It’s back to Canada for Nuer Gatkuoth.

The native of Edmonton, who played at Colorado State from 2022-24 and at Wake Forest in 2025, participated over the weekend as a tryout outside linebacker at the Broncos’ three-day rookie minicamp. Gatkuoth said after Sunday’s final practice, he was informed that Denver will not sign him, and he plans to soon join the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who last month made him the No. 4 overall pick in the Canadian Football League draft.

“I did everything I could (in the tryout),’’ Gatkuoth told The Denver Gazette. “I put my best film on tape. The Broncos already have a great outside linebacker group, so it was hard to get signed here. But I feel like I had a dominant three days and it worked out like it worked out. So now I’m going to the CFL to just dominate.”

On Sunday, Gatkuoth flew from Denver back to Edmonton. After a day or two there, he plans to report to Winnipeg’s training camp.

The 6-foot-3, 237-pound Gatkuoth said Broncos officials have said they will keep an eye on him in the CFL and will consider bringing him back for another look for the 2027 season.

“Honestly, I have right now all the confidence in the world,’’ Gatkuoth said of how the minicamp helped him. “My confidence has shot up a hundred times. Just me going out there and dominating all three days has really boosted my confidence and I know I can play in the NFL. It’s not an if, it’s a when if I just keep working.”

After growing up in Edmonton and playing initially at Austin O’Brien High School in the city, Gatkuoth attended West Toronto Prep and Champion Prep Academy in Atlanta before enrolling at Colorado State in 2022. He redshirted in 2022 before playing for the Rams in 2023 and 2024.

Gatkuoth said he left Colorado State because defensive coordinator Freddie Banks was fired, and he followed him to Wake Forest. Gatkuoth took a big step last season with six sacks for the Demon Deacons but has maintained good memories of Fort Collins.

“I loved Colorado,’’ he said. “I loved Fort Collins. It was a great city. I loved Denver, coming down here on weekends. Colorado was a great time for me. The fans were just amazing to me.”

Now, Gatkuoth will take his game back to Canada. But perhaps one day he will cross the border again and play in the NFL.

“I think he’s going to make an instant impact (with Winnipeg),’’ said Nate Thomas, Gatkuoth’s agent. “He has a very high football IQ, so I think he’ll do well there and make his way back to the NFL.”

Another tight end from Utah

For three straight years, the Broncos have brought in a rookie tight end from Utah.

In 2024, it was Thomas Yassmin, an Australian native who spent the season on the practice squad. In 2025, it was Caleb Lohner, a seventh-round pick. The latest to arrive is Dallen Bentley, a seventh-round selection last month.

Yassmin was on the Los Angeles Chargers’ practice squad last season and remains with the team. Lohner is entering his second Denver season.

Bentley has been getting plenty of advice from both since being selected by the Broncos on April 25 and participating in their rookie minicamp.

“Definitely, Thomas is my guy, Caleb is my guy, so, yeah,’’ Bentley, who played one Utes season with Yassmin and one with Lohner. “I’m glad I got to here with Caleb, and they’re super awesome. They help me out in any way. Any questions I have, they’re always super friendly.”

Bentley said he has gotten advice on “playbook stuff” and “little things that you can learn.”

Briefly

Asked what it took to set a college record of 17 forced fumbles at Buffalo, Broncos seventh-round pick Red Murdock said, “Just the intent and pain tolerance.” Asked how painful it is to force a fumble, the linebacker said, “Forcing a fumble isn’t painful, it’s the ones you miss, and trust me, I missed way more than I got.” … After the Broncos selected Texas A&M defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim in the third round last month, head coach Sean Payton said he is in the mix to replace John Franklin-Myers, who signed as a free agent with Tennessee. Onyedim has taken over Franklin-Myers’ jersey No. 98. “JFM, he’s a really good player but obviously I want to be my own person,’’ he said. … Offensive lineman Kage Casey, a fourth-round pick by Denver from Boise State, said he chose to wear 78 because that was the number donned by Ryan Clady, a Broncos star offensive lineman from 2008-14 who also played at the school.