Dejon Brissett has a valuable asset to help guide him through the CFL draft process.
The University of Virginia receiver's younger brother, Oshae, is a guard/forward on a two-way deal with the NBA's Toronto Raptors. Oshae Brissett, 21, declared for the '19 draft following two seasons at Syracuse but signed with Toronto as a free agent after not being selected.
"His process didn't go the way he wanted it to go," Dejon Brissett said during a CFL conference call Tuesday. "His thing was just always stay positive, stay hopeful and whatever happens is supposed to happen.
"That's kind of been helping me throughout the process."
The six-foot-one, 195-pound Brissett, a native of Mississauga, Ont., appeared in 12 games last season with Virginia after transferring from Richmond. He made two starts and recorded two receptions for 18 yards.
Brissett appeared in 33 games at Richmond, recording 86 catches for 1,282 yards and nine TDs. He also returned 41 kicks for 941 yards and one touchdown while amassing 2,388 yards of total offence.
Brissett moved up two spots to No. 5 on the final CFL Scouting Bureau list of the top-20 prospects released Monday for the April 30 draft. He was the second-highest of five receivers named, behind only Notre Dame's Chase Claypool, the native of Abbottsford who was ranked second overall behind Oklahoma defensive lineman Neville Gallimore of Ottawa.
Brissett said it would be an ideal situation if he was drafted by the Toronto Argonauts next week. Brissett could then live with his brother and still be close enough for his family to watch him play.
"We've definitely talked about getting a place to live together if I was to land in Toronto," Brissett said. "At the same time I've been away from home for along time so there's really no preference for me on where I end up.
"But playing in Toronto would be pretty cool especially because my family is there and my brother plays for the Raptors so that would definitely be an interesting story."
Growing up, Brissett said he and his brother were both active in sports, with basketball being their first love. Dejon Brissett left home to attend high school in Illinois and upon returning for the summer found he'd fallen behind his younger sibling.
"I came back for summer break and all of a sudden my brother was taller than me (Oshae Brissett is listed at six foot seven, 210 pounds)," he said. His basketball career took off and I kind of veered off into football."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21, 2020.
Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press
