Golden Hawks football back after storied 2024 season

CTV’s Colton Weins has a preview of what’s the come this season after last year’s champion run.

The Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks football team hosted a controlled scrimmage with the York Lions on Friday, as they look ahead to the upcoming season.

It’s been about nine months since Laurier played in the national U Sports football championship and excitement was especially high.

“It’s August again so Football season is right around the corner, so I just can’t wait,” Jesulayomi Ojutalayo, fourth year wide receiver for the Golden Hawks, said.

The Golden Hawks’ last season was one to remember. The team went undefeated through 11 games and came up just short in the national final.

“You have a nine month off season. And we have the shortest off season of all, having played in the Vanier Cup. And it’s still a long time in the weight room, in the meeting rooms and no games. So the fact that training camps here, we’re having a joint practice and scrimmage against York today and then our season opener at Guelph next Saturday, there’s a lot of excitement around the program,” Michael Faulds, head coach of the Golden Hawks, said.

Faulds has been telling players since January not to think of all of last years success, but instead that every season is new, with new players and in need of a new identity.

“So we know last year put a target on our back. So we’re going to get everyone’s best. But we’ve got a very mature group, a very talented group that knows we’re going to have to earn everything,” Faulds said.

One position with a lot of questions this season is who takes over for star quarterback Taylor Elgersma -- who’s now with the NFL’s Green Bay Packers.

“We’ve got five quarterbacks in house, all working really hard and like a lot of other positions, we’re asking everyone to compete. We haven’t solidified starters anywhere. But that’s a good problem to have as coaches that you have a lot of guys competing, a lot of guys that want to dress and play,” Faulds said.

Faulds doesn’t expect anyone to fill Elgersma’s shoes, but feels the depth of their roster will take a lot of pressure off whoever earns the job.

“Just be themselves, play mistake free football and try to win football games,” Faulds said.

Despite not knowing their starter, leaders that are still in the lineup say the team’s recent success has made a big impact on the program.

“I see definitely a culture change within the community, the guys have all bought into the process, which Coach Faulds has laid out for us. So, just trusting him every single day,” Ojutalayo said.

“I think recruits look at this as a destination where you can win a lot of football games, where you can be seen on the national stage, but it also means for recruits, which isn’t easy for them to realize that you’re probably going to have to be a developmental player before starting,” Faulds said.

Ojutalayo is from Shelburne, Ont. He is in his fourth year of U Sports eligibility and in his fifth year of schooling at Laurier. He’s graduating with a major in economics, and a minor in geography and leadership. It is also his pro draft year, and he spent the summer in Waterloo working for a window cleaning sales company.

“When I decided to leave home and committed to the Laurier Golden Hawks, I made a plan to myself that I’m going to do whatever it is to make sure I have the most development I can, and that includes staying in the summer,” Ojutalayo said.

The Golden Hawks will start to solidify their starting lineup in the coming days and are set to kickoff the regular season on Aug. 23, against the Gryphons, at the University of Guelph.