Ottawa Redblacks’ head coach Bob Dyce is keeping his cards close to the vest heading into his team’s first game of the regular season on Saturday.
“We’ll see what happens going forward,” Dyce told TSN 1200 in Ottawa when asked about who will start at quarterback. “When we started this process, we said we were going to work our plan going forward, and we’re going to continue to do that. At the end of the day, we know what our plan is and so we’ll just go forward with that.”
Jeremiah Masoli is the club’s unquestioned starter, though he is still recovering from a devastating leg injury he suffered early last season as he did not dress in the preseason. General manager Shawn Burke revealed in January that Masoli’s leg became infected following surgery, which spoiled any chance of him returning to the field late in 2022.
The 34-year-old passer completed 66.7 percent of his passes last season, his first in Ottawa, for 1,083 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also carried the ball 11 times for 39 yards and one touchdown.
The Redblacks turned to Caleb Evans following Masoli’s injury, though he was allowed to depart for the Montreal Alouettes via free agency in February. Nick Arbuckle, who was acquired via trade partway through last season, appears to be in line to start if Masoli is unavailable. He started eight games for the team last season and posted a 3-5 record.
Ottawa kept four quarterbacks on the active roster following cutdown day, which could be an indication that Masoli will not be ready for Week 1.
Young quarterbacks Tyrie Adams and Dustin Crum, both of whom joined the team last season, also played well during the preseason. Adams threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns over the two contests, while Crum threw for 83 yards and one touchdown against Toronto. They also showed strong mobility, combining for 105 yards along the ground and two rushing touchdowns.
Dontae Bull, the first overall pick in this year’s draft, didn’t dress during the preseason as he continues to recover from a broken leg he suffered midway through his final season at Fresno State. It appears as though the six-foot-six, 326-pound offensive lineman could be ready to hit the field soon where he’ll look to compete for a starting role at offensive tackle.
“He’s very close,” said Dyce. “We’re looking forward to this week of practice to see him continue forward and monitor that situation going forward.”
The Redblacks will open their regular season on the road against the Montreal Alouettes on Saturday, June 10 with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT.
