United's backup this season, and with York United FC Academy in League1 Ontario. Playing for York University this year, he had an outstanding national championship run. He made five saves in the quarters in a 5-1 win over Dalhousie, before a stunning nine saves against Université de Montréal in a 2-0 win in the semis. He then made six saves and kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 national final win over the Mount Royal Cougars. With a number of teams looking for goalkeeping depth this offseason, could Williams be the answer for one of them?
Christian Zeppieri
University: York
Position: Midfielder
Year: 3rd
The fourth overall pick in the 2024 CPL-U SPORTS Draft by York United, Zeppieri spent the past two seasons with the club, making ten appearances. He returned to York University both seasons, where he has been one of the best players in U SPORTS over the past few years. This year again, he was named a first-team All-Canadian, scoring the match-winner in the 2025 U SPORTS championship game against Mount Royal. He finished the season with eight goals and four assists in all competitions, and had four goals in the U SPORTS championships alone. Now back in the draft could he get another shot at the CPL?
