Desmond Evans turning heads at Riders training camp as team looks to fill holes on d-line

Saskatchewan Roughriders' defensive lineman Desmond Evans works during a drill as part of the team's 2026 training camp.

Desmond Evans thought his football playing days were over when he was cut by the Tennessee Titans last year.

Now the defensive lineman is turning heads at Saskatchewan Roughriders training camp, but it may not have been possible without a persistent recruiting effort from the Green and White.

“I went back home and then moved to Atlanta [Georgia], got a job down there and really didn’t know if I was going to play football or not,” Evans told reporters after practice Tuesday. “I got a call – and [Saskatchewan] was calling me nonstop.”

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The North Carolina product said the Riders called him about 20 times to get him to Saskatchewan and try out for the team.

“I just decided, ‘Hey, I’m getting another shot. I’m only 23 years old, let’s do it,” Evans added.

Evans was signed by the Titans as an undrafted free agent following the 2025 NFL Draft and played three preseason games.

He spent five collegiate seasons (2020-24) at the University of North Carolina, appearing in 55 games as a Tar Heel – including 10 as a true freshman.

Over that time, he registered 124 defensive tackles, including 20.5 for a loss, nine sacks, six pass deflections and two fumble recoveries. He also set set collegiate career highs in defensive tackles (38), tackles for loss (10) and sacks (5) as a senior in 2024.

After getting cut by Tennessee, Evans landed a job in sales thinking his playing career was over.

But the call to seize the opportunity in front of him was too strong.

“It was a chance to play football, which I love doing – I can [work] after that,” he joked.

Evans already appears to be turning heads through the first two-plus weeks of Roughriders’ training camp.

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In the team’s second preseason game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Saturday, he nabbed two tackles and a sack.

“I missed two [sacks] in the first game,” Evans said. “So I was like, ‘I got to make up for it this last game.’ It was it was wonderful, man.”

Riders’ defensive line coach Micah Johnson had his fare share of quarterback sacks over his illustrious CFL career, doing so 71 times in 12 seasons.

He noted Evans has handled the steep learning curve of the CFL well in his first training camp.

“He’s been super receptive,” Johnson said. “He’s a smart guy. He’s one of the guys that picked up the playbook fast. Everything which is asked of him, he’s done and he just had some physical tools even me as a coach, I can’t coach.”

“It’s just about trying to polish up what he already has, and he already brings so much to the table,” the coach added.

Saskatchewan is looking to fill remaining vacant positions on its defensive line.

With Johnson’s January retirement, along with names like Shane Ray and Malik Carney leaving the team in the offseason, the Riders are in desperate need of pass rushers.

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Johnson says there are some tough decisions ahead.

“I told the young guys at the beginning of camp, ‘It’s the open room. Come in here and make an imprint,” he said. “I don’t think you can ask for more of an opportunity in a professional environment than what I think we have at the d-line and guys took full advantage of it.”

Despite having high expectations for himself, Evans says he focused on doing what he can to try and crack the final roster.

“It’s my job to come in here, lock it on the plays and do what I need to do right now,” he reiterated. “It’s up to [management] to want to keep me here. I’m going to do my part as a professional athlete.”

CFL teams have until Saturday to make their final cuts.