OUA Football Power Rankings: Week 1
The opening week of the 2026 OUA football season is officially in the books, and Week 1 gave us plenty to talk about.
Several teams made strong opening statements, while others showed that there is still plenty of work to do. From dominant defensive performances to explosive offensive outings and special teams heroics, the first week has already started to shape the OUA landscape.
Here are our OUA Football Power Rankings following Week 1.
1. Queen’s Gaels
Queen’s makes the biggest statement of Week 1 after shutting down the University of Toronto offense in a convincing 28-12 victory.
The Gaels’ defense allowed just 12 points and consistently made life difficult for Toronto’s offense. Queen’s also recorded four sacks, with James Gunningham leading the defense with seven total tackles.
Offensively, Alex Vreeken had an impressive afternoon, completing 26 of 36 passes for 366 yards and a touchdown. Jayce Baldwin added a strong performance on the ground, rushing for 54 yards on six carries with a touchdown.
The receiving duo of Mateo Tuioti and Russell Weir also provided Vreeken with reliable targets throughout the afternoon.
Queen’s showed it can win games with its defense while still having enough offensive firepower to put points on the board. After Week 1, the Gaels look like one of the most complete teams in the OUA.
2. Ottawa Gee-Gees
Ottawa opened the season with one of the strongest offensive performances in the OUA, taking down Waterloo behind a tremendous day from quarterback Josh Janssen.
Janssen threw for 396 yards and three touchdowns, while Camara added 147 rushing yards to give the Gee-Gees a balanced offensive attack.
The receiving corps was led by Blackwood, who finished with 157 receiving yards, while Tristan Gilbert-Thibault added 99 yards on four catches and two touchdowns.
Ottawa also received a perfect performance from kicker Zachary Copeland. He converted all three field-goal attempts, including a long of 29 yards, while also going 4-for-4 on extra points.
Defensively, Marc Rondeau led the way with five tackles. Gilbert-Thibault added a sack and a tackle for loss, while Maxime Pichie recorded two tackles for loss.
Holding Waterloo to 28 points, the second-lowest total allowed in Week 1, combined with nearly 400 passing yards, makes Ottawa a very impressive No. 2 to open the season.
3. Laurier Golden Hawks
Laurier’s defense wasted absolutely no time making an impact.
The Golden Hawks recorded three sacks within the opening few minutes and finished the game with five sacks overall.
However, the biggest story of the game may have been Tayshaun Jackson.
Jackson finished with 105 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown, but his biggest contribution came on special teams. He returned a field goal 120 yards for a touchdown, giving Laurier another seven points that proved crucial in the final result.
That’s 14 points directly generated by Jackson when combining his rushing touchdown and field-goal return.
Laurier even had another potential special teams touchdown wiped away because of a penalty.
The Golden Hawks showed that they have the ability to create points in multiple ways, and their defensive pressure could become a major factor as the season progresses.
4. McMaster Marauders
McMaster earns the No. 4 spot after one of the most impressive comebacks of Week 1.
The Marauders found themselves down 17-3 after the first quarter against Windsor, but completely changed the game during the second and third quarters before eventually winning 31-26.
McMaster’s ability to shut down Windsor’s offense during the middle portions of the game was the biggest reason for the comeback.
Quarterback Lucas Barresi, coming off his experience at Hamilton Tiger-Cats training camp in the spring, finished with 168 passing yards. He also contributed 11 rushing yards on four carries and scored two rushing touchdowns.
Special teams provided another huge moment when Sean Underhill returned a missed field goal 124 yards for a touchdown.
On defense, Isaiah Shields was one of the Marauders’ standout performers, finishing with three defensive tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss and an interception.
Coming back from a 14-point deficit against a Windsor team that received attention heading into the season is a strong opening statement for McMaster.
5. York Lions
York got off to a strong start against Carleton, taking a 12-7 lead after the opening quarter.
Unfortunately for the Lions, the offense struggled during the second and third quarters, and York found itself trailing 31-25 after three quarters.
Quarterback Maurice Sodja completed 16 of 28 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns. He also contributed on the ground, carrying the ball 13 times for 65 yards and a touchdown.
The biggest receiving performance came from Jayden Shallow, who hauled in six passes for 141 yards and a touchdown.
York’s defense didn’t have a single player who truly separated himself from the rest of the group statistically, which will be something to watch moving forward.
The Lions showed plenty of offensive potential but will need more consistency over four quarters.
6. Western Mustangs
Western was on a bye in Week 1, so the Mustangs remain at No. 6 entering the second week of the season.
With no game to evaluate, Western’s ranking will likely become much clearer once the Mustangs finally take the field.
7. Carleton Ravens
Carleton’s offense put together one of the more impressive passing performances of Week 1, but ultimately couldn’t finish off York.
Quarterback Barnes was outstanding, completing 28 of 35 passes for 415 yards and two touchdowns.
The Ravens didn’t have much success running the football, however. Keyshawn Reid carried the ball 12 times for just 36 yards.
The receiving corps was led by Frederick Hachey, who had an outstanding afternoon with nine receptions for 196 yards and two touchdowns. Hachey could easily make a case for Offensive Player of the Week.
Nash MacDonald also had a strong performance, recording six catches for 118 yards, although he couldn’t find the end zone.
Defensively, Joel Chekwi led the Ravens with six defensive tackles, while Jordan Mulunda, Megawatt Niyiragiro and DeAndre McKenzie each recorded a sack.
Carleton showed it has a potentially dangerous passing attack, but the lack of a consistent rushing game and some defensive concerns keep the Ravens at No. 7.
8. Guelph Gryphons
Guelph’s offensive line had a difficult opening quarter against Laurier.
The Gryphons surrendered three sacks within the first few minutes and gave up four sacks during the opening quarter alone.
Despite the struggles up front, Guelph did find some positive moments.
Quarterback Tristan Aboud completed 15 of 28 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for five yards.
Caleb Sargent led the rushing attack with 69 yards on eight carries and a touchdown.
Willem Arseneau led the receiving group with five catches for 75 yards.
One of the more unusual moments of the game came when defensive lineman DeAndre Thompson scored a touchdown on a seven-yard run at the 7:32 mark of the third quarter.
Defensively, Guelph recorded one sack and two tackles for loss.
The Gryphons have some pieces to work with, but the offensive line will need to improve quickly.
9. Windsor Lancers
Windsor’s Week 1 loss to McMaster was a tale of two halves.
The Lancers jumped out to a 17-3 lead, but wouldn’t score again until the fourth quarter, when they added nine points.
Kareme Cotton, who previously played wide receiver before making the transition to quarterback, completed 13 of 20 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns before leaving the game with an injury at the 3:34 mark of the third quarter.
Before leaving the game, Cotton also led Windsor’s rushing attack with 73 yards on 10 carries.
Backup quarterback Josh Foulis stepped in and completed 10 of 15 passes for 133 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Colby Ginn led the Lancers’ receivers with six catches for 131 yards, including a 75-yard reception.
The biggest issue for Windsor came on special teams. The Lancers surrendered 308 total return yards — nearly the equivalent of three football fields.
The defense kept Windsor competitive, however, recording four sacks and 11 tackles for loss.
If Windsor can clean up its special teams and get healthy at quarterback, this team could climb these rankings quickly.
10. Waterloo Warriors
There weren’t many positives for Waterloo in Week 1, but the Warriors did show some fight during their loss to Ottawa.
One of the brighter moments came at the 10:17 mark of the second quarter, when Waterloo recorded back-to-back stops on third-and-one situations.
Quarterback Nick Orr completed 17 of 29 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown. He also led Waterloo in rushing with 85 yards on eight carries and a touchdown.
Roy Van Der Veen added 33 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.
Defensively, Isaiah Blackson was the standout performer with 7.5 tackles.
Unfortunately, Waterloo failed to record a sack, interception or tackle for loss, highlighting just how much work remains to be done on the defensive side of the football.
11. Toronto Varsity Blues
After finishing 1-7 last season, Toronto enters 2026 at the bottom of our opening power rankings following a 28-12 loss to Queen’s.
Quarterback Kaleb O’Donoghue completed 19 of 25 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown. He also led Toronto in rushing with 38 yards on five carries.
Dane Hurley led the receiving group with six catches for 38 yards.
Defensively, Elia Lini and Oskar McPhie led the team with seven tackles each. Luca Pante added two tackles for loss, while Ayden Sendecki recorded a sack.
Toronto’s defense did produce a few individual positives, but the offense struggled to generate enough production against a strong Queen’s defense.
The Varsity Blues have plenty to prove as they look to improve on last season’s 1-7 record.
Week 1 Takeaways
The opening week of the OUA season gave us several early storylines to watch.
Queen’s looks like a legitimate contender, combining a strong defensive performance with an explosive passing game. Ottawa also showed that its offense could be among the most dangerous in the conference.
Meanwhile, McMaster’s comeback against Windsor may have been the most impressive win of the week. Falling behind 17-3 and still finding a way to win 31-26 shows the Marauders have the resilience to compete in close games.
At the other end of the rankings, Toronto and Waterloo have plenty of work to do, while Windsor will be hoping its quarterback situation and special teams improve quickly.
And then there’s Western, which will finally get its opportunity to make a statement after sitting out Week 1.
With the season only one week old, these rankings are certain to change quickly. But if Week 1 is any indication, the 2026 OUA football season could be one of the most competitive in recent memory.
