After four seasons on the defensive line of Bowling Green State University, Ali Saad is getting his shot at professional football.
Saad was selected fourth overall by the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Tuesday night, taken as the team’s first round pick in the 2025 CFL Draft.
“I’m really excited honestly,” said Saad over Zoom to reporters on Tuesday. “My mom was actually crying, she was really proud of me and really excited for me. My dad is as well and I’m just really excited, my family is happy, I’m happy.”
The Windsor, Ont., product is coming off a career season at Bowling Green where he registered 40 tackles, five sacks and two forced fumbles.
Possessing a tantalizing combination of size and skill, the six-foot-three-inch, 280-pound defensive lineman was high on the Roughriders’ draft board according to general manager and VP of football operations Jeremy O’Day.
“Just someone that has versatility to play inside and outside,” said O’Day. “He played both at Bowling Green, a very productive and physical player that’s a playmaker-type defensive lineman. We’re excited to get him, just a powerful player that is able to shed offensive lineman and play physical.
“It’s great to add a guy like that to our defensive front.”
Saad was one of seven picks the Riders would add on Tuesday night to their pool of players ahead of training camp next week, a camp in which he is expecting to take part.
“I feel like I can come in here, learn something new and learn how to play a whole different position as well,” said Saad.
“I played tackle here and there, but didn’t play as much. There’s a lot of room for improvement and I’m excited to come in and get right to work.”
Saskatchewan’s biggest stunner of the night would come in the third round of the draft at 25th overall, selecting University of Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke.
The brother of BC Lions star pivot Nathan Rourke, Kurtis was one of the most productive quarterbacks in all of NCAA football this season with the Hoosiers throwing for over 3,000 yards and 29 touchdowns in 12 starts.
That would lead him to becoming the first Canadian born and trained quarterback to be selected in the NFL Draft last weekend, selected in the seventh round by the San Francisco 49’ers.
O’Day confirmed Rourke is a true futures prospect for the team and may never play in the CFL, but the Roughriders would now own his rights if he chooses to come back north of the border.
In the second round of the draft, Saskatchewan would shore up their offensive line, selecting University of Western standout Erik Andersen.
“Another guy who was obviously high on our board,” said O’Day. “Someone that played left tackle at Western, was a two-time all-Canadian, very athletic, has the ability to play multiple positions and will add to the offensive line room. You have to build through the offensive line to protect the quarterback.”
Saskatchewan added two home-grown players on Tuesday night as well, going to the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and nabbing linebacker Seth Hundeby at 34th overall and wide receiver Daniel Wiebe with their final selection at 69th overall.
Hundeby, who is confirmed to be returning to his hometown Huskies for the 2025 Canada West season, is coming off a year where he posted 92 tackles, three sacks and one forced fumble.
As for Rosetown’s Wiebe, he was named a first-team All-Canadian for the Huskies with 913 receiving yards and nine touchdowns through the air in 2024.
Saskatchewan rounded out the draft by selecting University of Windsor defensive lineman Liam Hoskins in the fifth round, before picking University of Calgary defensive back Gideon Agyei in the sixth.
“I feel like we’re in a position where we can be flexible with where we took our players,” said O’Day.
“Ultimately we decided, as I usually do, stay with our draft board and we had those guys ranked really high. They’ll certainly come in and compete with the guys we have and competition is a good thing.”
Including Hundeby and Wiebe, seven Saskatchewan-born athletes were drafted to CFL teams on Tuesday including a trio of Regina’s Ethan Vibert and Ethan Ball, as well as Balgonie’s Lane Novak all going to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The BC Lions, meanwhile, went with two Saskatchewan players in University of Regina Rams offensive lineman and Big River product Connor Klassen, as well as University of Alberta Golden Bears linebacker Chase Tataryn who hails from Saskatoon.
The Roughriders will open their 2025 rookie camp at Griffiths Stadium in Saskatoon on May 7, before main training camp gets underway on May 11.