The Calgary Stampeders have signed American tight end Ryan Jones.
The six-foot-two, 235-pound native of Charlotte, N.C. attended training camp with the New York Giants in 2023 and made three catches for 21 yards during the preseason. He made the team’s practice roster but did not see any action during the regular season.
The 25-year-old started his collegiate career as a linebacker at the University of Oklahoma, recording 29 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and one interception over 18 games. He converted to tight end after transferring to East Carolina University where he made 78 receptions for 855 yards and nine touchdowns.
The Stampeders have also signed American offensive linemen William Barnes and Preston Nichols and American linebackers Kelechi Anyalebechi and Sam Mathews.
Barnes most recently attended NFL rookie minicamps with the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns before signing with the UFL’s DC Defender. The six-foot-four, 305-pound native of Apopka, Fla. played 59 collegiate games at the University of North Carolina where he made 21 starts at tackle and guard.
Nichols finished his collegiate career at Purdue University where he played 12 games at guard. The six-foot-two, 290-pound native of Charlotte, N.C. previously played at Charleston Southern University and the University of Nevada Las Vegas. He attended rookie minicamp with the Indianapolis Colts after going unselected in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Anyalebechi played 48 collegiate games at the University of the Incarnate Word where he recorded 285 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and four interceptions. The six-foot, 240-pound native of Pearland, Texas was named the Southland Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. He has since been a member of the Los Angeles Rams and UFL’s San Antonio Brahmas.
Mathews made 38 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and one interception over 34 collegiate games at Texas A&M University. The six-foot-three, 210-pound native of Camp Pendleton, Calif. was originally a walk-on with the Aggies after stints at Harding University in Searcy, Ark., and Blinn Junior College in Brenham, Texas.
