Former Ohio State football players in the CFL

The Canadian Football League just finished its first week of the regular season and entering week one only four former Ohio State Buckeyes were on rosters. This number seems low, but last season we saw the exact same number of Buckeyes on rosters.

Three guys on this list are coming back from last season and the other is a former CFL All-Star who is returning after two seasons off. Half of this list are former players who transferred out of Ohio State, but the names will likely be memorable for most.

The most interesting part of this list is actually who is left off. Most will remember J.T. Barrett signing with the Edmonton Elks, but an injury forced him to the league’s retired list. The Elks then moved on to Cardale Jones, but he was cut after a few days. The most high-profile players of the CFL off-season didn’t even make the active rosters, but here are the four former Ohio State players who did.

Duron Carter, Edmonton Elks

Sep 12, 2009; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes receiver Duron Carter (2) during the game against the Southern California Trojans at Ohio Stadium. USC defeated Ohio State 18-15. Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

The son of Hall of Famer and former Ohio State legend, Cris Carter, Duron Carter has had an impressive career in the CFL since entering the league in 2013, he has been named an All-Star twice and has played both receiver and defensive back in the league.

Carter was a former four-star recruit who received serious playing time as a freshman, but academic issues derailed a promising career and he then transferred to Coffeyville Community College before moving on to Alabama, where he again dealt with academic issues forcing him to transfer for Florida Atlantic, where his petition to play immediately was turned down and he never saw the field.

Jalin Marshall, Edmonton Elks

Jan 1, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jalin Marshall (7) bobbles a pass in the third quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. The pass resulted in a completion. Ohio State won 44-28. Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Jalin Marshall was with Ohio State from 2013-to 2015 and played extensively after receiving a redshirt in 2013. He was with the New York Jets from 2016 until his release before the 2018 season. Marshall spent that season with the Dayton Hornets in a semi-pro league. He then landed with the Orlando Apollos of the AAF in 2019 and scored the league’s first touchdown. He played well enough to earn a cup of coffee with the Las Vegas Raiders and was signed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL in 2019. That year he played in eight games for the Tiger-Cats and started three. There was no season in 2020, but Marshall returned to Hamilton in 2021. Edmonton signed him as a free agent in February.

Najee Murray, Montreal Alouettes

Oct 30, 2021; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Saskatchewan Roughriders wide receiver Kyran Moore (85) drops a pass against Montreal Alouettes cornerback Najee Murray (12) and defensive back Rodney Randle Jr (32) in the first quarter during a Canadian Football League game at Molson Field. Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Najee Murray was with Ohio State in 2012 and saw action in six games as a freshman, but transferred to Kent State, where he was named All-MAC multiple times. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and was released later that year. Murray has been with Montreal since 2018 and started ten games for them last season.

Damon Webb, Saskatchewan Roughriders

Jan 20, 2018; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; General view of the helmet of Team East safety Damon Webb (7) prior to the game against Team West in the 2018 East-West Shrine Game at Tropicana Field. Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Damon Webb had a solid career at Ohio State and went undrafted in 2018. He spent a short time with the Tennessee Titans and started five games during his first season with the Roughriders in 2021.

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