Canadian receivers Ajou Ajou, Mitch Picton active for Saskatchewan Roughriders in 112th Grey Cup
Photo courtesy: Saskatchewan Roughriders
Second-year Canadian receiver Ajou Ajou is slated to start in his first career Grey Cup.
The native of Brooks, Alta., will get the nod at the boundary receiver spot after both KeeSean Johnson (knee) and Joe Robustelli (head) were ruled out due to injury. Ajou has made 22 catches for 212 yards in eight games this season.
The six-foot-two, 220-pound target rejoined the Riders midway through the season after he spent training camp with the Indianapolis Colts. He was targeted eight times over three NFL preseason games, recording four receptions for 27 yards. Ajou was waived among final training camp roster cuts by Indy and went through waivers unclaimed.
He was selected by the Riders in the seventh round, 59th overall, during the 2024 CFL Draft. He registered 20 catches for 307 yards and two touchdowns through 12 regular-season games as a rookie in the three-down league while making four starts prior to ending last year on the six-game injured list.
Also rejoining the roster as insurance is local product Mitch Picton, who caught 20 passes for 226 yards in 14 games this year. The Regina product has been a clutch performer for the team during his career, making 96 catches for 1,081 yards and six touchdowns in 64 games. Dhel Duncan-Busby will sit out this week in favour of the local veteran.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (13-6) and Montreal Alouettes (12-8) will meet in the 112th Grey Cup at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg on Sunday, November 16, with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 p.m. EST.
The Alouettes defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Final by a score of 19-16, while the Roughriders came back to defeat the B.C. Lions in the West Final by a score of 24-21. The teams split their two regular-season meetings, though Montreal franchise quarterback Davis Alexander missed both games due to a hamstring injury.
The weather forecast in Winnipeg calls for a high of two degrees with a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN, CTV, and RDS in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally.
This marks the fifth time the Grey Cup will be played in Winnipeg and the second time it will be hosted at Princess Auto Stadium. The venue’s first Grey Cup was held in 2015 when the Edmonton Football Team defeated the Ottawa Redblacks by a score of 26-20, and Michael Reilly was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
Graphic courtesy: Saskatchewan Roughriders
