Riders Made Thee High-Profile Pick in Tuesday Night’s C-F-L Canadian College Draft

The most talked about selection in Tuesday night’s C-F-L Canadian College Draft came in the third round when the Saskatchewan Roughriders chose Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke at 25th overall.

Green and White Vice-President of Football Operations and G-M Jeremy O’Day explained why they picked the younger brother of B-C signal-caller Nathan Rourke…..

Rourke was chosen by San Francisco in the seventh round during last week’s N-F-L Draft. He became the first quarterback from Canada to be picked in the N-F-L Draft since Jesse Palmer in 2001. Niners G-M John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan love Rourke’s upside in the N-F-L. In other words, you won’t be seeing Kurtis Rourke at Riders’ rookie camp when it starts next Wednesday here in Saskatoon.

In addition, Saskatchewan received another rookie camp commitment this morning from free agent American offensive lineman Julius Buelow. Following are the news releases from the Roughriders from their Tuesday night draft picks and the Wednesday player signing…..

DATE: April 29, 2025

RELEASE TIME: IMMEDIATELY

RELEASE: SR25-051

RIDER SELECT DL ALI SAAD FOURTH OVERALL IN THE 2025 CFL DRAFT

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have selected defensive lineman Ali Saad from Bowling Green with the fourth overall selection of the 2025 CFL Draft.

Saad (6’3-280) played four seasons (2021-24) at Bowling Green, suiting up for 44 games for the Falcons. The Windsor, Ontario born lineman had a strong 2024 season, starting in all 13 games as a senior and setting collegiate career highs in tackles (40), tackles for loss (9) and sacks (5), while also posting 16 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and blocking one kick. Saad totaled 78 defensive tackles, 14 tackles for a loss of 72 yards, six sacks, four forced fumbles and one blocked kick over his time at Bowling Green. He also earned 2024 Academic All-MAC.

Prior to Bowling Green, Saad spent his redshirt freshman season at the University of Minnesota.

DATE: April 29, 2025

RELEASE TIME:       IMMEDIATELY

RELEASE:                SR25-051

RIDERS SELECT SEVEN IN 2025 CFL DRAFT INCLUDING DL SAAD AND QB ROURKE

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have selected seven talented football players in the 2025 CFL Draft:

Ali Saad (Defensive Lineman – Bowling Green) – 1^st round, 4^th overall
Erik Andersen (Offensive Lineman – Western) – 2^nd round, 13^th overall
Kurtis Rourke Quarterback – Indiana) – 3^rd round, 25^th overall
Seth Hundeby (Linebacker – University of Saskatchewan) – 4^th round, 34^th overall
Liam Hoskins (Defensive Lineman – Windsor) – 5^th round, 43^rd overall
Gideon Agyei (Defensive Back – University of Calgary) – 6^th round, 52^nd overall
Daniel Wiebe (Receiver – University of Saskatchewan) – 8^th round, 69^th overall

Prior to Bowling Green, Saad spent his redshirt freshman season at the University of Minnesota.

Andersen (6’6-314) spent five collegiate seasons (2020-24) at Western University where he played and started 40 games at left tackle establishing himself as a dominant offensive lineman. Andersen showed an impressive ability to protect the quarterback allowing just two sacks over the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The former Mustang is a two-time First-Team All-Canadian and was the OUA’s nominee for the J. P. Metras Trophy, which is given annually to the top lineman in U Sports football. Andersen has accepted an invitation to attend New York Giants’ minicamp.

Rourke (6’5-223) spent the 2024 season at Indiana University, finishing ninth in Heisman Trophy voting. He set a school single-season record for touchdown passes (29, including six in one game) while throwing for 3,042 yards in 12 games. His lengthy list of accolades also included Second-Team All-Big Ten Conference recognition and a spot on the Mid-American Conference’s Second Team Offence. He accomplished all that while playing with a torn ACL.

Before transferring to Indiana, Rourke attended Ohio University from 2019 to 2023, appearing in 36 games and starting in 33. He compiled 11,486 career yards of total offence and accounted for 92 touchdowns (79 passing and 13 rushing). Starting 11 games in 2023, he threw for 2,207 yards and 25 touchdowns, becoming the second-leading passer in Ohio history.

He had a breakout year in 2022, throwing for 3,256 yards and 25 touchdowns. He tied the program record for passing touchdowns in a game (five). Other peak single-game totals included 537 passing yards and 41 completions. The list of honours included Second-Team Academic All-American, MAC Offensive Player of the Year and the Vern Smith Leadership Award.

Hundeby (6’3-245) spent five collegiate seasons (2020-24) at the University of Saskatchewan, playing in 42 games as a Husky. Hundeby was named an All-Canadian and a Canada West All-Star in his senior season after appearing in all 11 games. He earned 92 total tackles, including three tackles for loss, three sacks, 13 quarterback hurries, one pass deflection and one forced fumble. He had his best game of the season at the Hardy Cup where he registered six tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack. A native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Hundeby ranks seventh in total tackles and eighth in tackles for loss in Huskies program history. His strong final season also earned him an invitation to the 2024 East-West Bowl.

Over his career, Hundeby totaled 231 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, five pass deflections, and two forced fumbles.

Hoskins (6’2-240) appeared in 34 games over four seasons (2021–24) at the University of Windsor. The London, Ontario native recorded 104 total tackles, including 14 tackles for loss, eight sacks, three interceptions, six pass deflections, and one fumble recovery. In his senior season, Hoskins showcased his ability to disrupt the backfield, registering 30 quarterback pressures. His strong play earned him invitations to both the 2024 East-West Bowl and the CFL Combine.

Agyei (6’2-199) suited up in 21 games for the University of Calgary Dinos over four collegiate seasons. He recorded 59 total tackles, two interceptions—including one returned for a touchdown—and 11 pass deflections. At the 2025 CFL Invitational Combine, Agyei clocked a 4.59-second 40-yard dash, ranking fourth overall and second among defensive backs. His 16 bench press reps led all DBs, and his 4.27-second shuttle tied for second.

Wiebe (5’9-185) is coming off his fourth season (2021–24) with the Saskatchewan Huskies, capping it with career highs across multiple categories. The Saskatoon native hauled in 67 receptions for 913 yards, averaging an impressive 13.6 yards per catch with just a three percent drop rate. He added nine touchdowns and 507 yards after the catch. Following the season, Wiebe was named a unanimous Canada West All-Star and earned his first career nod as a First Team All-Canadian. His standout year also secured him invitations to the 2024 East-West Bowl and the 2025 CFL Combine, where he recorded a speedy 4.52-second 40-yard dash.

Over his four seasons with the Huskies, Wiebe totaled 143 receptions for 1,928 yards and 15 touchdowns, maintaining a career average of 13.5 yards per catch.

DATE: April 30, 2025

RELEASE TIME:       IMMEDIATELY

RELEASE:                SR25-052

RIDERS ADD VERSATILE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN JULIUS BUELOW

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed American offensive lineman Julius Buelow.

Buelow (6’8-315) spent his senior season at Ole Miss, appearing in 13 games and starting nine—six at right guard, two at right tackle, and one at left guard. He helped power a high-octane offense that averaged 526.6 total yards per game, including 175.8 rushing yards, and 38.6 points.

Before transferring to Ole Miss, the Kapolei, Hawaii native spent five seasons (2019–23) at Washington, where he appeared in 31 games, primarily at right and left guard. He started nine games in 2023, contributing to Washington’s 14-1 season and playing a key role on the Huskies’ offensive line that won the 2023 Joe Moore Award, presented annually to the top offensive line unit in college football.