Just about anyone who followed the University of Regina Rams 2025 season would've been stunned if Marshall Erichsen hadn't been named the team's Most Valuable Player.
Hobbling on crutches from a season-ending torn Achilles injury, which held the Rams star running back out of this year's Hardy Cup Canada West championship game, Erichsen accepted the award at the program's year-end banquet Friday night in Regina.
Rushing for a Canada West-best 1,026 yards and 11 touchdowns, both new school records, Erichsen helped fuel the Rams to a 6-2 finish, their best regular season record since 2016. Coming off his third year with the Rams, Erichsen told the crowd the best is yet to come.
"One thing I want to say, I'm super pumped for the upcoming year of 2026. We are going to do incredible things together, I know we are," Erichsen said while adding that his running back teammates and offensive line have helped him become the player he is today.
Erichsen is sure to generate attention from pro football scouts all over North America in the coming year as he will become CFL draft eligible after the 2026 season.
His 128.3 yards rushing per game in 2025 ranked Erichsen second in all of Canada and 38 yards per game ahead of any other running backs in the conference in a year his rushing touchdowns nearly doubled that of anyone else in Canada West. Marshall was also the team's third most productive receiver helping him account for nearly 40 percent of the team's total offence.
That sparked some to ask at last month's Vanier Cup in Regina, if Erichsen shouldn't have received more consideration for the Hec Crighton Award, handed out annually to the most outstanding Canadian football player in U Sports.
Erichsen is expected to be depended upon heavily next season for an offence that has now lost four of its 12 starters to graduation, including all-star centre Riley Schick.
Other Regina Rams team award winners: Schick as offensive lineman of the year, defensive back Liam Platt as rookie of the year and Brandon Wong as defensive player of the year, Chopper Hippe as linebacker of the year and kicker Ty Gorniak as special teams player of the year.
The night featured a lot of talk about the Rams raising the bar for a program that has now appeared in back-to-back Hardy Cup championship games for the first time in 23 years.
