The B.C. Lions have signed American receiver Juwan Manigo and American offensive lineman Tyran Hunt.
Manigo played for the UFL’s Arlington Renegades this past season, finishing second league-wide with 962 kickoff return yards. He finished the year with 1,162 all-purpose yards.
The five-foot-seven, 175-pound speedster previously played professionally in Mexico in the Liga-de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA), setting records with the Caudillos in 2023. He scored nine receiving touchdowns, five return touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown while recording over 2,000 all-purpose yards.
Collegiately, Manigo played at Delaware Valley University, an NCAA Division III program, where he caught 62 passes for 960 yards and eight touchdowns.
“Juwan’s speed makes him special as a returner and a receiver,” said general manager Ryan Rigmaiden in a statement. “He’s going to compete right away and give us another player that can take the top off the defence.”
Hunt played for the Frisco Fighters of the Indoor Football League in 2024 and was named to the All-Rookie Team. In 2023, the native of Boykins, Va. was a member of the UFL’s San Antonio Brahmas and Memphis Showboats, dressing for three games.
The six-foot-seven, 315-pound blocker played collegiately at the University of Maryland and Old Dominion University, playing 32 total games.
“Tyran is a massive offensive lineman that has the skill set and attitude we’re looking for,” said Rigmaiden. “We’ve had terrific success with former Arena players and are looking forward to having him compete in training camp.”
The B.C. Lions finished third in the West Division in 2024 with a record of 9-9 before losing to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the West Semi-Final. The team will open its 2025 regular season by hosting the Edmonton Elks at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver on Saturday, June 7 with kickoff slated for 8:00 p.m. EDT.
