Riders announce signing of 2020 first-round pick Riley, re-signing of McCray

Mattland Riley will be getting a chance to suit up with his home province’s CFL team in 2021.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders announced Monday they had signed the Melfort product to a contract. The Roughriders also announced the re-signing of defensive back L.J. McCray, who could have become a free agent Feb. 9.

Riley, who was a member of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies’ offensive line, was taken seventh overall in the first round of the 2020 CFL draft.

Riley spent four seasons with the Huskies. He was a two-time Canada West all-star and was a U Sports first-team all-Canadian in 2019. He also played for Team West in the U Sports East-West Bowl in 2018.

In 2018, Riley helped the Huskies win the Hardy Cup for the first time since 2006.

When he was drafted, Riley spoke to the media following his selection and talked about finding out after other members of his family heard he was staying in the province.

“Our WiFi was lagging a little bit — we were on a Zoom call with my family — and all of them started getting excited and we still hadn’t heard it yet,” Riley said.

He also gave some insight into where he might fit in on the Riders’ offensive line.

“I’m going to be an interior guy, that’s for sure,” Riley said. “Centre or guard, it kind of just depends how I fit in during training camp.”

The CFL schedule lists May 23 as the first pre-season game but the league hasn’t 100 per cent committed to that date.

The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

McCray returns to Riderville

McCray, who initially joined the Roughriders in April of 2019, signed a one-year contract extension.

The 6-foot, 210-pound cornerback played 13 games with Saskatchewan during the 2019 regular season, recording 47 tackles and three interceptions. He added five tackles in the West Division final.

The product of Catawba College had NFL stints with the San Francisco 49ers, Carolina Panthers and Buffalo Bills before landing in the CFL.