Photo: A.J. Henderson/Georgia Southern
The Ottawa Redblacks added two quarterbacks to their negotiation list on Wednesday: Ty Pennington and JC French IV.
Pennington is entering his senior season at Northern Arizona University, where he has completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 5,404 yards, 32 touchdowns, and six interceptions over 24 games. He has also rushed for 630 yards and nine scores.
The six-foot-two, 210-pound passer was named the Big Sky Newcomer of the Year in 2024 and an All-Big Sky honourable mention in 2025.
The native of Sand Springs, Okla. originally started his collegiate career at Pittsburg State University in Kansas, where he threw for 447 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception in 2023.
French IV recently transferred to the University of Cincinnati, where he’s expected to play his final year of collegiate football in 2026.
The 22-year-old spent the past three seasons at Georgia Southern University, where he completed 65.0 percent of his passes for 5,882 yards, 38 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions. He also rushed for 265 yards and eight scores.
The six-foot-one, 205-pound passer originally committed to the University of Memphis in 2022, where he redshirted for one year.
CFL teams can claim the rights to up to 45 players via the negotiation list on a first-come, first-served basis, provided that they are not eligible for the Canadian or Global Drafts, and have never played in the league before. These players can be added, traded, or removed from the list at any time.
Being added to a negotiation list does not mean that the player has expressed interest in the CFL, and some are unaware that their rights have even been claimed. Players can only force their removal from the list if the team does not provide them with a minimum contract offer at their request.
The Ottawa Redblacks recently selected Purdue offensive lineman Giordano Vaccaro with their first-round pick in the 2026 CFL Draft and it appears he could be a day-one starter. The team’s other major offseason additions include quarterback Jake Maier, running back Greg Bell, linebacker A.J. Allen, and strong-side linebacker C.J. Reavis.
All CFL training camps are scheduled to open on May 10. The team will play its first preseason game against the Montreal Alouettes on Friday, May 22 and its first regular-season game against the Edmonton Elks on Saturday, June 6.
In 2025, Ottawa finished fourth in the East Division standings with a 4-14 record, missing the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Ryan Dinwiddie was hired as the team’s head coach and general manager after the firing of Bob Dyce.
