The B.C. Lions have added three more Americans to their training camp roster, signing defensive backs DaQuaylyn Thomas and Jaiden Cole, and punter Cesar Barajas.
Cole played 53 games over six seasons at Louisiana Tech, making 24 starts at safety. He racked up 168 total tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, seven sacks, seven pass knockdowns and three interceptions before graduating in 2022.
Barajas also suited up for the Bulldogs in 2021, appearing in 12 games as a transfer student. He averaged 41.5 yards per punt and dropped 25 inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, in addition to 19 fair catches. He also averaged 61 yards per kickoff.
Prior to his time at Louisiana Tech, the six-foot-one, 225-pound specialist spent two seasons at Southern University. He averaged 40.8 yards per punt and 42.4 yards per kickoff while connecting on eight-of-11 field goal attempts, including a 49-yarder.
Thomas began his collegiate career at Tyler Community College before transferring to Southern Mississippi, where he played 24 games over two seasons. He amassed 92 tackles, 18 tackles for a loss, 5.5 sacks, three interceptions and one touchdown over that span, earning first-team All-Conference USA honours as a senior in 2019.
The five-foot-10, 205-pound safety attended training camp with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2021 and Edmonton Elks in 2022, making two defensive tackles in a single preseason appearance.
