SASKATOON — University of Saskatchewan Huskies veterans Seth Hundeby and Daniel Wiebe are suddenly newcomers on the familiar Griffiths Stadium turf.
Hundeby and Wiebe, both of whom were selected in the CFL Draft on April 29, were introduced to the on-field version of professional football on Wednesday when the Saskatchewan Roughriders began rookie camp at the U of S.
“It’s kind of surreal,” said Wiebe, a speedy receiver who turns 22 on June 5. “Just seeing Rider jerseys in practice, I’m like, ‘I’m really doing it right now.’
“It’s amazing.”
Wiebe was drafted by Saskatchewan in the eighth round (69th overall) after averaging more than 100 receiving yards per Canada West regular-season game last season.
Hundeby, a 23-year-old linebacker, was picked in the fourth round (34th). What stood out for him on Day 1?
“It definitely would be the professionalism and the size and the speed,” he said. “Everybody wants to be here and everybody deserves to be here.
“Everyone is moving fast and taking it seriously. It’s not like you’ve got guys talking in the back in meetings. Nope. Everybody here is wanting to get paid.”
Although both players have close ties to Saskatoon, they are staying in the dorms at the U of S. In fact, they are rookie-camp roommates.
“We were both super-excited, just spending more time together,” Hundeby said. “We know our way around campus and we’re similar because we like to be (at meetings and practices) super-duper early.
“So, yeah, it has been a good experience.”
Rookie-camp sessions will also run Thursday and Friday, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Main camp, presented by Coors Light, kicks off on Sunday, also at 8:30 in the morning.
PLAYS OF THE DAY
Day 1 highlights …
• It wasn’t just a banner day from a local perspective for Wiebe and Hundeby. Saskatoon Hilltops defensive back Dalton Urban, who has been invited to camp as a territorial junior, notched an interception during his first pro practice.
• Wednesday’s second pick was returned for a touchdown by second-year Roughrider Antoine Brooks Jr., who is eligible for rookie camp because he played in only one regular-season game in 2024.
• Another defensive gem was a pass knockdown by Robert Javier, who joined the Roughriders on Sept. 25 and spent time on the practice roster.
• Offensively, receivers Joe Robustelli and Wayne Ruby Jr. were neck-and-neck for catch-of-the-day after making diving grabs.
• Honourable mention goes to fullback Natan Girouard-Langlois, who signed with Saskatchewan as an undrafted free agent. He stretched out to make a diving catch of a low throw.
• Not to be outdone, receiver Ty James made a pair of picturesque catches, including one lunging grab over the middle.
• The quickness of former University of Regina Rams receiver D’Sean Mimbs as showcased during his route-running as he exploded out of his breaks.
• The nimble feet of running back Mario Anderson were also noted. He rushed for 1,362 yards and 18 touchdowns in 13 games with the University of Memphis Tigers last year.
COREY’S COMMENTS
Head Coach Corey Mace’s first media scrum of the 2025 season included an inquiry about what caught his eye on opening day.
“The size of some of these guys,” the reigning West Division Coach of the Year replied. “We’ve got some pretty big DBs out there. On the offensive line, we’ve got a couple of big jokers.
“I was just seeing some of the guys understanding the tempo but also playing aggressively within the means of that and being professional.
“I saw (defensive end) Aaron Patrick have a good couple of reps in the team run period. Our junior player, Urban, got himself a little pick there.
“I can’t wait for what the nicknames are for Urban. They called him Keith Urban earlier, so we’ll see if that sticks.”
