Saskatchewan Roughriders debut new starters against B.C. after offseason departures

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The Saskatchewan Roughriders retained much of their core after winning the 112th Grey Cup, but will still have plenty of new faces in the lineup when they open their 2026 campaign against the B.C. Lions on Saturday.

Many of the changes are situated on the defensive line, which lost the likes of Malik Carney and Habakkuk Baldonado in free agency. Veteran addition James Vaughters will attempt to fill the void on one edge, while rookie Desmond Evans has been given the nod on the other. The 23-year-old drew comparisons to Willie Jefferson in training camp and was once rated as the top defensive end in the 2020 recruiting class by ESPN, though he never quite lived up to those expectations at North Carolina. Mike Rose is the lone returning starter along the interior, but fourth-year man Caleb Sanders is expected to take on a larger role after his predecessor, Micah Johnson, retired to join the coaching staff.

Former Lion Josh Woods will face his old team for the first time since he was released this offseason, taking over at weak-side linebacker for the departed A.J. Allen. The rest of the linebacking corps and secondary remain largely unchanged, though Antoine Brooks Jr. will now permanently replace C.J. Reavis at strongside linebacker.

Offensively, the Riders return their entire offensive line from last season, franchise quarterback Trevor Harris, and bruising running back A.J. Ouellette. Also back are impact receivers KeeSean Johnson, Samuel Emilus, and Kian Schaffer-Baker. Third-year Canadian Dhel Duncan-Busby steps into the starting lineup following the departure of Tommy Nield and the sudden release of Ajou Ajou, while rookie American Jaylen Johnson will slot into the spot once occupied by Dohnte Meyers. The 26-year-old had just 806 yards and six touchdowns in two years at East Carolina, but spent parts of two seasons in the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Riders will also debut an entirely new group of specialists. Australians Alex Hale and Oscar Chapman will handle the kicking and punting duties, respectively, while veteran Aaron Crawford arrives as the long snapper. James Letcher Jr. will assume primary return duties after signing with the team in free agency.

Brayden Schager, who lost the backup quarterback battle to Jack Coan in training camp, will begin the year on the reserve roster as a healthy scratch, where he’ll be joined by defensive lineman Kendy Charles. Three Canadians will start the season on the one-game injured list: linebacker Nick Wiebe (head), offensive lineman Daniel Johnson (shoulder), and defensive lineman Benoit Marion (shoulder).

The initial six-game injured list will also include four Canadians: receiver Dylan Djete (thigh), offensive lineman Darius Bell (ankle), defensive lineman Lake Korte-Moore (knee), and linebacker Ryder Varga (knee).

The Saskatchewan Roughriders (0-0) will host the B.C. Lions (0-0) at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday, June 13, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. Both teams were on a bye in Week 1. They last faced each other in the 2025 Western Final, where Saskatchewan prevailed 24-21. The Riders went on to win the 112th Grey Cup.

The weather forecast in Regina calls for a high of 18 degrees with a mix of sun and clouds. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 620 CKRM in Regina, 730 CKNW in Vancouver, and Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600 for Punjabi coverage in B.C.