Connor Klassen was extremely green when he first joined the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
A junior-eligible training-camp invitee and practice-roster player in 2022, Klassen parlayed that experience into a banner graduating season with the Prairie Football Conference’s Regina Thunder.
Four years later, with much more on his résumé, he is back with the Roughriders. The CFL team announced his signing on Tuesday morning.
“(The 2022 season) was the start, really,” Klassen, who hails from Big River, reflected after his first practice as a second-time Roughrider.
“I came from a small town and played six-man football. I never had professional aspirations, but getting that chance to go to camp in 2022 opened the possibilities for me.
“Obviously, guys are bigger, stronger, faster, so I realized that once I caught up in that regard, it was definitely a possibility. That helped me with my university career and getting through the rocky start to my pro career.”
In 2022, Klassen repeated as a PFC all-star and was named the league’s top offensive lineman. He was also a Canadian Junior Football League All-Canadian.
After spending the next two seasons with the University of Regina Rams, Klassen was selected by the B.C. Lions in the fourth round (37th overall) of the 2025 CFL Canadian Draft.
The 6-foot-4, 310-pounder missed the entire 2025 season after sustaining an injury at the Lions’ training camp. The Roughriders reached out barely two weeks after he was released by B.C.
“It’s always surreal to get an opportunity in the CFL, but it’s even more so when it’s your hometown team and the team you grew up cheering for,” said Klassen, who has an education degree from the U of R.
“It’s very exciting, but also kind of humbling. A week ago, I didn’t know if I was going to get another opportunity. I was preparing to go back to university to finish my university career (with the Rams).
“Then I got the call. It puts a lot of things in perspective. I’m just glad that I’ve stuck with it and I’ve been patient with it throughout the process.”
Klassen is the 47th U of R Rams product to advance to the Roughriders and one of 36 Thunder alumni to have spent time with the Green and White.
As well, he is only the second Roughrider to hail from Big River — following Larry Bird, who was the team’s starting centre from 1971 to 1978. Bird entered the Plaza of Honour in 2002.
Klassen is the only graduate of Big River Senior High School to join the Roughriders.
“I remember watching a lot of playoff and Grey Cup games with my dad … some that didn’t go our way,” Jason Klassen’s 25-year-old son said with a chuckle.
“I definitely have fond memories of (following the Roughriders). They always say Saskatchewan’s a football province. Up north, it’s no different. You see flags, shirts … you name it.
“I’ve definitely got green in the blood.”
That background was a bonus when the Roughriders approached Klassen.
“He’s providing more depth at the O-line position — a Canadian boy, a local boy,” Head Coach Corey Mace said. “You can never have too many of those.
“We understood the player that he was when he came out (of university). He has some CFL experience as well. It made it really easy that he’s a local guy. I’m glad we could get him in here and get him into practice right away.
“It’s probably going to be a little overwhelming for him, trying to learn everything from scratch, but coaches who are very familiar with him from his college days were very confident that he’d be able to pick it up.”
It also helps that the Roughriders’ offensive line includes two-time All-CFL selection Logan Ferland, who was one of Klassen’s teammates with the Thunder in 2019.
“Football keeps pulling us together,” Klassen said. “As a younger guy and a new guy to the team, it’s always nice to have that ‘in’ with one of the veterans — one of the star players on the team.
“He’s one of the smartest guys in the playbook so, while it might annoy him for me to ask him a lot of questions, I’m definitely going to pick his brain and use him as much as I can.
“It’s awesome to have that connection and to show that the Thunder roots are still strong.”