Photo credit: Facebook Saskatchewan Roughriders

The two round C-F-L Global Draft was completed Tuesday morning while the eight-round Canadian College Draft starts late Tuesday afternoon.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders selected Belgian defensive lineman Sylvain Yondjouen with the sixth overall choice, then added Australian punter Jesse Mirco in the second round. The Green and White have the fourth overall pick in Tuesday night’s Canadian College Draft. In addition, the Riders announced that American running back Mario Anderson, plus American defensive tackle Octavius Oxendine have committed to attending next week’s rookie camp here in Saskatoon. Following are the news releases from the Roughriders…..

DATE:                       April 29, 2025

RELEASE TIME:      IMMEDIATELY

RIDERS MAKE TWO SELECTIONS IN THE 2025 GLOBAL DRAFT

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have selected two prospects in the 2025 CFL Global Draft:

• Sylvain Yondjouen (Defensive Lineman – Belgium) – 1^st round, 6^th overall
• Jesse Mirco (Punter – Australia) 2^nd round, 15^th overall

Yondjouen (6’4-260) spent six collegiate seasons (2019–2024) at Georgia Tech, appearing in 52 games with 13 starts. The native of Ruisbroek, Belgium, recorded 76 career defensive tackles, including 16 tackles for loss, six sacks, seven pass breakups, seven pass deflections, and one forced fumble. As a senior, he led his team with seven quarterback hurries and five pass breakups and ranked second with six tackles for loss. Following the 2025 NFL Draft, Yondjouen accepted a minicamp invite from the Carolina Panthers.

Mirco (6’4-222) played his senior collegiate season at Vanderbilt (2024), appearing in 13 games. The Australian punter booted the ball 51 times for 2,430 yards (2,330 net), averaging 48.0 yards per punt—ranking first in the SEC. He landed 21 punts inside the 20-yard line and sent 20 punts over 50 yards. Mirco’s strong season earned him multiple All-SEC honours and an All-American Honourable Mention.

Before transferring to Vanderbilt, Mirco spent three seasons at Ohio State (2021–2023), appearing in 39 games as a Buckeye. During that time, he tallied 130 punts for 5,707 yards (43.9-yard average), landing 55 inside the 20 and sending 31 punts over 50 yards. In 2023, he earned an All-Big Ten Conference Honourable Mention and was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award.

DATE:                               April 29, 2025

RELEASE TIME:         IMMEDIATELY

RELEASE:                 SR25-049

ROUGHRIDERS SIGN RUNNING BACK MARIO ANDERSON

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed American running back Mario Anderson.

Anderson (5’9-208) is coming off a sensational 2024 season at Memphis where he rushed for 1,362 yards and 18 touchdowns. In eight of his 13 games played Anderson rushed for 100 or more yards, most notably, he rushed for 183 yards and four touchdowns on 22 carries in a 52-44 win over North Texas. In his last regular season game, Anderson rushed for 177 yards and a touchdown in a 34-24 win over Tulane. As well, he scored two touchdowns (one on a run and one on a reception) to help Memphis defeat West Virginia 42-37 in the Frisco Bowl. Anderson also caught 52 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns that season. In recognition of his strong play, Anderson was nominated for the Doak Walker Award, which recognizes outstanding performance on the field, in the community, and in the classroom.

Prior to Memphis, Anderson played for South Carolina where he rushed for 707 yards and three scores (one of which was on a 75-yard run) while catching 22 passes for 153 yards and one touchdown.

Anderson began his collegiate career at Newberry College, where he played three seasons (2020-2022). During his time at Newberry, he rushed for 3,301 yards and 35 touchdowns. In 2022, he rushed for 1,560 yards and scored 19 touchdowns en route to earning the First-Team All-American honours in the Division II ranks.