The Ottawa Redblacks have set their depth chart for Thursday’s season-opener against the Saskatchewan Roughriders boasting six new starters.
Daniel Adeboboye and William Stanback will share running back duties, both of whom are new to the team this year. Adeboboye won a Grey Cup with his hometown Toronto Argonauts last season, while Stanback rushed for 1,175 yards with the B.C. Lions.
The team’s two wideouts, Eugene Lewis and Keelan White, are both new to the team. Lewis became the CFL’s sixth-highest-paid receiver when he joined the Redblacks in free agency from Edmonton, while White was selected with the third overall pick in the 2025 CFL Draft out of the University of Montana.
Darta Lee will start at right tackle in place of an injured Zach Pelehos. The six-foot-four, 313-pound native of Alief, Texas spent some time on Ottawa’s practice roster last season but will dress for his first career CFL regular-season game on Thursday.
In the secondary, the Redblacks will start two free-agent additions at halfback with Robert Priester on the boundary side and Amari Henderson to the field. Priester started 10 games for the Argonauts last year, while Henderson started eight with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The rest of Ottawa’s starting lineup is comprised of holdovers from last season, including household names like franchise quarterback Dru Brown, receiver Justin Hardy, offensive lineman Drew Desjarlais, defensive end Lorenzo Mauldin IV, middle linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox, and strong-side linebacker Adarius Pickett.
The Redblacks went 9-8-1 last season to finish third in the East Division but posted a record of 2-7 on the road. The team tied its first meeting with Saskatchewan in 2024 before losing the subsequent matchup at Mosaic Stadium by a score of 29-16.
Players who will start the season on the one-game injured list for Ottawa include quarterback Tyrie Adams, offensive linemen Zach Pelehos and Eric Starczala, defensive linemen Aidan John and Nigel Romick, linebacker Frankie Griffin, and defensive backs Alijah McGhee and Deandre Lamont.
Free-agent acquisition Peter Godber and former second-overall pick Nick Mardner have officially been placed on the six-game injured list.
Thursday’s game is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. EDT.
