“I’m just ready to work”: Duncan-Busby appreciates opportunity with Roughriders
The injuries never stop so Dhel Duncan-Busby could very well start on Saturday.
If the 24-year-old Saskatchewan Roughriders rookie is elevated to a front-line role this weekend against the Ottawa REDBLACKS, he will become the Green and White’s ninth starting receiver in 15 games this season.
The list already includes Ajou Ajou, Shawn Bane Jr., Samuel Emilus, KeeSean Johnson, Dohnte Meyers, Mitch Picton, Kian Schaffer-Baker and Jerreth Sterns.
As well, return specialist Mario Alford was used as a receiver late in a Week 2 contest after Bane Jr. and Sterns were sidelined. Alford ended up making a key catch to help the Roughriders defeat the host Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33-30 on June 16.
Emilus is the only Roughrider to start at the same receiving position — one of the three slotback spots — this season.
The other two inside receiving positions have had four and three different starters.
As for the wideouts, there have been three starters on the boundary side and five on the field side.
The latter spot has been occupied by, in chronological order, Johnson (Game 1), Picton (Games 2 to 7), Ajou (8), Meyers (9), Picton (10), Bane Jr. (11), Meyers (12) and Bane Jr. (13-14).
“Just in general, I feel like our position group has a lot of depth,” Duncan-Busby said. “There’s a lot of people who have been able to come in and mix and match at different spots.
“As a whole unit, we’ve been really good at being able to adapt.”
Astute drafting doesn’t hurt, either.
Roughriders Vice-President of Football Operations and General Manager Jeremy O’Day announced the selections of Duncan-Busby (third round) and Ajou (seventh) on April 30.
Ajou, who suffered a knee injury on Friday night against the Calgary Stampeders, has 20 catches for 307 yards and two TDs in 12 games despite being the 59th of 74 players to be drafted this year.
Duncan-Busby was the 23rd overall pick.
“I’m excited for him and I’m excited for his future,” quarterback Trevor Harris said of the Vancouver-born receiver. “He’s got all the physical tools and he’s got the want-to.
“The want-to is the main thing. A lot of people say they have it and they talk a big game, but he backs it up with his preparation, with his care factor, and with the things that he’s doing throughout the week and the perfection that he’s demanding of himself.
“I think he’s got a super-bright future. He’s got great hands. He’s got really good contact balance. He’s good after the catch.
“I’m excited to get him through a full game and get him some footballs out in the open field and let him go work.”
Duncan-Busby saw plenty of footballs over four seasons at Bemidji State University in Minnesota.
The numbers from his sophomore, junior and senior years are especially impressive, not to mention uncannily similar.
2021: 49 catches, 725 yards, five touchdowns.
2022: 48 catches, 896 yards, eight touchdowns.
2023: 49 catches, 825 yards, 11 touchdowns.
There is also a resemblance between the uniforms of the Roughriders and the green-and-white-clad Bemidji State Beavers.
“A lot of the stuff I was wearing in college, I can still wear here, for the most part, so it was pretty easy,” the 6-foot-3, 210-pounder said with a smile.
Duncan-Busby was impressive early in training camp before suffering a hand injury that delayed his much-anticipated CFL debut.
His third game — Friday’s visit to Calgary — was the most productive to date. He caught two passes for 34 yards, including a 27-yarder.
“I had a little bit of a setback coming out of training camp, but I feel like now I’m starting to catch stride,” he said.
“Obviously, I’m getting the opportunity to play, which I’m super-grateful for.
“I’m just ready to work.”
JAVIER JOINS ROUGHRIDERS
The Roughriders announced the signing of defensive back Robert Javier, who played at Towson University in Maryland from 2018 to 2023.
He recently spent training camp with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans after signing with them as an undrafted free agent.
The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder — the 4,505th documented player in Roughriders history — is the fourth Towson product to sign with the Green and White.
He was preceded by defensive back Julian Blair (training camp 1993), linebacker Telvion Clark (who played in three games with the Roughriders in 2015) and quarterback Tom Flacco (training camp 2021).
