Explainer: Riders set for pre-season games; what you need to know
"I don’t think you can ask more of a group. It’s hard to say I’ve ever felt better about a group, going into a season, ahead of this year."
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Explainer: Riders set for pre-season games; what you need to know Back to video
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have packed their bags and the Saskatoon segment of their 2025 training camp is now over.
* What’s next for the Roughriders?
The Riders will head to Winnipeg for their first pre-season game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Game-time is 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon. You can listen to the game on the Rider radio network, including 96.3 Cruz FM in Saskatoon, or watch live streaming of the game on CFL+ on CFL.ca.
Following Saturday’s game, the Riders will move on to Regina to finish up the remainder of training camp. They’ll play their second pre-season game against the Bombers on Friday, May 30 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina. Game-time is 7 p.m.
CFL teams will need to reduce their roster before June 1.
* Who’s not playing in Saturday’s game?
Among those not suiting up against the Bombers Saturday are veteran returnees C.J. Reavis (DB), Michah Johnson (DL), Shawn Bane Jr. (WR), Nelson Lokombo (DB), Kosi Onyeka (DB), C.J. Avery (LB), Albert Awachie (FB), Nick Wiebe (LB) Jermarcus Hardrick (OL), Mitch Picton (WR) and Charbel Dabire (DL), as well as injured free agent signees Sean McEwen (OL) and Philippe Gagnon (OL), as well as fellow free-agent addition Shane Ray (DL).
CFL Draft pick/non-counter Seth Hundeby (LB), from the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, also won’t play.
* How much will starting QB Trevor Harris play in Winnipeg?
“We’ll see. Ideally, everybody who’s on the roster, we’d like to see in the game,” saysRiders head coach Corey Mace. “But, you know, Trev’s played a game or two in his life. I’m not going to say it’s going to be extensive but we definitely want to see what it looks like.”
As for the other positions?
“I think that the guys that are healthy, everybody’s going to get a little bit of a run,” says Mace. “Everybody’s going to be treated maybe a little bit differently, but the goal is to get these guys some game reps. We think that’s valuable. We anticipate in seeing everybody that’s healthy will get some of reps out there.”
* What does coach Mace and the coaching staff want to see in the first pre-season game?
‘Execution, that’s the main thing, making sure they’re in the right spots and then, obviously, effort,” says Mace. “We preach that. A lot of guys coming in, not necessarily rookies but guys coming in from different teams, just meeting the expectations of what we’re looking for. That’s the main thing: Execution, communication and effort.”
* What rookies are still in camp?
Newcomers still hoping to stick with the Riders include defensive backs Eddie Heckard and Phalen Sanford, running backs Trent Pennix and Mario Anderson, fullback Morgan Runge, offensive linemen Yosef Carter, Payton Collins and Jahmir Ross-Johnson, linebackers Braxton Hill, Liam Hoskins and Hundeby, receivers Gideon Agyei, Brayden Misseri,Abdul Janneh Jr., D’Sean Mimbs, Drae McCray and Daniel Wiebe, plus defensive linemen Aaron Patrick, Ali Saad, Kendy Charles, Alex Gubner and Saskatoon Hilltops junior Johnathon Stevens.
* What are the players saying about this year’s team?
“I really do love this group,” says quarterback Harris. “J.O. (Jeremy O’Day), Corey (Mace), Kyle (Carson), Larry Dean — they’ve done a tremendous job of bringing in great character guys on top of great football players. I don’t think you can ask more of a group. It’s hard to say I’ve ever felt better about a group, going into a season, ahead of this year. I think it’s continuity. There’s continuity of being able to see if we’re able to get more of this, but there’s also continuity of this group hasn’t reached its season yet and I think that’s where we’re at … You can kind of feel that.”
* What are players saying about coach Mace?
“Big fan,” says the longest-serving Rider player, long snapper Jorgen Hus. “I like the way he runs things. Accountability is big. I’m just looking forward to how this season plays out. We’ve just got so much depth at every position. It’s going to be fun to be a part of, for sure … I’m a huge fan of the way we’re running things here. It just feels like a professional team and organization. This is pro football at its best and it’s fun to be a part of.”
* What rule changes are in effect for the 2025 season?
The CFL has adopted six minor rule changes ahead of the 2025 season, primarily focused on player safety.
The most significant change will add protections for defenceless receivers. A 15-yard penalty, along with an automatic first down, will now be called when a hit is delivered at, or below, the knees of a player who is in the act of catching a pass while in a vulnerable position. However, this protection does not exist if the receiver leaves his feet and jumps while catching the pass.
The CFL has also expanded the criteria for Grade 2 “roughing the passer,” which is accompanied by a 25-yard penalty. Blows delivered with the crown of the helmet to the head or neck of the passer and hits delivered to the knee, or below, of the passer will now qualify for the increased penalty so long as the defender has a clear view of contact and there are no mitigating circumstances. The penalty can also be called if a hit is egregiously late.
Any low blocks on kicking plays will now qualify for automatic ejection. Any punching action to the head or neck area will now result in disqualification regardless of whether it is delivered with an open or closed fist, clearing up a grey area in the previous rulebook.
Additionally, major penalties will no longer be restricted to half the distance when near the goal-line. Instead, the ball will now be moved as close to the total distance of the infraction as possible to a maximum of the one-yard line. For example, while a 25-yard roughing-the-passer penalty suffered at the defending team’s 20-yard line would have previously resulted in the ball being placed at the 10, the offence will now be allowed to scrimmage from the one-yard line.
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