Ottawa Redblacks look for nastiness from lineman Zack Pelehos

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It was Zack Pelehos’ “nasty” side that grabbed the Ottawa Redblacks’ attention leading into the 2022 CFL Draft.

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While there’s also that off-the-field “niceness” to Pelehos, it’s that “nasty” side that could land him a starting job on the offensive line, as his team’s right tackle, this season.

“The big thing in university was I was nasty at the tackle position; the plan is to do it here as well,” said Pelehos. “I went into the off-season trying to put on more muscle so I’m ready to come out and be more physical.”

After the Redblacks selected him second overall in the 2022 CFL Draft, Pelehos spent a season learning from veterans like Randy Richards and Ucambre Williams. While much of his practice time was spent at the guard position, the 23-year-old had an off-season conversation with Redblacks coach Bob Dyce, who asked the 6-foot-5, 305-lb., giant which side he preferred to line up on and if he preferred being on the inside or outside of the line.

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“I like his confidence. He was firm in his belief he’s a starting tackle in this league,” said Dyce. “You watch the 1-on1s and he’s showing that he can compete at that spot.”

There’s still a long way to go before the start of the regular season, but it looks like it could come down to a battle between Pelehos and Dontae Bull, this year’s No. 1 overall draft pick who’s being brought along slowly after breaking his leg last year. American Justice Powers could also be in the mix.

“We’ll let Dontae heal and make decisions from there,” said Dyce. “Being around for a year is big. This is where your big jump comes. Zack really took it to heart, he went hard in the weight room. You can tell he’s a lot stronger and he plays with a physical nature. He’s showing that he can compete at that spot.”

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“The biggest thing for him is his confidence,” said Redblacks offensive line coach Paul Charbonneau. “You need the nastiness, but you need the confidence. He’s able to use that nastiness once he gets his hands on (the defender). He’s feeling more comfortable, he’ starting to understand the guys he’s going up against. He’s getting his hands on the defenders a little faster. He’s able to play faster because everything is moving slower.”

Pelehos, who is from Gananoque and played for the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, was forced to sit out the 2019 season for academic reasons and the 2020 Canadian college football season was wiped out because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He initially struggled with academics at uOttawa and was diagnosed with ADHD. Knowing what was wrong and getting help put him back on track. At the CFL’s Regional Combine in 2022, Pelehos was terrific — he finished first among the offensive linemen in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone drill and short shuttle and was tied for first in the bench press. Testing stats, of course, don’t guarantee immediate success on the field.

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“Going from Canadian university football to the CFL was eye opening, just seeing how fast the game was,” said Pelehos. “It was humbling for me, going from being the guy that everybody leaned on to playing behind veterans. I’d say I’ve gained confidence. Last year, in certain situations, I didn’t feel that confidence. But as the season went along, it got easier. You have to have a bit of cockiness to believe you’re going to own the guy across from you. But it’s a fine line, you can’t get too cocky. Last year was definitely a step for me; now I hope to take another step ahead.

“When you’re at guard, you’re between two guys, it’s like you’re in a phone booth. I felt like it was coming along well playing guard, but I wanted to bump out, get a chance at tackle. When you’re on that island, (the defenders) are a lot faster, especially when you have the edge-pressure blitz coming.”

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Nastiness aside, Pelehos said: “I’m a pretty nice guy away from the football field. But cross me the wrong way and we’ll see what happens.”

He has a four-year-old dog, an Australian Shepherd/Lab mix, named Moxon (after Jon Moxon, the main character from the movie Varsity Blues).

THE END AROUND

The Redblacks have signed DB Ty’Reke James (UTEP) and released DB Darius Williams (Carson-Newman) … The Redblacks will have their FanFest on Saturday at TD Place, beginning at 1 p.m. Fans can enter the stadium through Gate 1. Warmup begins at 1:15 p.m., there’s a mock game at 2 p.m. and fans can take part in football drills and get autographs beginning at 3:45 p.m.. Concession stands will be open … Ottawa’s first pre-season game is May 26, at home, vs. Montreal. 

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