Latest news with #DraeMcCray
National Post
26-05-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Drae McCray enjoys solid Roughriders pre-season debut
Article content Drae McCray was just excited to play. Now he wants to stay. Article content Article content Making his CFL pre-season debut on Saturday, the 22-year-old American receiver was one of the bright spots for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in a 15-9 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Article content In his first exhibition game, the former Texas Tech Red Raiders standout served as Saskatchewan's primary returner with six punt returns for 47 yards (7.8-yard average) and three kickoff returns for 110 yards (36.7-yard average) including a game-high 51-yard return in the second quarter. Article content Article content 'It felt good just to be playing football again in general,' McCray said this week as the Roughriders resumed training camp at Mosaic Stadium. 'It just felt good to suit up and go out there and have fun. Article content 'I think there's some things I can work on obviously and get better and go back to the drawing board and learn from, but I was pretty happy with it.' Article content From head coach Corey Mace's perspective, he was also happy with what he saw from the rookie, who was one of the NCAA's top returners in 2023 with Texas Tech. Article content 'He was an explosive returner in college and he was an excellent receiver,' said Mace. 'I think he showed exactly who he can be in the return game in the pre-season game. Article content 'He made quick decisions. He's a north-south kind of guy. And he read the blocks really well. Article content 'He's a kid who's hungry, man. He saw the opportunity for him and I thought he made the best of it.' Article content Since being signed by the Roughriders on May 3 after being recruited by Roughriders player personnel coordinator Larry Dean, the 5-foot-9, 185-pound McCray has had to adjust to the new rules of Canadian football which don't include fair catches. However he's also been able to use the wider field to his advantage. Article content Article content 'I think that was very shocking to me,' said McCray. 'The gaps are a lot bigger. The field is wider. In America, gaps are small. You've got to go really, really fast to get there, or it's going to close very fast.' Article content Article content While last year's primary kick returner Mario Alford dressed for the first pre-season game, he didn't get a chance to return as McCray handled all of the punt returns for the Riders and three of the four kickoff returns, with Daniel Wiebe returning the other late in the fourth quarter.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
10 observations from Saskatchewan's pre-season loss in Winnipeg
The Saskatchewan Roughriders opened their 2025 CFL pre-season schedule on Saturday in Winnipeg with a 15-9 loss against the Blue Bombers. And while the game didn't feature many fireworks, with no touchdowns and eight field goals scored in the contest, there were a few notable performances from some members of the Green and White in the loss, which of course means nothing in the standings: A.J. Ouellette's 21-yard run in the first half was one of Saskatchewan's best offensive bursts as the running back looks to return to form after missing time last year with a hip injury. Ouellette and many of the other returning starters played much of the first quarter before the backups entered the game. Fellow running back Thomas Bertrand-Hudon also had a few nice rushes, including one for 18 yards, as part of a six-carry, 41-yard game. The Canadian, who is a valuable special teams player, has always been reliable when asked to carry the ball. Neither of Saskatchewan's American rookie running backs, Mario Anderson or Trent Pennix, were outstanding. Anderson had seven carries for 16 yards while Pennix ran the ball once for two yards. Receiver KeeSean Johnson had catches for 14 yards and 16 yards in the first half to lead the team. After a strong rookie season with 746 yards in 12 games, the 28-year-old former NFLer is hoping to take his game even further in 2025 as a key receiver. After 51-yard and 36-yard kickoff returns in the first half, rookie receiver Drae McCray looked like he could provide a spark on special teams. Was that performance enough to displace returning veteran Mario Alford? It's clear the Riders are taking a long look at McCray. None of the quarterbacks looked outstanding. However that's no concern. Trevor Harris started the game and played the first three drives, going 3-of-8 for 38 yards. Jake Maier came in and went 8-of-13 for 80 yards and an interception while Jack Coan saw some time as well, going 3-of-6 for 58 yards. Tommy Stevens, the short-yardage specialist who carried the ball three times for 15 yards, came into the game on the final series where he went 2-of-3 for 21 yards. While none of those performances were anything to write home about, the Roughriders already know what they have in the room, especially with Harris, Maier and Stevens, who will likely be the top three on the depth chart no matter what. With Nelson Lokombo not making the trip to Winnipeg, Jaxon Ford got the start at safety and made four nice tackles in the first half. Ford, who is now sporting No. 21, missed the first 12 games last year after recovering from a wrist injury. Tevaughn Campbell made his debut at cornerback and had a knockdown to go along with a pair of tackles in the first half. Campbell, who was once a Rider in 2016, is expected to be the shutdown cornerback the Roughriders were seeking this off-season. His Canadian passport also gives the Riders some ratio flexibility. Defensive lineman Benoit Marion had a nice forced fumble in the second half which was recovered by Alex Gubner. After coming in midway through the season last year, Marion was always around the ball any time he got a chance to be on the field in 2024. He may not be a starter in 2025 but he's proving to be a great depth player. With Adam Korsak retiring and the Roughriders releasing Joe Couch, the starting punting job appears to be Bailey Flint's. In his pre-season debut, the former Hamilton Tiger-Cat averaged 40.6 yards on five punts. Flint will want to boost those numbers before the regular season gets underway. The game featured a whole bunch of field goals with Winnipeg's Sergio Castillo making all five of his attempts to account for all 15 Blue Bombers points while Brett Lauther made two of his three kicks while rookie Brian Garrity was 1-for-2, with his 48-yard attempt falling way short. Despite the miss, Lauther isn't losing his job any time soon. tshire@ Roughriders lose to Blue Bombers 15-9 in pre-season field-goal fest Roughriders suffer more injuries along offensive line The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe. With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
