Canadian DB Ethan Ball, son of former Riders broadcaster, to make CFL debut for Winnipeg Blue Bombers

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are only making one change to their roster ahead of Saturday’s clash with the Toronto Argonauts, but the new face has a familiar name to CFL fans.

Canadian defensive back Ethan Ball, Winnipeg’s sixth-round draft choice, will make his debut as a depth safety. The 23-year-old is the son of former Saskatchewan Roughriders play-by-play voice Michael Ball, who called games for the team during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The long-time Regina broadcaster remains an active voice in the CFL media community.

The younger Ball became one of the top youth prospects in Regina and originally committed to the University of North Dakota in 2020. He made 44 tackles in 32 games for the Fighting Hawks, before transferring to the University of Calgary in 2024. He played five games during his lone U Sports campaign, recording 27 total tackles, two passes defended, and one fumble recovery.

Ball replaces fellow Canadian rookie Lane Novak in the lineup after the linebacker was placed on the six-game injured list with an undisclosed injury. Also on the six-game injured list are Canadian defensive back Jake Kelly, American offensive lineman Eric Lofton, Canadian linebacker Enock Makonzo, American defensive tackle Jamal Woods, and American receiver Dalton Schoen.

Players unavailable this week after seeing their tenure on the one-game injured list extended include American offensive lineman Stanley Bryant (ankle), Canadian long snapper Mike Benson (hip), and American returner Peyton Logan (thigh). American receiver Dillon Mitchell, American linebacker Jonathan Jones, and Canadian defensive tackle Tanner Schmekel are all healthy scratches.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3-2) will visit the Toronto Argonauts (1-5) at BMO Field on Saturday, July 26 with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Blue Bombers are coming off a 41-20 loss to the Calgary Stampeders, while the Argonauts gave up a fourth-quarter lead to narrowly lose to the Montreal Alouettes.

The weather forecast calls for a high of 27 degrees with a 40 percent chance of rain and a risk of thunderstorms. The game will be broadcast on TSN and CTV in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on 680 CJOB in Winnipeg and TSN 1050 in Toronto.

Graphic courtesy: Winnipeg Blue Bombers