B.C. Lions add promising Oregon State quarterback to negotiation list

Photo courtesy: Reef Diego/Oregon State Athletics

The B.C. Lions have added American quarterback Braden Atkinson to their exclusive negotiation list.

Atkinson is in his second year of collegiate eligibility at Oregon State. He has been one of the breakout stars of this season, starting all seven games for the Beavers and completing 189-of-273 passes (69.2 percent) for 2,604 yards, 24 touchdowns, and just two interceptions. The six-foot-one, 210-pound pivot has also rushed for two touchdowns and caught another, posting a 5-2 record.

The native of Raleigh, N.C., transferred up to the FBS this year after excelling as a true freshman at Mercer University in 2025. He was named second-team All-SoCon and won the Jerry Rice Award as the top freshman in the FCS after completing 268-of-407 passes (65.8 percent) for 3,611 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.

Notable former Jerry Rice Award winners include Cooper Kupp, Trey Lance, Cam Ward, and Shedeur Sanders.

Atkinson has three years of college eligibility remaining after the NCAA’s recent rule changes, which means he will be eligible for the 2030 NFL Draft. However, he could declare early beginning in 2028.

CFL teams can claim the rights to up to 45 players via the negotiation list on a first-come, first-served basis, provided that they are not eligible for the Canadian or Global Drafts, and do not have CFL veteran status. These players can be added, traded, or removed from the list at any time.

Being added to a negotiation list does not mean that the player has expressed interest in the CFL, and some are unaware that their rights have even been claimed. Players can only force their removal from the list if the team does not provide them with a minimum contract offer at their request.

The B.C. Lions (10-7) will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (8-9) at BC Place Stadium on Friday, October 23, with kickoff scheduled for 10:00 p.m. ET. Winnipeg is coming off a loss to the Edmonton Elks that cost them a chance to clinch a playoff spot, while the Lions lost to the Calgary Stampeders after resting some of their starters in the second half.

The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 680 CJOB in Winnipeg and 730 CKNW (English) or Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600 (Punjabi) in Vancouver.