Ottawa Redblacks make nine roster changes against B.C. Lions

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The Ottawa Redblacks have made nine changes to their roster ahead of Sunday’s game against the B.C. Lions. The team released its official depth chart on Saturday.

Two changes to the starting lineup have come along the offensive line, as Samuel Carson will start at right guard and Julian Pearl will start at right tackle.

Carson, the team’s second-round pick in the 2025 CFL Draft, will be making his second start of the season. The native of Calgary, Alta., also made four starts last year. Giordano Vaccaro, the first overall pick in the 2026 CFL Draft and the team’s previous starter at right guard, has been placed on the six-game injured list with a shoulder injury he sustained last week.

Pearl made two previous starts this year, though he spent the past two weeks on the one-game injured list. Zachary Barlev, who started in Pearl’s place, has remained on the active roster and is listed as the backup behind Carson.

Ottawa has also made three changes to the starting lineup along the defensive line, with Sione Teuhema, Norell Pollard, and Jessie Evans getting into the No. 1 unit.

Teuhema, a longtime member of the Lions, made his Redblacks debut last week and recorded five defensive tackles in a depth role.

Pollard joined Ottawa earlier this month after attending training camp with the Calgary Stampeders. The six-foot-one, 280-pound defender spent parts of the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the Washington Commanders, though he didn’t see any regular-season action. He played 59 collegiate games at Virginia Tech, where he tallied 119 tackles and 12 sacks.

Evans has dressed for three games in a depth role with the Redblacks, recording one defensive tackle. The six-foot-two, 251-pound defender played 25 collegiate games at Louisiana Tech, where he made 72 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and one pass knockdown.

A slew of defensive linemen have been taken off the roster, including Dennis Briggs Jr., Luiji Vilain, Daniel Okpoko, and Aidan John. Briggs Jr. (ribs) and Okpoko (arm/neck) have been placed on the six-game injured list, while Vilain (knee) has hit the one-game injured list, and John is on the reserve roster.

Nyles Morgan has returned from injury to start at middle linebacker. The 30-year-old has made 42 defensive tackles and one sack over six starts at middle linebacker this season.

Aaron Casey, who will dress in a depth role behind Morgan, has also been added to the active roster after spending two weeks on the one-game injured list. K.J. Cloyd, who started last week, has been moved to the practice roster.

Benny Sapp III will start at field-side halfback after recording eight defensive tackles in his Redblacks debut. King Ambers, who started there last week, has been moved to field-side cornerback.

Five other Canadian players have been moved to the active roster in depth roles, including fullback Emeric Boutin, receiver Ethan Jordan, defensive lineman Philippe Lemieux-Cardinal, linebacker Daniel Kwamou, and defensive back Scott Hutter.

Running back Mario Anderson Jr. and defensive back Christian Matthew have been moved to the practice roster, while Canadian linebacker A.J. Allen (hip) has been placed on the six-game injured list.

This will be the first of two meetings between the Redblacks and Lions this season. Ottawa has lost 16 consecutive games dating back to last season.

The Ottawa Redblacks (0-10) will host the B.C. Lions (4-5) at TD Place Stadium on Sunday, August 30, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Lions are coming off a 30-16 win over Saskatchewan, while the Redblacks were blown out by the Montreal Alouettes.

The weather forecast in Ottawa calls for 23 degrees with 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 730 CKNW (English) or Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600 (Punjabi) in Vancouver or TSN 1200 in Ottawa.

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