Roughriders Sign Four-Time All-Big South Defensive End Ty French
CFL Saskatchewan Roughriders

Roughriders Sign Four-Time All-Big South Defensive End Ty French

Published on February 27, 2026 under Canadian Football League (CFL)
Saskatchewan Roughriders News Release


The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed American defensive end Ty French.

French (6'1-235) played collegiately at Gardner-Webb (2020-23) and West Virginia (2024) before being invited to the San Francisco 49ers' rookie mini-camp in 2025.

At West Virginia, French played linebacker in 13 games in 2024, registering 22 total tackles, including three for a loss, three quarterback hurries and one pass breakup.

In 41 games as a defensive end at Gardner-Webb, the Georgia-born French amassed school-record totals of 34.5 career sacks and 61 tackles for a loss. He was an All-Big South Conference selection all four of his seasons at Gardner-Webb, posting 239 total tackles. His peak single-season totals were 12.5 sacks in 2022 and 22.5 tackles for a loss in 2023. He set a Big South single-season sack record in 2022.

In 2022 and 2023, French was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented annually to the top defensive player in the Division 1 Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). French was named the Big South's Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, when he was also a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award (given to college football's Most Outstanding Defensive End).

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Canadian Football League Stories from February 27, 2026


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