The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed Global defensive lineman Habakkuk Baldonado and American defensive back William Poole III.
Baldonado (6’5-260) signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft. The Italian defensive lineman suited up for three preseason games for the Giants tallying four tackles, a sack and a pass defended. Baldonado was the second-round selection of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the 2023 CFL Global Draft.
Collegiately, the 24-year-old spent five collegiate seasons (2018-22) at the University of Pittsburgh seeing action in 40 games. He recorded 99 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, two pass knockdowns, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and one punt block. In the 2021 season, Baldonado led the Panthers with nine sacks and earned Second-Team All-ACC Honours.
Poole III (6’0-190) played six collegiate seasons (2017-22) at the University of Georgia. In 33 games, the former Bulldog recorded 27 tackles, including 1.5 for a loss, and four pass knockdowns. The Georgia native was part of the elite Bulldogs defence in 2021 that only allowed 9.5 points per game, by far the best mark in the country, and captured the 2021 CFP National Championship. Poole III finished with four tackles and two pass breakups in the championship game against the University of Alabama.
