Ottawa Redblacks sign five, cut three

Photo: Old Dominion Athletics

The Ottawa Redblacks have signed American offensive lineman Zachary Barley, American defensive lineman Tyce Westland, American linebacker Bryce Ramirez, American defensive back Quentin Moten, and Global punter Paul Geelen, the team announced on Monday.

Barley finished his collegiate career at Old Dominion in 2025, where he was named first-team All-Sun Belt at left tackle. The six-foot-four, 318-pound blocker was named third-team All-Sun Belt in 2024 after playing nine games at left tackle and three games at left guard. He previously played at Illinois.

Westland recorded 43 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two pass knockdowns, and one forced fumble during his final collegiate season at the University of Wyoming in 2025. The six-foot-five, 241-pound native of Pleasanton, Neb. played 35 games with the Cowboys over the course of his collegiate career.

Ramirez played seven collegiate seasons at Texas Tech, where he made 66 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, one pass knockdown, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery over 37 games. The six-foot-two, 235-pound defender served as a team captain in 2025.

Moten recorded four interceptions with Northern Arizona in 2025 after previously playing at UNLV. The 24-year-old native of Rancho Cucamongo, Calif. reportedly ran a 4.50-second forty-yard dash at his pro day in March.

Geelen punted 65 times for an average of 42.3 yards over 24 games at Southern Illinois. The six-foot-six, 205-pound native of Utrecht, Netherlands also made 25-of-32 field goal attempts and averaged 61.3 yards on 129 kickoffs.

The Redblacks have also released American defensive backs Gavin Holmes and Cam Lockridge, and American kicker Jayden Fielding. They’ve also suspended Global offensive lineman Nouredin Nouili.

The Ottawa Redblacks opened training camp on May 10. The team will play its two preseason games against the Montreal Alouettes on Friday, May 22 and Friday, May 29. Final roster cuts are due on Saturday, May 30, after which the team will play its first regular-season game against the Edmonton Elks on Saturday, June 6.

Ottawa recently selected Purdue offensive lineman Giordano Vaccaro with their first-round pick in the 2026 CFL Draft and it appears he could be a day-one starter. The team’s other major offseason additions include quarterback Jake Maier, running back Greg Bell, linebacker A.J. Allen, and strong-side linebacker C.J. Reavis.

In 2025, the Redblacks finished fourth in the East Division standings with a 4-14 record, missing the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Ryan Dinwiddie was hired as the team’s head coach and general manager after the firing of Bob Dyce.