The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed American running back Ryquell Armstead following his release from the Ottawa Redblacks.
The five-foot-11, 220-pound ball carrier started the 2024 CFL season with Ottawa and rushed 125 times for 623 yards with three touchdowns plus 35 receptions for 284 yards in 11 games.
The New Jersey native was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round, 140th overall during the 2019 NFL Draft. He played 18 games for the Jags, contributing 348 total yards and two touchdowns and also spent time on the New York Giants, New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers practice rosters.
In the NCAA, Armstead played four seasons at Temple University (2015-2018), where he recorded 3,025 total yards and 34 touchdowns over 47 games. He left Temple ranked third in program history for career rushing touchdowns (34) and fourth in career rushing yards (2,812). Armstead was named to the Doak Walker Award watch wist twice (2017, 2018) and the Phil Steele ACC All-American Athletic Conference third team in 2016.
In his senior season in 2018, Armstead had a career-high game against the University of Houston, where he recorded an impressive 210 yards and six touchdowns. For his outstanding performance, Armstead was named the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week, Maxwell Player of the Week, ACC Offensive Player of the Week, CFPA National Performer of the Week and Pro Football Focus National Team of the Week.
The Riders have also signed American linebacker Braxton Hill. The six-foot-two, 225-pound LB spent four NCAA seasons at the University of Montana (2019-2023) after joining the team as a walk-on and went on to become team captain. He played in 51 games as a Grizzly, registering 231 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, nine sacks, eight pass deflections, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions, including one he returned 34 yards for a touchdown.
In his senior season, Hill led the Big Sky and was fifth in the FCS in total tackles with 128. He helped lead a defence that allowed just 108.5 yards rushing per game, the lowest in the Big Sky Conference and the third lowest in the FCS. Montana also had the FCS's third best third down defence in 2023, allowing teams to convert only 29 percent of the time.
For his efforts, Hill was named an All-American and a Buck Buchanan Award finalist that season as well earning an All-Big-Sky Conference selection. He also received several team accolades including the defensive MVP and the Tony Barbour Award which is given to the player that best exemplifies outstanding practice habits and makes an unselfish contribution to the betterment of the football team.
The Roughriders are back on the field Friday night when Saskatchewan heads to Calgary to take on the Stampeders. Countdown to Kick-off begins with Justin Dunk and Wes Cates at 4:30 p.m. Luc Mullinder, and I will join in at 6:30 p.m. with the kick-off to follow at 7:30 p.m. on the Co-operators Roughrider Radio Network.
