The Saskatchewan Roughriders have added more punch to their defensive front, signing American defensive end Ty French.
French arrives in Riderville after an impressive collegiate career split between Gardner-Webb University and West Virginia University, followed by a rookie mini-camp invite from the San Francisco 49ers in 2025.
The Georgia product shifted to linebacker during his 2024 season at West Virginia, appearing in 13 games and recording 22 tackles, including 3 for loss. He also added three quarterback hurries and a pass breakup.
Before that, French was a dominant force at Gardner-Webb. In 41 games, he set school records with 34.5 career sacks and 61 tackles for loss, earning All-Big South honours in all four seasons. His peak production included 12.5 sacks in 2022 — a Big South single-season record — and 22.5 tackles for loss in 2023.
French twice earned finalist nods for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in the FCS. He was also a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award in 2022, the same year he was named Big South Defensive Player of the Year.
French now looks to bring his pass-rushing pedigree to the CFL as the Roughriders continue to build their defence for 2026.
