The Ottawa Redblacks signed running backs Ryquell Armstead and Tyler Hoosman along with wide receivers KeSean Carter and Jon’Vea Johnson on Tuesday.
Ryquell Armstead is five foot eleven and weighs 230 pounds. The 27-year-old from Millville, New Jersey, spent a month on Ottawa’s practice squad in 2023. He originally signed with Ottawa on June 26, 2023. Before Ottawa, he played eight games for the D.C. Defenders in 2023 with 63 carries for 217 yards, four catches for 37 yards, and one touchdown.
The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Armstead in the fifth round (140th pick) in the 2019 NFL Draft. He played three seasons in Jacksonville with 50 carries for 188 yards, 17 catches for 160 yards, and two touchdowns in 18 games. After Jacksonville, Armstead had stints with the New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, and Green Bay Packers.
Collegiately, Armstead played four seasons at Temple (2015-18) with 573 carries for 2,812 yards, 34 touchdowns, 29 catches for 175 yards, and two kick returns for 38 yards in 47 games for the Owls. He was named to the All-American Athletic Conference Third Team by Phil Steele in 2016.
Tyler Hoosman is five foot eleven and weighs 214 pounds. The 24-year-old from Plainfield, Illinois, played two preseason games for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023 with 12 carries for 43 yards, and two catches for five yards. The Chargers signed Hoosman as an undrafted free agent on May 12, 2023.
Collegiately, Hoosman played four seasons at Northern Iowa (2018-21) with 255 carries for 1,034 yards, 12 touchdowns, 10 catches for 89 yards, and one kick return for 20 yards in 34 games for the Panthers. He was a two-time All-MVFC Honorable Mention.
Then, Hoosman transferred to North Dakota in 2022 with 143 carries for 882 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 15 catches for 99 yards in 10 games for the Fighting Hawks.
KeSean Carter is five foot eleven and weighs 180 pounds. The 24-year-old from Willis, Texas, played three seasons at Texas Tech (2018-20) with 83 catches for 831 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 4 carries for 38 yards in 26 games for the Red Raiders. In addition, Carter competed in Track and Field.
In 2019, Carter made a semi-final appearance in a stacked 60m field at the Texas Tech Classic, where he ran a 6.77, ran the 200m at the Texas Tech Shootout with a time of 21.33 seconds finishing in eighth place, and PR’d in the 60m at the Big 12 Championships with a 6.71 to earn a spot in the final, but did not race due to injury.
Then, Carter transferred to Houston (2021-22) with 64 catches for 932 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 1 carry for 6 yards in 22 games for the Cougars.
Jon’Vea Johnson is six foot and weighs 190 pounds. The 27-year-old from Gary, Indiana, made two catches for 27 yards in one preseason game for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2023 before he was released as part of the final roster cuts.
Before Hamilton, Johnson signed with the Memphis Showboats (USFL) in February 2023 but was released two months later. In 2022, Johnson was on the Montreal Alouettes practice squad.
The Dallas Cowboys signed Johnson as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He also spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears.
Collegiately, Johnson played four seasons at Toledo (2015-18) with 120 catches for 2,186 yards, 24 touchdowns, one catch for three yards, and one kick return for 22 yards in 51 games for the Rockets. He was named Third Team All-MAC in 2018 after making 30 catches for 623 yards, nine touchdowns, and one kick return for 22 yards in 12 games.
