U of T’s location, prominence attractive feature to commits

Varsity Blues bring in one out-of-province commit, two Ontario commits and two local commits.

Nestled among the towering buildings and hustle and bustle of the city lies the University of Toronto, the new home to linebacker Jaechan Yoo from Halifax West High School and receiver Griffin Assance-Goulais from St. Joseph-Scollard Hall Secondary School.

CFCFPC  Max Doney, an offensive lineman from Stamford High School, Daniel Solaroli, a linebacker from Chaminade College School and Max Melville, a quarterback from Etobicoke Collegiate Institute, have also committed to the Varsity Blues.

Jaechan Yoo

Jaechan Yoo makes the tackle. Courtesy of Jaechan Yoo.

Big cities, small towns. Both have their perks, but sometimes the opportunity to experience both is too hard to pass up. Originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Jaechan Yoo said the chance to try living in the big city caught his attention. He added that, “What appealed to me was the school environment because of how it is located in the heart of Toronto.”

But, Toronto has much more to offer than geographical prominence. He also chose the university because of their well-established engineering program.

The nine-year veteran will have the added bonus of playing football while obtaining an education. “I think the coaching staff is composed of great people,” Yoo said. “They were all very nice and accommodating when I went down there for my official trip.”

Standing at 5’9, 196lbs, he has played with the Halifax Argos, the Halifax West High School Warriors (Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation Football League) and Team Nova Scotia. In 2015, he was a NSSAFFL Division 2 First Team all-star and his high school’s defensive and team MVP. This past season, he was named as a NSSAFFL Division 1 First Team all-star and was the Warrior’s defensive MVP again.

Griffin Assance-Goulais

Courtesy of Griffin Assance-Goulais.

Swapping trees for skyscrapers, Griffin Assance-Goulais was drawn to Toronto by the athletics and academics. “It is a great program with a great history,” the product of North Bay, Ontario, said about the Varsity Blues.

“The coaching staff at U of T is amazing, some of the nicest people I’ve met, but at the same time, very knowledgeable about the game of football,” Assance-Goulais added. “I’m sure excited about being coached by them in the summer and fall.”

The 6’2, 225lbs tight end and fullback isn’t just heading to Toronto for the sports. He is currently in line to take Life Sciences. With an average of 89%, his aspiration is to attend the U of T Medical school.

“The academics of Toronto really drew me to the school because it is such a prestigious school,” Assance-Goulais said. “I feel like I could really flourish academically as well as athletically.”

In his career, he has played with the North Bay Bulldogs (Ontario Minor Football League), the Nipissing Wild (OFC) and the St. Joseph-Scollard Hall Bears (Northern District Athletics). In 2014, he was the Bulldog’s receiver of the year and a NDA junior football champion. This past season, he was a NDA senior football finalist.

Max Doney
Fox 40 Prospect Challenge participant Max Doney spent his career in St. Catharines, Ontario, with the Stamford Hornets (Niagara Region High School Athletic Association) and the Niagara Spears (OVFL). Standing at 6’1, 285lbs, he has primarily played as a tackle and guard. In 2013, he was an OVFL all-star and the Zach Duguay Memorial Award recipient, which is awarded for team spirit. In 2014, he was a defensive MVP with the Hornets.

Daniel Solaroli
Daniel Solaroli is already familiar with Toronto. While with his high school team, the Chaminade Gryphons (Toronto District Catholic Athletic Association), he played as an outside linebacker and tight end. Standing at 6’0, 200lbs, he has also played with the Metro Toronto Wildcats (OVFL) where in 2016, he won the Dave McKenna Wildcat award.

Max Melville
Like his Toronto counterpart, Etobicoke product Max Melville is already familiar with the ways of Toronto. In high school, he played with the Etobicoke Rams (Toronto District Secondary School Athletic Association). Despite being sidelined with a shoulder injury in the 2016 OFSAA Northern Bowl, his team rallied to win the championship. He was also the 2014-2015 male junior athlete of the year for the Rams.

Advocating for football prospects one story at a time.

Leave a Reply