The Saskatchewan Roughriders have added another American receiver, announcing Tuesday the signing of Johnny Johnson III.
Johnson, 27, joins the Riders after three NFL seasons on the Houston Texans’ roster from 2022-24.
In Houston, the 6-foot-1 pass catcher dressed for one regular season game each in 2022 and 2023. He also caught four passes on seven targets, including one for a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams, during the 2024 preseason.
Johnson joined the Texans as an undrafted free agent after five seasons at the University of Oregon where he graduated ranked 10th in Ducks history with 139 catches, piling up 1,928 yards (including a 207-yard game against Arizona State in 2019) and scoring 15 touchdowns over 57 games.
The 2019 season also saw Johnson finish eighth in the NCAA’s PAC-12 conference in receiving yards (836) and tied for seventh in touchdown catches (seven).
In a 2021 profile, the website NFL Draft Diamonds called Johnson a “smooth route runner” while also noting his “love for contact” and “pride in his blocking.”
Hollis Jr. released
Saskatchewan also announced Tuesday the release of Garnett Hollis Jr., who started at boundary-side cornerback for the club in Monday’s preseason game against the Calgary Stampeders.
The Riders announced in January they’d signed Hollis, who’d previously had NFL tryouts with the Tennessee Titans, Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills.
Monday, he was credited with two first-quarter tackles – first hauling down Stamps running back Ludovick Choquette after a four-yard catch and then tripping up Calgary receiver James Philpot on the next play before the tackle was finished off by linebacker Josh Woods.
