The Saskatchewan Roughriders have released American wide receiver Kendall Watson and American defensive back William Poole III.
Watson started four games early this season made 17 receptions for 154 yards. He was moved to the practice roster after Brayden Lenius returned to the lineup from injury and remained there even after Lenius got hurt as Jerreth Sterns won the starting job.
The five-foot-ten, 183-pound target walked on at Samford University in 2017, dressing for 47 games over five seasons with the Bulldogs. After playing a complementary role in his first four seasons, Watson exploded for 88 receptions for 1,034 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022 and was named second-team All-Conference.
Poole signed with the Riders in mid-September and recently made his debut on the active roster, starting at field-side cornerback in the team’s 38-13 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The six-foot, 190-pound cover man played six seasons at the University of Georgia, recording 27 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and four pass knockdowns. The Atlanta native was a member of the team’s 2021 National Championship-winning squad that defeated the University of Alabama to claim the school’s first title in 41 years.
The Riders (6-10) are scheduled to visit the Calgary Stampeders (4-11) on Friday, Oct. 13 with kickoffs slated for 9:30 p.m. EDT.