The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed American defensive lineman J.J. Weaver.
The six-foot-five, 241-pound defender was a collegiate standout at the University of Kentucky, where he played 58 games and made 39 starts. He recorded 197 total tackles, 39.5 tackles for loss, 21.5 sacks, eight pass knockdowns, six fumble recoveries, five forced fumbles, two interceptions, and one blocked kick.
The 26-year-old ended his tenure with the Wildcats ranked third all-time in tackles for loss and fourth all-time in sacks. He was also active off the field, earning the Freddie Solomon Community Spirit Award, the Ron Butler Character in Adversity Award, and Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year honours.
The native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. attended training camp with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2025 but was released prior to the start of the regular season.
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, leading receiver was KeeSean Johnson with 1,159 yards, and 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.
