Ottawa Redblacks sign Jalen Jones, one other

Photo: William & Mary Athletics

The Ottawa Redblacks have signed American defensive back Jalen Jones, the team announced on Wednesday.

The six-foot, 195-pound defender played collegiately at the College of William & Mary. He played 47 games with the team, recording 128 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, eight interceptions, 51 pass knockdowns, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.

The 23-year-old native of Chesapeake, Va. had an exceptional senior season in 2025, as he was named a finalist for FCS Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-Conference selection.

The Redblacks also confirmed the signing of American defensive back Dionté Ruffin, which 3DownNation reported on Tuesday.

The native of Kenner, La. played eight regular-season games with the Montreal Alouettes last season, making five starts and recording 11 defensive tackles.

The 27-year-old first joined the Alouettes in 2023 and made 29 starts over the next two seasons, recording 79 defensive tackles, one special teams tackle, five interceptions, one forced fumble, and one touchdown.

The five-foot-ten, 177-pound defender played for the Calgary Stampeders in 2022. He dressed for nine regular-season games and made 39 defensive tackles and one special teams tackle.

Ruffin was released by the Alouettes in January and signed with the B.C. Lions, though he was released near the conclusion of training camp.

The Ottawa Redblacks (0-5) will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3-2) on Sunday, July 19 with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Blue Bombers are coming off a 30-21 win over the Toronto Argonauts, while the Redblacks lost 40-17 against the Edmonton Elks.

The weather forecast in Ottawa calls for a high of 27 degrees and a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS2 in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 680 CJOB in Winnipeg or TSN 1200 in Ottawa.