Saskatchewan Roughriders sign Virginia standout Chico Bennett Jr.

Photo: Virginia Athletics. Photo edit: 3DownNation.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed American defensive lineman Chico Bennett Jr.

The six-foot-four, 256-pound defender attended rookie minicamp with the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this year but didn’t formally sign with the team.

The native of Ashburn, Va. played three collegiate seasons at the University of Virginia, recording 107 defensive tackles, 21 tackles for loss, eight sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and one interception. He was named an All-ACC honourable mention in 2022 after recording seven sacks.

Bennett Jr. previously played at Georgia Tech where he made 31 tackles, two tackles for loss, and one sack in 15 games.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders (10-3) will visit the Edmonton Elks (5-9) on Saturday, September 27 with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Roughriders were on a bye this past week, while the Elks suffered a heartbreaking walk-off loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The weather forecast in Edmonton calls for a high of 18 degrees with a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on 620 CKRM in Regina and 880 CHED in Edmonton.