Roughriders select QB Rourke, DL Saad, five others in CFL draft

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The Saskatchewan Roughriders made a splash on Tuesday night in the 2025 Canadian Football League draft.

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It wasn’t Saskatchewan’s first-round pick or even their second round choice that generated the most buzz, but it was the Green and White’s third-round pick that turned plenty of heads as the club drafted Canadian quarterback Kurtis Rourke with the 25th overall pick.

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Last season with Indiana University, the 6-foot-5, 223-pound Oakville, Ont. product threw for 3,042 yards with 29 touchdowns and five interceptions in 12 starts in his first season with the Hoosiers after transferring from Ohio.

The 24-year-old Rourke, the younger brother of B.C. Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke, was considered one of the top prospects in the entire draft but he was recently selected by the San Francisco 49ers in last week’s NFL draft meaning it’s not likely he will be in Saskatchewan anytime soon.

However, the risk was worth the potential reward according to Roughriders general manager Jeremy O’Day.

“Obviously it’s a futures pick and something that may never happen, but you know when we looked at the potential of having him on your team and what he would bring … we thought that was the time we should take a shot at him,” said O’Day. “In our mocks, we felt like someone’s going to take him eventually and it was just a matter of when they were going to take them. And again, we felt like we’re in good position where we could afford to do it at that time.

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“For all we know, Kurtis is going to go have a great career in the NFL, but if he doesn’t, then there’s an opportunity with us.”

As for the first round, after the Calgary Stampeders selected receiver Damien Alford with the No. 1 pick, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats nabbed linebacker Devin Veresuk second overall before the Ottawa Redblacks took receiver Keelan White with the third overall pick.

Saskatchewan was then on the board at fourth overall and the club selected someone who is expected to be in camp this year in defensive lineman Ali Saad.

“Man, it’s a blessing,” Saad told Regina media over Zoom after hearing his name called. “I’m happy with it. Happy to go first round. It’s an honour.

“I know it’s a whole different type of level, and I know it’s a whole different type of scheme so I’m just ready to come in (and) learn something new.”

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The Windsor, Ont. product played college football at Bowling Green State University and Last season, the 6-foot-3, 280-pounder racked up 40 total tackles, nine tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks in 13 games. Saad was 11th ranked prospect according to the CFL scouting bureau’s spring rankings.

“(Saad) has versatility to play inside and outside,” said O’Day. “Very productive, physical player that’s a playmaker type defensive lineman.

“We’re excited to get him; just a powerful player that is able to shed offensive linemen and play physical, so great to add a guy like that to our defensive front.”

In the second round, 13th overall, the Roughriders selected offensive lineman Erik Andersen, a 6-foot-6, 307-pound London, Ont. product who played the last four seasons for the Western University Mustangs. Andersen, who played tackle at Western but could move inside according to O’Day, is a two-time U Sports first-team All-Canadian who is set to attend an NFL minicamp with the New York Giants.

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“Another guy obviously high on our board,” said O’Day. “Very athletic and has the ability to play multiple positions and will add to the offensive line room.”

After selecting Rourke in the third round, the Roughriders shopped local in the fourth round, 34th overall, as Saskatchewan drafted linebacker Seth Hundeby, a 6-foot-3, 251-pound Saskatoon product who plays for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. Last season with the Huskies, Hundeby racked up 51 total tackles, six tackles for a loss and three sacks in 11 games while being named a U Sports first-team All-Canadian.

Hundeby has made it known he plans on returning to the U of S for his final season of eligibility as he completes his degree so while it’s also somewhat of a “futures” pick, O’Day said they considered taking him in the third round so they felt fortunate he fell to them in the fourth.

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“He was up front and honest that he was going to go back to school for a year, and he was all in on playing after that,” said O’Day. “So another guy where you can’t really predict where they’re going to go to or when you should pick them.

“I thought he did a lot of lot of great things on the field this year. He’s a guy that’s kind of a Swiss Army knife. He can play linebacker, and also (the Huskies) moved him around at defensive end, and he even does a little bit of long snapping so yeah, we’re excited to draft him; obviously, local kid as well which helps.”

In the fifth round, 43rd overall, the Roughriders drafted linebacker Liam Hoskins out of Windsor. Last season with the Lancers, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound London, Ont. product had 13 tackles, five tackles for a loss and three sacks in nine games.

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In the sixth round, 52nd overall, Saskatchewan selected defensive back Gideon Agyei out of the University of Calgary. Last season with the Dinos, the Toronto product recorded 24 tackles and two interceptions along with five pass knockdowns.

After previously trading away their seventh-round pick to Calgary in exchange for quarterback Jake Maier this off-season, the Roughriders rounded out the draft in the eighth round, 69th overall, by selecting receiver Daniel Wiebe from the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. Last season, the 5-foot-9, 185-pound Saskatoon product had 66 catches for 923 yards with nine touchdowns in 11 games en route to being named a Canada West all-star and first-team All-Canadian.

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“When you’re a short receiver, you’ve got to do something special and he certainly did with his (CFL combine) testing,” said O’Day. “I think everyone probably saw he can fly, and he’s a playmaker and does a lot of great things, and is a worker and really wants to be a pro.

“We asked him about his size in the draft and how does he overcome those being a little bit shorter, and he actually pointed to Weston Dressler; a strong name to throw out there but good on him for thinking it through.

“He can fly. He’s a guy that’s just a worker, and he deserves an opportunity to play.”

Local products

A few local products also heard their names called on Tuesday night in the CFL draft.

First, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers drafted offensive lineman Ethan Vibert, a Regina product who played for South Dakota State last season, with the 27th overall pick in the third round.

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Then the B.C. Lions drafted Regina Rams offensive lineman Connor Klassen, a Big River, Sask. product, with the 37th overall pick in the fourth round.

In the fifth round, 45th overall, the Blue Bombers selected linebacker Lane Novak, a Balgonie, Sask. product who played for the Saskatchewan Huskies last season.

In the sixth round, 50th overall, linebacker Chase Tataryn, a Saskatoon product who plays for the University of Alberta, was selected by B.C. before Regina defensive back Ethan Ball, who played for the Calgary Dinos last year, went to the Blue Bombers with the 54th overall pick.

Global draft

Along with the Canadian draft, the CFL held its annual Global draft on Tuesday morning.

And with the sixth overall selection, the Roughriders selected defensive lineman Sylvain Yondjouen.

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Last season with the NCAA’s Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, the 6-foot-4, 260-pounder from Belgium recorded 24 tackles, six tackles for a loss, five pass breakups and 2.5 sacks in seven starts along the defensive line.

After going unselected in the NFL draft, Yondjouen earned a minicamp invite with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers this week.

With their second selection in the Global draft, 15th overall, the Riders drafted Australian punter Jesse Mirco.

Last season with the NCAA’s Vanderbilt Commodores, the 28-year-old averaged 48 yards per punt. Prior to suiting up for Vanderbilt, the 6-foot-4, 222-pounder played three seasons for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 2021-23.

CFL teams are mandated to dress one Global player and last season, the Roughriders routinely dressed two in punter Adam Korsak and defensive lineman Habakkuk Baldonado, who are both expected to return in 2025.

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Riders add three Americans

Along with the draft selections, the Roughriders added an American running back and an American defensive lineman on Tuesday to go along with an American defensive lineman who was signed Monday.

Running back Mario Anderson joins the Green and White after a strong college career at Memphis, where he rushed for 1,362 yards and 18 touchdowns in 13 games last year. In eight of his 13 games, the 5-foot-9, 208-pounder ran for more than 100 yards, including a season-high 183 yards and four touchdowns against North Texas.

Before playing for the Tigers, Anderson suited up for South Carolina following a stint at Newberry College.

The Roughriders also announced the signing of defensive lineman Octavious Oxendine on Tuesday. The 6-foot-2, 285-pounder is coming off a five-year career at the University of Kentucky, where he had 78 tackles and 10 sacks in 47 games.

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Along with Anderson and Oxendine, this week the Roughriders also signed 5-foot-11, 234-pound defensive lineman Justin Jefferson, who spent the last four years at Eastern Michigan, racking up 121 tackles and eight sacks in 49 career games.

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