Ottawa Redblacks cut former starter Shadwel Nkuba II

Photo: Gord Weber/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

The Ottawa Redblacks have released American defensive back Shadwel Nkuba II, the team announced on Tuesday.

The 24-year-old played five regular-season games this year, recording 16 total tackles, three pass knockdowns, and one fumble recovery.

The six-foot, 179-pound defender made four recent starts, including three at boundary cornerback and one at field-side cornerback. He was demoted to the practice roster ahead of last week’s game against the Toronto Argonauts.

The native of Dallas, Texas finished his collegiate career at Illinois State in 2025, where he made 79 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions, eight pass knockdowns, one sack, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.

The Ottawa Redblacks (0-12) will visit the Calgary Stampeders (5-8) at McMahon Stadium on Saturday, September 19 with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. Last week, the Redblacks suffered a narrow loss to the Toronto Argonauts, while the Stampeders got blown out by the Edmonton Elks.

The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on TSN 1200 in Ottawa or 770 CHQR in Calgary.