Riders readying for home opener with new faces
The Saskatchewan Roughriders will be welcoming some new additions to the lineup on Saturday as they face the Hamilton Tiger Cats.
The starters will not be released until Friday for Saturday’s home opener.
However some rookies and newcomers to the squad are expected to be in the lineup.
Wide receiver Jakob Prall is among those expected to be one of the top picks to replace Paul McRoberts after he was cut last week.
Prall had two receptions for 17 yards in the pre-season and impressed the team enough to earn a spot on the active roster.
“He has done a lot of great things for us. He’s a rookie and he came in and stole a starting job. It’s part of the business and to have a young guy like come in and just grasp this offence as quickly as he did that says a lot,” said quarterback, Cody Fajardo.
“He’s a speedster so I think Rider nation will be excited to see him run around and make some plays for us.”
Prall told reporters that he was quite excited with the opportunity.
“I immediately just called my parents because it’s been a long process for me trying to find a team and trying to find the right fit,” he said. “A world class organization like this is really just an honour to be a part of the active roster.”
Another newcomer on the squad is defensive lineman, Demarcus Christmas. The Riders signed Christmas just before training camp in May.
Christmas spent time in the National Football League (NFL) with both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks but he’s quickly learning how to adjust to Canadian football.
“I’m adjusting well, it’s not too much different,” said Christmas. “Just a couple different rules but I’m just happy be back playing football.”
The Riders coaching staff was equally as pleased with Christmas’s performance.
“He had a good camp. He came in and impressed us and also showed us a lot of versatility,” said head coach Craig Dickenson. “He can play either tackle spot and he’s a high rep guy which means he can take a lot of reps and still be productive.”
Wide receiver Samuel Emilus and defensive back Jayden Dalke were two players from the 2022 draft class to make the initial cut.
Fresh off their final year of school, offensive lineman Logan Bandy and linebacker AJ Allen are among those who look to begin their professional football career.
“We have a good veteran group but we also have some young studs on that defensive line that will help out. Not to mention our offensive line,” said Fajardo.
The season ahead is full of high expectations for the Riders and Fajardo noted the team’s current goal right now is to make playoffs, as anything can happen in the post-season no matter what seed the team is going in.
Dickenson is pleased with the current roster and confident in the organization’s picks so far.
“We stayed healthy for the most part in training camp and we feel like that’s a good bunch,” he explained.
“On paper it looks like we have a competitive team.”
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