There will be young, local talent for camp goers to check out, starting Wednesday when the Saskatchewan Roughriders open their rookie camp at Griffiths Stadium.

The Green and White added three local Junior players, plus Saskatoon native Jake Farrell of the Saskatchewan Huskies to the rookie camp roster as part of the C-F-L quarterback internship program. One of the junior hopefuls is Saskatoon Hilltops running back Corbin Ebben, a Vanscoy product. The other two are Regina Thunder running back Peter Boersch and receiver Benjamin Walz. In addition, the Riders signed five players from their 2026 C-F-L Draft class – receiver Dylan Djete, offensive lineman Darius Bell, linebacker Osasere Odemwingie, offensive lineman Jez Janvier and receiver Shemar McBean. They were the second, third, fourth, fifth and seventh round choices, respectively. As well, the Roughriders added four more hopefuls in Canadian defensive backs Billy Jonas Pernier and Carson Sombach plus American long snapper Reed Hughes and American defensive lineman Nathan Pickering. Rookie camp runs Wednesday through Friday here in Saskatoon, with main camp opening Sunday. As well, Saskatchewan signed Canadian defensive back Billy Jonas Pernier, American defensive lineman Nathan Pickering, Canadian defensive back Carson Sombach and American long snapper Reed Hughes. Following are news releases from the Riders…..

DATE:                      May 4, 2026

RELEASE TIME:     IMMEDIATELY

ROUGHRIDERS ADD THREE PFC JUNIOR STARS, U OF S QB TO CAMP ROSTER

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have added four Saskatchewan products to the training camp roster.

TERRITORIAL JUNIORS:

• National running back Peter Boersch (Regina Thunder)
• National running back Corbin Ebben (Saskatoon Hilltops)
• National receiver Benjamin Walz (Regina Thunder)

CFL QB INTERNSHIP PROGRAM:

• National quarterback Jake Farrell (Saskatchewan)

Boersch (5’11-205) is coming off a spectacular 2025 season, having rushed for a conference-leading 1,436 yards in eight regular-season and two playoff games. He averaged 7.3 yards per carry and scored five touchdowns. The Regina-born Boersch played high school football for the O’Neill Titans.

Ebben (6’1-205) rushed for 380 yards and five TDs in eight games last season, following up on a 2024 campaign in which he rushed for 1,188 yards in eight games, averaging 6.0 yards per carry and scoring eight TDs. He was a PFC All-Star in 2024. Ebben, from Vanscoy, joined the Hilltops after playing nine-a-side high school football for the Delisle Rebels.

Walz (6’4-220) caught 27 passes for 303 yards and one TD in eight games last year. He had eight catches for 83 yards against the visiting Hilltops on Sept. 6. Walz, who was born in Major, played six-a-side high school football for the Kerrobert Rebels. Like Boersch, Walz was a PFC All-Star in 2025.

Farrell (5’11-185) took the reigns of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies offence in Week 6 of the 2025 regular season. He threw for 647 yards and eight touchdowns while leading the Huskies to a 3-0 record. The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native steered his team through the postseason, going all the way to the Vanier Cup, including an impressive 356-yard, two touchdown comeback effort at the Hardy Cup. All told, Farrell has dressed for 22 games throwing for 1,686 yards and 16 touchdowns over two seasons (2024-25).

Rookie camp runs from Wednesday to Friday at Griffiths Stadium in Saskatoon. Main camp begins on Sunday.

DATE:                      May 4, 2026

RELEASE TIME:     IMMEDIATELY

RIDERS SIGN FIVE FROM 2026 CFL DRAFT CLASS

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed five players from the 2026 CFL Draft:

• Dylan Djete (Wide Receiver – Alabama State) – 2nd round, 18th overall
• Darius Bell (Offensive Lineman – East Carolina) – 3rd round, 29th overall
• Osasere Odemwingie (Linebacker – University of Calgary) – 4th round, 38th overall
• Jez Janvier (Offensive Lineman – Southern Mississippi) – 5th round, 47th overall
• Shemar McBean (Wide Receiver – University of British Columbia) – 7th round, 65th overall

Djete (6’0-185) spent his senior season (2025) at Alabama State, making 28 catches for 422 yards and four touchdowns over 12 games. He spent the previous three years (2022–2024) at Wofford College, where he caught 56 passes for 772 yards and four touchdowns across 31 games. Djete, who completed the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds at the 2026 CFL Combine, is from Lévis, Quebec.

Bell (6’5-300) played the last two seasons (2024–25) at East Carolina University, suiting up for 21 games and making 19 starts as a Pirate. The versatile lineman made six starts at left guard as a junior before transitioning to centre in his senior year, allowing just three sacks over that time. In 2025, he helped the Pirates’ offence average 449.0 yards of total offence per game (13th nationally), including 176.3 rushing yards per game. He is a two-time Go Bowling Military Bowl champion.

Prior to ECU, he spent three collegiate seasons (2021–23) at Maine, appearing in 18 games and making 16 starts across the line, including five at right guard as a redshirt freshman and nine at left tackle as a sophomore.

Odemwingie (6’0-220) spent his collegiate career at the University of Calgary (2022–2025). He suited up for 31 games at linebacker with the Dinos, registering 253 defensive tackles (171 solo), 15 tackles for loss, and three sacks. In his final Canada West season, he recorded 62 defensive tackles (38 solo), four tackles for loss, and one sack, following a stellar 2024 season in which he made 82 tackles (56 solo), four tackles for loss, and one sack. Odemwingie also competed in the 2025 East-West Bowl, where he had two solo tackles and a pass breakup.

Janvier (6’5-314) played his senior collegiate season at Southern Mississippi, appearing in six games, after spending four years at Eastern Michigan. He dressed for 26 games at Eastern Michigan, playing on both the offensive and defensive lines during that period. After switching to the offensive line in 2024, he appeared in nine games (starting five) without surrendering a sack. The Montreal-born Janvier dressed for 11 games as an offensive lineman in 2022 before suiting up for seven contests on defence the following year.

McBean (5’10-195) played four collegiate seasons at UBC (2022–2025), appearing in 41 games. Over that time, he caught 158 passes for 2,477 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. In his senior season (2025), McBean appeared in nine games, recording 49 receptions for 792 yards and four touchdowns. He competed in the 2025 East-West Bowl, where he had three catches for 142 yards and one touchdown. The Calgary, Alberta native was named a Canada West All-Conference receiver in 2025 and earned All-Conference honours as both a receiver and returner in 2023.

DATE:                      May 4, 2026

RELEASE TIME:     IMMEDIATELY

RIDERS ADD FOUR AHEAD OF START OF ROOKIE CAMP

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have made the following roster moves:

SIGNED:

·         American long snapper Reed Hughes

·         National defensive back Billy Jonas Pernier

·         American defensive lineman Nathan Pickering

·         National defensive back Carson Sombach

Hughes (6’2-228) spent the last six seasons (2020-25) at Auburn, suiting up for 37 games as a Tiger. The Arkansas native became the Tigers’ full time long snapper in 2023 after joining the program as a walk-on and spending his early seasons as the backup. He went on to play 36 games at snapper and made five special teams tackles. As part of the field goal unit, Hughes assisted kicker Alex McPherson in going 20-for-23 on field goals (87%) and 35-for-35 on PAT in 2025.

Pernier (5’11-203) signs with the Roughriders as the reigning RSEQ Special Teams Player of the Year, after a stellar season as Laval’s return specialist. Over eight games in 2025, he returned eight kicks 152 yards for an average of 22 yards per return. He also returned 14 punts for 135 yards and four missed field goals for 102 yards. On defence, he tallied 24 defensive tackles, one tackle for loss and two pass deflections.

The Cameroon native has spent four collegiate seasons at Laval (2022-2025), suiting up for 30 games for the Rouge et Or. He’s registered a total of 65 defensive tackles, 24 special team tackles, one tackle for loss and four pass deflections. As a returner, he’s recorded 28 kickoffs for 629 yards (22.5 yards per return average) and one touchdown, 14 punts for 135 yards (9.6 yards per return) and five missed field goals for 131 yards. He attended the 2026 CFL Invitational Combine, where he ran a 4.58 second 40-yard dash, ranking him in the top three amongst defensive backs, and in the top eight among all participants.

Pickering (6’4-305) signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in May of 2024, spending training camp with the team. He spent five collegiate seasons at Mississippi State (2019-2023), appearing in 51 games and starting 30. Over that time, he recorded 124 total tackles (49 solo), including 30 tackles for a loss, 13 sacks and one pass breakup. He appeared in 12 games (starting eight) as a senior, recording 44 tackles (including eight in one game), two sacks, 10 quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery. He participated in the East-West Shrine Bowl following the 2023 season.

Sombach (5’11-195) joins the Roughriders after a strong 2025 season with the Regina Rams that saw him named a U SPORTS Second-Team All-Canadian and a Canada West All-Star. The Regina native started at safety for his hometown team for all eight regular season games and both playoff games, earning 53 tackles, including one tackle for loss, nine pass deflections, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick. He also earned two interceptions including a game-sealing 109-yard pick six in Week 2 – the longest interception return in University of Regina history and tied for the second longest in Canada West History. He attended the East-West Bowl in May of 2025 and participated in the 2026 CFL Combine where he placed sixth in the shuttle (4.19 seconds) and sixth in the 3-Cone drill (seven seconds).

In total, Sombach has played 36 games as a Ram over seven seasons (redshirting in 2019 and 2022), tallying 152 total tackles, including two tackles for loss, four interceptions (including two for touchdowns), 11 pass deflections, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick.