GDT BC at Ssk, Sat Jun 13, 6:00PM

[gobombersgo]

[gobombersgo]

[gobombersgo]

Saskatchewan Roughriders debut new starters against B.C. after offseason departures
by 3Down Staff  June 12, 2026

The Saskatchewan Roughriders retained much of their core after winning the 112th Grey Cup, but will still have plenty of new faces in the lineup when they open their 2026 campaign against the B.C. Lions on Saturday.

Many of the changes are situated on the defensive line, which lost the likes of Malik Carney and Habakkuk Baldonado in free agency. Veteran addition James Vaughters will attempt to fill the void on one edge, while rookie Desmond Evans has been given the nod on the other. The 23-year-old drew comparisons to Willie Jefferson in training camp and was once rated as the top defensive end in the 2020 recruiting class by ESPN, though he never quite lived up to those expectations at North Carolina. Mike Rose is the lone returning starter along the interior, but fourth-year man Caleb Sanders is expected to take on a larger role after his predecessor, Micah Johnson, retired to join the coaching staff.

Former Lion Josh Woods will face his old team for the first time since he was released this offseason, taking over at weak-side linebacker for the departed A.J. Allen. The rest of the linebacking corps and secondary remain largely unchanged, though Antoine Brooks Jr. will now permanently replace C.J. Reavis at strongside linebacker.

Offensively, the Riders return their entire offensive line from last season, franchise quarterback Trevor Harris, and bruising running back A.J. Ouellette. Also back are impact receivers KeeSean Johnson, Samuel Emilus, and Kian Schaffer-Baker. Third-year Canadian Dhel Duncan-Busby steps into the starting lineup following the departure of Tommy Nield and the sudden release of Ajou Ajou, while rookie American Jaylen Johnson will slot into the spot once occupied by Dohnte Meyers. The 26-year-old had just 806 yards and six touchdowns in two years at East Carolina, but spent parts of two seasons in the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Riders will also debut an entirely new group of specialists. Australians Alex Hale and Oscar Chapman will handle the kicking and punting duties, respectively, while veteran Aaron Crawford arrives as the long snapper. James Letcher Jr. will assume primary return duties after signing with the team in free agency.

Brayden Schager, who lost the backup quarterback battle to Jack Coan in training camp, will begin the year on the reserve roster as a healthy scratch, where he'll be joined by defensive lineman Kendy Charles. Three Canadians will start the season on the one-game injured list: linebacker Nick Wiebe (head), offensive lineman Daniel Johnson (shoulder), and defensive lineman Benoit Marion (shoulder).

The initial six-game injured list will also include four Canadians: receiver Dylan Djete (thigh), offensive lineman Darius Bell (ankle), defensive lineman Lake Korte-Moore (knee), and linebacker Ryder Varga (knee).

The Saskatchewan Roughriders (0-0) will host the B.C. Lions (0-0) at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday, June 13, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. Both teams were on a bye in Week 1. They last faced each other in the 2025 Western Final, where Saskatchewan prevailed 24-21. The Riders went on to win the 112th Grey Cup.

The weather forecast in Regina calls for a high of 18 degrees with a mix of sun and clouds. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 620 CKRM in Regina, 730 CKNW in Vancouver, and Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600 for Punjabi coverage in B.C.

https://3downnation.com/2026/06/12/saskatchewan-roughriders-debut-new-starters-against-b-c-after-offseason-departures/

[gobombersgo]

B.C. Lions premiering two new cornerbacks in opener against Riders
by 3Down Staff  June 12, 2026

The B.C. Lions will open their season on Saturday in Regina with two newcomers at cornerback.

C.J. Coldon, who joined the team as a free agent after being released by the Ottawa Redblacks in April, is an experienced addition and has long been pencilled in on the field side. However, the absence of veteran Garry Peters, who was officially ruled out on Thursday and placed on the six-game injured list, has forced the team to start rookie Tyson Russell at boundary corner in his first CFL game. The 23-year-old played collegiately at Vanderbilt, where he made 92 tackles, five pass breakups, and one interception in 44 games.

Also debuting for the Lions on defence are a pair of former All-CFL performers, Darnell Sankey and Casey Sayles. Sankey is expected to command the middle linebacker spot after coming over from the Montreal Alouettes, while Sayles will add to a deep defensive line after his unceremonious release by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Rookie linebacker Parker McKenna is also expected to contribute to the new-look unit, though he remains listed behind Canadian Ben Hladik on the depth chart.

On the other side of the ball, the Lions remain mostly intact from last season, save for left tackle, where Kory Woodruff will take over for the departed Jarell Broxton. Brandon Yates will step in at Woodruff's old left guard spot, continuing the trend of four American starters along the offensive line.

Primary kick returner Seven McGee is also expected to take on a larger role this season, replacing Ayden Eberhardt in the starting lineup. Canadian Kieran Poissant will rotate in as needed to allow the American speedster to stay dangerous on special teams. The Lions will have a new long snapper as well, with Cam Foran replacing Kyle Nelson.

The team has placed a pair of Canadians on the reserve roster to begin the year, scratching rookie receiver Nick Cenacle and linebacker Terrence Ganyi. Notably, the team has no players on the one-game injured list for their opener, but begins with 10 players already on the six-game list: receiver Nate Demontagnac (shoulder); offensive linemen Andrew Peirson (shoulder), Josh Coker (knee), Josh Donovan (ankle), and Isiah Cage (knee); defensive lineman Tomasi Laulile (undisclosed); defensive backs Garry Peters (knee), Cristophe Beaulieu (knee), and Jett Elad (hip); and kick Mark McNamee (hip).

The B.C. Lions (0-0) will visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders (0-0) at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday, June 13, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. Both teams were on a bye in Week 1. They last faced each other in the 2025 Western Final, where Saskatchewan prevailed 24-21. The Riders went on to win the 112th Grey Cup.

The weather forecast in Regina calls for a high of 18 degrees with a mix of sun and clouds. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 620 CKRM in Regina, 730 CKNW in Vancouver, and Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600 for Punjabi coverage in B.C.

https://3downnation.com/2026/06/12/b-c-lions-premiering-two-new-cornerbacks-in-opener-against-riders/

[bunker]

Harris and the rider offense looking pretty polished.

[Jesse]

Harris and the rider offense looking pretty polished.

I would hope so, they kept their offence largely intact.

It's their defence that took some hits.

[bunker]

I would hope so, they kept their offence largely intact.

It's their defence that took some hits.

Their offense ranked 6th in points scored last year, so not exactly dominant.  They now have Emilus and a S-Baker back, who missed missed most of last season with injuries, and lost Meyers to NFL and Nield, so some changes there. Small sample size obviously, but they look really good on O.

[Jesse]

We're up in arms about our defence, but there have been some high scoring games in the early going. Seems like most defences are slow to get going.

[bunker]

We're up in arms about our defence, but there have been some high scoring games in the early going. Seems like most defences are slow to get going.

Yeah, Harris doing to the Lions what BLM did to us. He's also getting tons of time in the pocket.

[bunker]

Second and 2, not sure what they're doing with the pass when you've got Stevens for short yardage.

[Jesse]

Yeah, Harris doing to the Lions what BLM did to us. He's also getting tons of time in the pocket.

And Toronto and Montreal did it to each other yesterday.

[Jesse]

Oh no, Hardrick down...

[markf]

Rourke three or four near int.

[bunker]

Strange challenge by Buck

[The Zipp]

glen suitor can disappear like rod black or Dunigan anytime now