Ottawa Redblacks make six roster changes for season finale in Hamilton

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

The Ottawa Redblacks have made a half-dozen changes to their roster for Saturday’s game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The team released its official depth chart on Friday morning.

Justin Hardy has returned from a leg injury that kept him out of last week’s win over the Toronto Argonauts. The 34-year-old has made 89 receptions for 1,123 yards and six touchdowns this season, notching his fourth-straight 1,000-yard campaign.

In a corresponding move, newcomer Grant DuBose has been placed on the reserve roster. The former Green Bay Packer made three catches for 35 yards in his CFL debut last week when he started in Hardy’s place at slotback.

Ricky Person Jr. will make his first career CFL start at running back. He joined the team’s practice roster as a free agent in September.

The six-foot, 200-pound ball-carrier played 21 regular-season games over three seasons with the Birmingham Stallions, rushing for 690 yards and 12 touchdowns, and catching 20 passes for 157 yards. The native of Wake Forest, N.C. played collegiately at North Carolina State University, where he rushed for 1,979 yards, caught 57 passes for 482 yards, and scored 18 touchdowns.

Daniel Adeboboye, who started Ottawa’s last five games at running back, has been placed on the one-game injured list (head). He has finished the season with 68 carries for 358 yards, 25 receptions for 190 yards, and five touchdowns.

Travian Blaylock and Devyn Perkins have been added to the active roster and will start at field-side halfback and field-side cornerback, respectively. Blaylock spent last week on the one-game injured list, while Perkins was on the practice roster. Last week’s starters Dionté Ruffin (one-game injured list) and Ahmari Harvey (practice roster) have come off the active roster.

The Redblacks will also dress Canadian defensive lineman Philippe Lemieux-Cardinal and Canadian defensive back Scott Hutter, while Canadian receiver Ethan Jordan (one-game injured list) and American defensive lineman CJ Nunnally IV (practice roster) have come off the roster.

Defensive lineman Jelani Stafford, who has recorded 26 total tackles, two sacks, and two pass knockdowns over 14 regular-season games this year, is a game-time decision. He was limited in practice on Thursday due to a knee injury.

Ottawa will start Bryson Barnes under centre for the second-straight game. The 25-year-old completed 27-of-37 pass attempts for 339 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions in his debut last week, leading the club to its first regular-season win in over 400 days. He earned 3DownNation’s Offensive Player of the Week award.

The Ottawa Redblacks (1-16) will visit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (5-12) at Hamilton Stadium on Saturday, October 24 with kickoff scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET. The Redblacks are coming off a dramatic win over the Toronto Argonauts that ended their 22-game losing skid, while the Tiger-Cats were on bye this past week.

The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on TSN 1200 in Ottawa and the Ticats Audio Network in Hamilton.

Eligible sports bettors in Ontario and Alberta can find relevant information for wagering on the games by clicking on their respective jurisdiction. Please bet responsibly.