The Saskatchewan Roughriders signed defensive lineman Habakkuk Baldonado and defensive back William Poole III to the practice squad on Monday.
Habakkuk Baldonado is six foot five and weighs 260 pounds. The 24-year-old from Rome, Italy, was drafted by the Roughriders in the second round (12th pick) of the 2023 CFL Global Draft. Baldonado signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2023. He played three preseason games with five tackles (1 solo, 4 assists), one sack, and one pass breakup.
Collegiately, Baldonado played five seasons at the University of Pittsburgh (2018-22) with 99 tackles (45 solo, 54 assists), 22.5 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, two pass breakups, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and one blocked kick in 40 games for the Panthers.
He was named Second Team All-ACC in 2021 and named to the All-ACC Academic Football Team in 2022 and played in the East-West Shrine Bowl.
William Poole III is six foot and weighs 190 pounds. The 24-year-old from Atlanta, Georgia, played six seasons at the University of Georgia (2017-22) making 27 tackles (22 solo, 5 assists), 1.5 tackles for loss, and four pass breakups in 33 games for the Bulldogs.
In 2021, Georgia’s defense allowed 9.5 points per game on their way to winning the CFP National Championship. In the championship game, Poole III made four tackles (3 solo, 1 assist), half a tackle for loss, and two pass breakups.
