Revamped running attack, O-line set to be decided at Riders’ camp

With the 2024 training camp set to get underway, a new era is starting for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

After a second straight 6-12 season – both ending in seven-game losing streaks – the CFL club and general manager Jeremy O’Day made a change to their coaching staff to try and turn things around.

Enter first-time head coach Corey Mace. Before joining the Riders he was a Grey Cup champion as a player with the Calgary Stampeders (2014), the defensive line coach in Calgary (2018) and the Toronto Argonauts’ defensive co-ordinator (2022).

With training camp approaching, the offence will be under a microscope.

Marc Mueller, a standout quarterback at the University of Regina and the grandson of former Riders’ Grey Cup-winning pivot Ron Lancaster, has also joined the team as its new offensive co-ordinator.

In order to keep starting quarterback Trevor Harris healthy this season, the team as bolstered its rushing attack with the signing of 1,000-yard rusher AJ Ouellette and beefed up the offensive line by signing Jermarcus Hardrick, the west division’s reigning most-outstanding offensive lineman.

Main camp begins May 12.

Quarterbacks

On the roster (in alphabetical order): Jack Coan, Mason Fine, Trevor Harris, Shea Patterson, Antonio Pipkin.

Harris is back and healthy as he gets ready to lead the Riders’ offence for a second season.

The 37-year-old suffered a season-ending knee injury in just his fifth game in green and white last season.

During his limited time in action, Harris threw for 1,274 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions.

The backup spot will be one a lot of people will keep a close eye on. Fine signed a two-year extension after he also dealt with an injury last season that affected his playing time.

Patterson is back for his second season with Saskatchewan. Last year he dressed for 13 games, completing four of six passes for 32 yards. He was used as the team’s short-yardage quarterback to start the season, recording two touchdowns on the ground.

But with the short-yardage team struggling, Pipkin was signed to take over the duties in November. He ended the year in that role for the Riders, recording five touchdowns on the ground.

Coan, a former Notre Dame Fighting Irish pivot, signed with the Riders during the offseason – his first CFL contract.

Running backs and fullbacks

On the roster (in alphabetical order): Thomas Bertrand-Hudon, Kennedy Brooks, Jerrion Ealy, Frankie Hickson, Bruno LaBelle, AJ Ouellette, Clint Ratkovich, Morgen Runge

One of the biggest free-agent signings the Riders made was the addition of Ouellette to the running back room. The 28-year-old had been with Toronto since 2019, but decided to join Mace in Saskatchewan. Ouellette had 1,009 yards and eight touchdowns last season, and is expected to be the starter after Jamal Morrow wasn’t signed to an extension.

Hickson is back for a third season with Saskatchewan. He had 690 yards in 23 career games.

Canadian Bertrand-Hudon wasn’t used a lot in his rookie season but the Mont Saint-Hilaire, Que. product had 96 yards and two touchdowns on just 13 carries for an average of 7.38 yards per attempt.

Wide receivers

On the roster (in alphabetical order): Ajou Ajou, Geronimo Allison, Shawn Bane Jr., O’Joshua Bunton, Dhel Duncan-Busby, Sam Emilus, Brayden Johnson, KeeSean Johnson, Brayden Lenius, Kalija Lipscomb, Dohnte Meyers, D’Sean Mimbs, Dazz Newsome, Jake Parker, Mitch Picton, Kian Schaffer-Baker, Jerreth Sterns, Kendall Watson

The wide receiver group in Saskatchewan will have a lot of competition when camp opens.

The three seemingly entrenched starters are Bane Jr., Emilus and Schaffer-Baker, all back after productive 2023 seasons.

Both Bane Jr and Emilus had more than 1,000 yards receiving last season. Bane Jr. added four touchdowns to his 1,104 yards and league-leading 93 catches. Emilus enjoyed a breakout second season in green and white, with the Montreal product recording 1,097 yards and hauling in six touchdowns.

Schaffer-Baker missed half of last season after undergoing hip surgery that offseason. In nine games he had 430 yards and three touchdowns. The Mississauga, Ont. product is expected to be a big contributor to the team as he returns for a full season.

The Riders could elect to start three Canadians at the pass-catching spots, with Brayden Lenius back for another season. Lenius, who returned to the Riders in 2022 after being invited to the Atlanta Falcons’ camp, dealt with some bad luck around injuries last season. He suffered a lacerated kidney in his second preseason game, which kept him out until Week 8, when he suffered a season-ending foot injury. Lenius agreed to a contract extension in November.

He was added to the veteran injury list ahead of camp.

Mace said he expects to see Lenius participate at camp at some point.

Picton is also back for another season as one of the Riders’ most useful weapons. Picton can play any positional spot, with the Regina product often being called upon whenever there is an injury to a player.

Sterns finished the season as a starter in the Riders’ offence, hauling in 44 catches for 449 yards and a touchdown.

The competition this season could come from multiple avenues, with the Riders selecting three receivers – Duncan-Busby (third round, 23rd overall), Mimbs (sixth round, 50th overall), and Ajou (seventh round, 59th overall) – in this year’s CFL draft, as well as players who have been given looks by NFL teams.

Offensive line

On the roster (in alphabetical order): Ryan Berta, Philip Blake, Jacob Brammer, D’Mitri Emmanuel, Logan Ferland, Evan Floren, Zack Fry, Peter Godber, Jermarcus Hardrick, Jonathan Hubbard, Sadarius Hutcherson, Trevor Reid, Ryan Sceviour, Jordan Tucker, Noah Zerr

The offensive line has been under fire from critics over the past few seasons, and the Riders have worked to address it for 2024.

Starters Godber (centre), Blake (left guard), and Ferland (right guard) are back for another season.

Logan Bandy, who had been with the Riders for three seasons, decided to retire from football at 24 years old.

One of the team’s marquee free agent signings was that of Hardrick, who has spent the past eight seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, winning two Grey Cups and appearing in two others.

The Batesville, Miss. product was named the CFL west division’s most-outstanding lineman last season, and is expected to be the team’s starter at right tackle.

O’Day also brought in Sceviour, who started all 18 games at right guard for the Stampeders last season. The Calgary product was a west division all-star in 2022 with the Stamps.

The left tackle spot is an open competition, with the team bringing in many American offensive lineman to compete. The list includes Jordan Tucker, who suffered an injury in camp last season. The team released him, but brought him back in August.