The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have added five American players to their 2024 roster, including former Tennessee Titans receiver Cameron Batson.
Batson played 27 games over four seasons with the Titans after going unselected in the 2018 NFL Draft. The five-foot-eight, 175-pound speedster registered 22 receptions for 197 yards and two touchdowns over that span, before joining the Atlanta Falcons in 2022.
The Oklahoma City native’s NFL tenure came to an end in January 2023 after he was allegedly involved in a pursuit and altercation with Atlanta police, prompting his release from the Falcons. The allegations have not been proven in court.
Prior to entering the professional ranks, Batson played 48 games over four seasons at Texas Tech University, registering 154 receptions for 1,453 yards and 14 touchdowns. He reportedly clocked a 4.35-second forty-yard dash at the Red Raiders’ pro day in 2018.
Also joining the Ticats are defensive back Shabari Davis Jr., receivers Kaylon Geiger and Devon Williams, and offensive lineman Brendan Bordner.
Davis was a standout cornerback and returner at Southeast Missouri State, playing in 52 games over five seasons. He registered 98 total tackles, 33 pass breakups, eight interceptions and one defensive touchdown as a Redhawk, while adding 379 kick return yards and 403 punt return yards with a pair of special teams scores. The six-foot, 193-pound athlete spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2022 before a stint with the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons.
Geiger wrapped up his college career at Texas Tech after transferring from Troy University. He played 36 FBS games between the two schools, registering 185 career receptions for 2,178 yards and nine touchdowns. The five-foot-10, 180-pound target spent one season as an undrafted free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022, dressing for three games.
Williams was a four-star recruit and the top-ranked athlete in the country for the 2018 recruiting class, originally committing to USC. After recording five catches for 98 yards and a touchdown in 13 games with the Trojans, the six-foot-five, 211-pound target transferred to the University of Oregon and posted 50 receptions for 843 yards and six touchdowns over 18 games the next two seasons. The 23-year-old elected to declare early for the 2022 NFL Draft but went unselected, enjoying only a brief stint with the Baltimore Ravens.
Bordner was a second-team All-Conference USA selection in 2022 after starting 12 games at left tackle in his lone season at Florida Atlantic University. The six-foot-five, 305-pound blocker transferred from Rutgers, where he played 41 games over four seasons and made eight starts along the offensive line after beginning his career on defence.
The Ticats will begin their 2024 season on Friday, June 7 when they visit the Calgary Stampeders.
