SASKATOON — It wasn’t all that long ago that Saskatchewan Roughriders rookie quarterback Jordan McCloud found himself outside the sport he’d played since a child and had hoped to make a career out of.
A lethal dual threat pivot out of James Madison and Texas State in the NCAA, McCloud capped his stellar career in 2024 with gaudy numbers across the board — a total of 10,135 yards passing on 846 completions, with 88 passing touchdowns and a passing efficiency rating of 148.0, while also rushing for 986 yards and 20 touchdowns through his four seasons on the field.
That production earned him a tryout with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but when things didn’t work out as planned there, that was initially it for McCloud’s career.
But when you’re the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year in 2023 and have shown you’re as effective running the ball as passing, it stands to reason someone is going to take another look. And this past January, the Roughriders were that team, signing the six-foot, 205-pound Florida product to a CFL contract.
Fast forward a few months, and McCloud is in Saskatoon with his new team, going through his paces in rookie camp as he tries to pick up the Canadian game and land a roster spot for the 2026 campaign.
“You've got to be ready,” McCloud said of getting the initial call from the Riders. “I've been out for a year now. I did some workouts with some teams a bunch last year, and so I stayed in shape, ready to go. At the end of the day, it's football, things we've been doing since we were kids. So I'm excited for it. All you need is a shot, and one person to believe in you, and this organization did. I'm very appreciative of it. You don't know when your time is up, and you've got to be ready to go when it is called.”
Rookie camp has naturally come as a learning experience for the 26-year-old, as is always the case with quarterbacks looking to pick up the CFL game for the first time.
“Things that I knew, it felt different on the field,” McCloud admitted. “Obviously, that 12th defender, wherever he's at, moving around the field, the motions, getting used to having a motion every single play. And I would say the width of the field, throws are a little bit longer, so you have more space, but they're also a little bit harder throws. It's all fun.”
While the 10,000 passing yards were attractive to the Riders, having a QB who can pull a Davis Alexander and wreak havoc with his feet also is a plus — and something McCloud has no problem putting to use.
“With the space, it makes it a lot harder to cover all the receivers and a quarterback that could potentially take off and run, so that’s something to think about,” he said.
McCloud has a bit of a leg up on rookie quarterbacks from other teams in who he’s learning from. Grey Cup champion pivot Trevor Harris has been with the team since rookie camp started and has been more than happy to pass on whatever knowledge he can to the team’s rookies.
“Amazing,” McCloud began when asked about Harris’ mentorship. “Before I even got here, he was the first person to call me when I signed, telling me congratulations and can't wait for me to get up here. He used to play with [former Atlanta Falcons and CFL QB] Dominique Davis and he told me, once you get there, if you're not doing everything he's doing, you're wrong. So Trevor's been a great mentor. He gives out everything he knows.”
McCloud has done what he can to take those lessons and put them to good use through rookie camp. That includes learning from mistakes and creating quick progression in his game, something he’s done his best to make happen, all while staying as healthy as possible.
“You don't want to stack mistakes,” McCloud said. “The mistake you made yesterday, you don't want to make the next day. You always want to learn day in and day out. And as far as taking care of your body, you've got to be ready. You can't miss a day on day two because of a soft tissue or something like that. You've got to take care of your body so that you're ready to come out on the field and play.”
McCloud and his fellow rookies have Saturday off before main training camp begins on Sunday.
Be sure to keep an eye on SportsCage.com for regular coverage, news and features throughout Roughriders training camp.
