The Saskatchewan Roughriders are double-dipping with James Madison Dukes ahead of the College Football Playoff, adding backup quarterback Matthew Sluka to their exclusive negotiation list.
The redshirt senior has sat for the majority of this season behind Alonza Barnett III, who has been on the Riders’ neg list since September 25, 2024. In eight appearances, he has completed eight of 11 passes for 100 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions, while rushing for 239 yards and three majors.
Sluka was previously on the Toronto Argonauts’ neg list before being removed on Wednesday. James Madison won the Sun Belt conference championship with a 12-1 record to earn the twelfth and final seed in the College Football Playoff and will face Oregon (11-1) in the first round on Saturday, December 20.
The six-foot-two, 216-pound pivot transferred to the Dukes after sparking controversy at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in 2024. He started the first three games of the season for the Rebels, completing 21 of 48 passes for 318 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception, while rushing for 253 yards and a score. However, he left the team suddenly in late September and opted to redshirt, claiming that the school was not living up to financial promises it had made during recruiting regarding name, image, and likeness.
Sluka began his collegiate career at College of the Holy Cross, where he established himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the FCS. He was the Patriot League Rookie of the Year in 2020, a second-team all-conference selection in 2021, and a two-time first-team all-conference honouree, earning Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year and a third-team All-American selection in 2023. Across 43 games for the Crusaders, he threw for 5,901 yards, 59 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions, while rushing for 3,583 yards and 38 touchdowns.
CFL teams can claim the rights to up to 45 players via the negotiation list on a first-come, first-served basis, provided that they are not eligible for the Canadian or Global Drafts, and have never played in the league before. These players can be added, traded, or removed from the list at any time.
Being added to a negotiation list does not mean that the player has expressed interest in the CFL, and some are unaware that their rights have even been claimed. Players can only force their removal from the list if the team does not provide them with a minimum contract offer at their request.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders finished first in the West Division standings in 2025 with a 12-6 record, finishing first in the West Division for the first time since 2019. The team went on to defeat the Montreal Alouettes in the 112th Grey Cup in Winnipeg, marking the team’s first championship in 12 years. Trevor Harris went 11-5 as a starter, throwing for 4,549 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
The Roughriders ranked second in net offence, second in net defence, and tied for third with a turnover differential of plus-eight. The club’s leading rusher was A.J. Ouellette with 1,222 yards, the leading receiver was KeeSean Johnson with 1,159 yards, and the leading tackler was A.J. Allen with 91 tackles. Saskatchewan finished second in attendance with average crowds of 28,427, which was a 2.7 percent increase from the previous year.
