Photo courtesy: UConn Athletics

The Ottawa Redblacks have signed eight American players to their 2026 roster, bringing back four members of the practice roster and adding four new faces, including unconventional short-yardage specialist Jelani Stafford.

The six-foot-one, 300-pound defensive tackle took reps at running back for the University of Connecticut during the 2023 season, racking up 15 carries for 22 yards and six touchdowns. He also added a single reception for 10 yards. The big-bodied ball carrier got the gig because he was a force to be reckoned with as a high school running back, going for over 1,000 yards in both his senior and junior seasons at California Area High School in Coal Centre, Pa.

Stafford did not take any snaps at running back in his final season with the Huskies, focusing on his defensive responsibilities. In 38 games over three seasons, he registered 107 total tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, three batted passes, and two fumble recoveries. He began his career at Youngstown State, where he made 14 tackles, two tackles for loss, and a forced fumble in 16 appearances, while rushing twice for one yard.

Also new to the Redblacks are defensive linemen Dennis Briggs Jr. and Tre’vonn Rybka, and defensive back Iverson Brown.

Briggs wrapped up his collegiate career at the University of Illinois in 2024, posting 39 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks in 13 games. A former four-star recruit, he transferred from Florida State, where he collected 76 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries in 49 games over six years. The six-foot-four, 275-pound pass rusher attended rookie mini-camp with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans in 2025, but did not sign a contract.

Rybka attended the University of Kentucky, where the former four-star recruit collected 95 career tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, six QB hurries, a forced fumble and a pass breakup in 48 appearances. The six-foot-four, 310-pound defensive tackle, who is nicknamed “Chunky,” signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2025, but did not make the final roster.

Brown played 25 games over two seasons at Southern Illinois, registering 110 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, nine passes defensed, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. He began his collegiate career at Illinois State, where he played 32 games over four seasons, registering 83 total tackles, two tackles for loss, one interception, six passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. The six-foot-two, 207-pound safety attended rookie mini-camp with the Cleveland Browns in 2025, but did not sign a contract.

Returning to Ottawa after finishing the season on the practice roster are defensive linemen Jessie Evans and Ramon Puryear, receiver Latreal Jones, and linebacker Jamie Pettway.

Pettway dressed for one game with the Redblacks in 2025, recording a special teams tackle. He played 13 collegiate games at the University of South Florida in 2024, recording 56 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one fumble recovery, and two pass breakups. The six-foot-two, 237-pound native of Albany, Ga., previously played at Florida Atlantic University and the University of Missouri.

Puryear was named an All-ACC honourable mention at the University of Louisville in 2024 after recording 34 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and three fumble recoveries. The six-foot-three, 275-pound native of Louisville, Ky. spent five seasons with his hometown team, making 87 total tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks, one pass deflection, one interception, and five fumble recoveries.

Evans played 25 games over two seasons at Louisiana Tech, posting 72 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. He began his collegiate career at Prairie View A&M, where he suited up in 24 games over three seasons and amassed 110 total tackles, 23 tackles for loss, seven sacks and three forced fumbles.

Jones spent time in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2024, but was cut in training camp. He played 15 games over his two collegiate seasons at Southern Mississippi, registering 16 receptions for 229 yards and one touchdown.

The Ottawa Redblacks finished fourth in the East Division standings in 2025 with a 4-14 record, missing the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Dru Brown went 2-7 over nine starts at quarterback, throwing for 2,389 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Dustin Crum went 2-4 over six starts, throwing for 1,771 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions.

The Redblacks ranked sixth in net offence, fifth in net defence, and ninth with a turnover differential of minus-16. The club’s leading rusher was William Stanback with 698 yards, the leading receiver was Justin Hardy with 1,019 yards, and the leading tackler was Adarius Pickett with 84 tackles. Ottawa finished eighth in attendance with average crowds of 18,136, which was a 4.2 percent decrease from the previous year.