"Luck is what happens when opportunity meets preparation."

That Oprah Winfrey quote is one of my favourites and, over the years, something that I've shared with many young football players as they have readied themselves to audition for pro scouts. The words rang particularly true at this year's CFL Combine, where the absence of a number of highly regarded prospects created a golden opportunity for those in attendance to boost their stock. In 2014, the CFL changed its draft eligibility rules to have players from American schools become draft eligible upon completion of their NCAA or NAIA eligibility. One of the expected benefits of this strategy was that it would increase the likelihood of having top prospects attend the CFL's National Combine, however, due to a combination of injuries and the pursuit of NFL opportunities, it hasn't worked out that way in 2016. The following is a position-by-position look at those who were "Conspicuous By Their Absence" and those for whom "Opportunity Knocks" as a result of the absence of their peers.

Defensive Line

"Conspicuous By Their Absence"

David Onyemata (DT, Manitoba): Five years ago, this native of Lagos, Nigeria had never played a down of North American football. Within the last year, he has won the 2015 Metras Trophy as the top lineman in CIS football, caught the attention of NFL scouts as a participant in the prestigious East-West Shrine Game in January, and signed with the same American agency that represents Tom Brady. The 6'3", 300 lb. juggernaut bypassed the CFL Combine, instead opting to host his own pro day at the University of Manitoba. Just to provide an idea of the physical potential that has scouts on both sides of the border drooling, at the CIS East West Bowl last spring, he topped all D-Linemen with 28 bench press reps and ran a 5.10 forty-yard dash. And it paid off well as he was taken in the fourth-round of the NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints.

Mehdi Abdesmad (DT, Boston College): At 6'6", 284 lbs., he posted 25 bench press reps, a 5.10 forty-yard dash, 29.5" vertical jump, and 4.62 twenty-yard shuttle as the only Canadian invited to this year's NFL Combine. The Montreal native showed no ill effects in 2015, after a knee injury and subsequent surgeries had limited him to just seven games over the previous two seasons combined. He sat out the CFL Combine to prepare for Boston College's pro day and signed with the Tennessee Titans as a free agent.

Trent Corney (DE, Virginia): One of the great stories of last year's CFL Combine saw Shaquille Murray-Lawrence and Tevaughn Campbell both break the previous forty-yard dash record, four years after they had been teammates on a provincial silver medal winning 4 x 100 metre high school relay team. The next chapter of that story is that Trent Corney anchored the Thousand Islands Secondary School team that took bronze, finishing just 0.02 seconds behind them. The point is that, at 6'3", 255 lbs., Corney, who was also the Canadian junior javelin champion, is an exceptional athlete. After starting eleven of twelve games for the Cavaliers in 2015, he put that athleticism to the test at Virginia's pro day on March 15.

Mitchell Winters (DT, Miami-Ohio): While his résumé might not be as glamourous as those of some other top defensive line prospects, this 6'5", 292 lbs. tackle has been solid as a three-year starter for the Redhawks. Hailing from the same high school program as B.C. Lions 2015 first-rounder Ese Mrabure-Ajufo, he has added significant bulk to his frame over the course of his career, enabling himself to be more effective at occupying blockers and freeing up his linebackers.

"Opportunity Knocks"

Quinn Horton (DT, Simon Fraser): This graduate of Winnipeg's St. Paul's High School was one of Canada's most coveted defensive line prospects in 2012. In his four seasons with the Clan, he has lived up to that advance billing, earning Great Northwest all-conference honours in each of the last two years. In 2015, the 6'3", 315 lbs. Horton finished fourth on the squad and tops among D-Linemen with 37 tackles, and also chipped in with 8.5 tackles for loss.

Wide Receivers

"Conspicuous By Their Absence"

Tevaun Smith (WR, Iowa): This 6'2", 205 lbs. speedster may be best known for breaking Odell Beckham Jr.'s record for one-handed catches but that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his highlight reel. He's a rarity among Canadian skill players, having seen action as a true freshman playing in the vaunted Big Ten conference. After recording 75 catches for 1159 yards over his last two seasons with the Hawkeyes, he opted to work out at Iowa's pro day and was signed by the Indianapolis Colts last month.

Juwan Brescacin (WR, Northern Illinois): At 6'4", 230 lbs., he's one of the biggest receivers in a class that includes Calgary's Brett Blaszko (6'3", 215 lbs.) and Brian Jones (6'4", 230 lbs.) of Acadia. His numbers declined slightly in 2015, as he finished the season with 24 catches for 298 yards after being over 30 receptions and 400 yards in each of the previous two campaigns. The Huskies pro day conflicted with the CFL Combine.

"Opportunity Knocks"

Joshua Stanford (WR, Kansas): Formerly the favourite target of current Montreal Alouettes quarterback Brandon Bridge at Mississauga's St. Marcellinus Secondary School, Stanford is regarded as something of an enigma. After setting a Virginia Tech freshman record with 40 receptions in 2013, he struggled with injuries and inconsistency the next season, and wound up transferring to Kansas in 2015. He played only two games and caught three passes for the Jayhawks last season but, despite having one year of NCAA eligibility remaining, he was able to enter the CFL Draft early because he had already graduated from school. He'll need to demonstrate that he has recaptured his 2013 form in order to distinguish himself in this strong receiver class.

Mike Jones (WR, Southern): The Toronto-born grandson of Canadian boxing legend Clyde Gray is one of the fastest players in this draft class. While his numbers with the Jaguars weren't overwhelming (48 catches over the last three seasons), his average of 18.8 yards/catch against Division 1 competition is a clear indication of his ability to stretch the field.

Shaquille Johnson (WR, London Beefeaters): In a deep and impressive class of receivers, the 2012 CIS Rookie of the Year risked becoming an afterthought, after becoming an academic casualty at both McGill and Western. However, an impressive season in the CJFL (20.2 yards/catch, 8 TD) and an outstanding showing at the Toronto Regional Combine, including a 4.39 second forty-yard dash, have served notice that he's still very much a CFL prospect.

Defensive Backs

"Conspicuous By Their Absence"

Arjen Colquhoun (CB, Michigan State): Nicknamed the "Canadian Flash", this speedy Windsor, Ont. native was one of this country's most heavily recruited players in 2011. He spent his first four years in the Spartans program flying under the radar, as he played behind and learned from the likes of NFL first-round picks Darqueze Dennard and Trae Waynes. He enjoyed a breakout season in 2015, starting eleven games, leading the team with 10 pass breakups and contributing two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. He was signed as a free agent by the Dallas Cowboys.

Elie Bouka (DB, Calgary): This converted receiver is still rehabilitating the torn Achilles tendon that he suffered in training camp last year but should be fully recovered in time for the 2016 season. His explosiveness (4.41 forty, 36" vertical, 11'5" broad jump) that made him one of the darlings of the 2015 East West Bowl caught the attention of the Arizona Cardinals, who signed him last month.

"Opportunity Knocks"

Dominique (Nicholas) Termansen (CB, British Columbia): The Vancouver native was a defensive standout for the 2015 Vanier Cup champs. Another former receiver, Termansen first turned heads at the Edmonton Regional Combine with his explosiveness. 

Linebackers

"Conspicuous By Their Absence"

Alex Singleton (LB, Montana State): Recently cut by the Minnesota Vikings, he could become the third player (following Wayne Smith in 2004 and Vaughn Martin in 2011) to be chosen in the CFL Draft after having attended an NFL training camp. The 2015 graduate of the Bobcats program wasn't granted National status until last summer, after he had attended the Seattle Seahawks training camp. His résumé is stellar, as he was in on a total of 246 tackles and tallied 31.5 tackles for loss in his junior and senior seasons combined and his 2015 pro day numbers included a 4.61 forty-yard dash, a 4.19 twenty-yard shuttle, and 15 bench press reps while measuring in at 6'2", 233 lbs.

Michael Langlois (LB, Laval): The Defensive MVP of last spring's CIS East West Bowl missed the entire 2015 season and was still recovering from the reconstructive knee surgery that he underwent last July. And it didn't get any better recently after he suffered a torn achilles. In 2014, his 26 tackles ranked second on the Rouge et Or's CIS-best defence, behind only fellow Combine invitee Shayne Gauthier.

"Opportunity Knocks"

Terrell Davis (LB, British Columbia): In 2012, he left Victoria, B.C.'s Mount Douglas Secondary School for Arizona State as one of Canada's top running back recruits. In 2014, he changed schools, coming back home to join the Thunderbirds. In 2015, he switched positions to play defence for the first time in his collegiate career, and promptly emerged as the leading tackler for the Vanier Cup champions. Without being compared to a more experienced and polished linebacker like Singleton, Davis will have an opportunity to shine.

Kevin Jackson (LB, Sam Houston State): Granted National status earlier this winter, he earned his way into the National Combine with a solid showing at the Toronto Regional event. As a linebacker, he'll face challenges in adjusting to the nuances of the Canadian game but he could have an immediate impact on special teams, which is where he saw most of his action in college.

Offensive Line

"Conspicuous By Their Absence"

Dillon Guy (OL, Buffalo): This physical 6'4", 310 lbs. guard started six games as a true freshman in 2011, quickly establishing himself as a top prospect for the 2015 CFL Draft. However, he was forced to defer to this year after a foot injury led him to take a medical redshirt in the fall of 2014. In between, the Bulls program underwent multiple coaching changes, which seemed to impact his playing time. The product of Waterdown, Ont. did have workouts recently with the Stampeders, Lions, Ticats, Argos and Roughriders. 

Brandon Revenberg (OL, Grand Valley State): Hailing from the same Lakers program that produced perennial CFL All-Star Josh Bourke, Revenberg is a two-time Great Lakes Conference all-star and a three-year starter. As an NCAA Division 2 player, he hasn't received the attention of some other offensive linemen leading up to the draft but he could easily emerge as one of the sleepers in the Class of 2016.

"Opportunity Knocks"

Sean Jamieson (OL, Western): The top rated O-Line prospect in attendance, since Oklahoma's Josiah St. John skipped testing for the Sooners pro day. This creates even more of an opportunity for prospects like this two-time All-Canadian to move up the draft boards. At 6'6", 300 lbs., the Winnipeg native is technically very sound but needs to demonstrate that his strength has improved since last spring's East West Bowl.

Michael Couture (OL, Simon Fraser): This two-time Great Northwest Conference All-Star has played multiple positions on the Clan's offensive line over the course of his four-year career. He's likely best suited to play centre at the next level but earned accolades as a guard in 2015. His challenge will be demonstrating that his athletic ability will be enough to compensate for the size he gives up to some of the bigger defensive tackles in attendance.

Running Backs

"Conspicuous By Their Absence"

Jesse Andrews (RB, Queen's): The Gaels star led the nation in rushing yards per game last season with an average of 147.6, and he finished second in that category a year earlier at 127 yards/game. Unfortunately, he was limited to five games in 2015 before suffering a season ending injury.

"Opportunity Knocks"

Nathan O'Halloran (FB, Windsor): The things that this traditional fullback does well can't be measured statistically. After starting his CIS career as a linebacker at Wilfrid Laurier, he made his way back home to join the Lancers program, where he was eventually converted to offence. He earned his way to the National Combine due in large part to a very strong performance during blocking drills at the Toronto Regional.