Saskatchewan Roughriders linebacker Seyi Oladipo Jr. is hoping to make the most out of his first start in the Canadian Football League.<\/p>\n
And if the former Boise State standout can channel some of what made him a success back in his college days, it could be a long night for Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly.<\/p>\n
The Riders depth chart revealed Friday that Oladipo will be in the starting lineup at strong-side linebacker when the Green and White face the Argos on Saturday at Mosaic Stadium, with the opportunity coming in the 23-year-old rookie\u2019s third CFL game.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019ll be a blessing to go out there and be able to showcase my talents and honestly earn the trust of my brothers and get us a win,\u201d Oladipo said after the team walkthrough on Friday.<\/p>\n
Oladipo primarily lined up at safety while at Boise State, but became known as a bit of a sack machine in his final season. He got to opposing\u00a0quarterbacks six-and-a-half times, leading the entire NCAA in defensive back sacks in 2024.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a unique stat for a safety at any level, and Oladipo felt it was just a matter of thriving in his role.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would call it just the ability to do what I’m told,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen a coach says, \u2018We’re blitzing this play and that’s how we’re going to use you,\u2019\u00a0it’s just,\u00a0accept the role that I was given. Some people complain about being a defensive back that gets sacks because DBs, we want to pick the ball off. But I just heard I’m a star in my role and that led to the six-and-a-half sacks my senior year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Oladipo pointed to the system he played under in Boise State as a key factor in his success, with the team concept working well when it came to creating his opportunities.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all had to work together to get those sacks, so by them buying me time to get there, it made it easy,\u201d Oladipo said.<\/p>\n