Redblacks add four defenders to practice roster, including Sanders
Published
The Ottawa Redblacks have signed four defenders to their practice roster, including American defensive backs Bentlee Sanders and Cam Lockridge, while also adding Canadians in linebacker Zachary Philion and defensive back Tysen-Otis Copeland.
Sanders appeared in 16 games for the Calgary Stampeders last year, racking up 45 tackles, two forced fumbles, and an interception. The prior season, the 26-year-old took part in mini-camp stints with the Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans, respectively.
Collegiately in two seasons at Nevada, the 5-foot-9, 187-pound defensive back tallied 105 total tackles, five tackles for loss, five interceptions, 11 pass breakups, and three forced fumbles in 25 games. He appeared in 32 games over the four previous seasons at South Florida, where he picked up 94 tackles, seven and a half tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions, seven pass break-ups, and three forced fumbles.
Lockridge spent time with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats during training camp after attending Buffalo Bills minicamp.
In three seasons with the Fresno State Bulldogs (2022-2024), he made 91 total tackles, six tackles for loss, one sack, 11 interceptions, including a pick-six, 17 pass breakups, and one forced fumble. The 25-year-old also appeared in 18 games for Hawaii (2020-2021), where he made 73 total tackles, five and a half tackles for loss, three interceptions, including a pick six, 11 pass breakups, and a fumble recovery. The 6-foot, 182-pound defender also recorded 44 tackles and four interceptions in 11 games at Reedley College in 2019.
Philion is now in his second stint with Ottawa after also spending time with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, where he dressed for three games in 2024, recording one special teams tackle.
The 26-year-old was selected by the Redblacks in the seventh round, 58th overall in the 2024 CFL Draft, after a standout season with Concordia, where in eight games during the 2023 campaign, the 6-foot-1, 221-pound linebacker tallied 20.5 total tackles, 18 of which were solo tackles, four tackles for loss, and a sack.
Copeland was originally selected in the fourth round, 33rd overall by his hometown Montreal Alouettes in 2022, debuting for the team in 2023. Across 11 games over the past two seasons in Montreal, the soon to be 28-year-old recorded six special teams tackles.
The 6-foot, 198-pound defender suited up for the John Abbott Islanders before joining the Montreal Carabins collegiately, recording 20.5 tackles and two interceptions in 2021.