Belmont football star off to U Sports powerhouse Western Ontario
Malcolm Fraser of the Belmont Bulldogs, the top-rated graduating defensive tackle coming out of Canadian high school football this year, has committed to a prestigious U Sports program.
The University of Western Ontario Mustangs have won eight Vanier Cup national championships, the last in 2021. Twelve former Mustangs players were in the CFL last season, including Hakeem Johnson and David Mackie of the B.C. Lions.
If that wasn’t enough to convince Fraser, his head coach at Belmont, Alexis Sanschagrin, was a safety who came out of the University of Western Ontario to play in the CFL for the Toronto Argonauts.
“I wouldn’t say he steered me but he definitely had great things to say about the program,” said Fraser.
Fraser is six-foot and 285 pounds and was dominant this season in high school in being named conference defensive MVP and to the provincial Triple-A first all-star team with seven sacks, two strip sacks and 33 tackles in eight games.
“I am quick, physical and like to attack,” said Fraser.
“My dream is pro football.” He will certainly be at the right place for it in London, Ont.
“They told me during my recruiting visit that Western has the most players drafted in the CFL and NFL of any U Sports school,” said Fraser.
“I will put my head down and put in the work for five years and if it happens, it happens.”
If not, there will be a business degree to fall back on.
Fraser, however, is a prize recruit in every way.
“I may be a freshman next season but I am looking to play right away,” he said.
B.C. is the only province in which high school football is played under American rules, with four downs and the smaller field, but Fraser is not expecting a big adjustment in U Sports.
“There is more passing in the Canadian game and I will work on my pass rushing,” he said.
“But I came up in Canadian rules in community leagues with the Westshore Warriors, Victoria Spartans, Gordon Head Raiders, Saanich Wolverines and Victoria Renegades.”
He will take with him the advice from his Belmont coach Sanschagrin, who took this journey many years before.
“He has been such a great coach for me in high school,” said Fraser.
“The best advice he gave me is to be consistent.”