The Ottawa Redblacks signed wide receiver Ryan McDaniel, defensive lineman Gerald Willis, and released wide receiver Maurice Ffrench on Monday according to the CFL Transactions page.
Ryan McDaniel is six foot two and weighs 204 pounds. The 25-year-old from Sugar Land, Texas, was targeted 35 times making 18 catches for 224 yards, two touchdowns, and two carries for 24 yards in ten games for the Memphis Showboats (USFL) in 2023. The Showboats (then the Tampa Bay Bandits) signed McDaniel as a free agent on September 17, 2022.
Before Memphis, McDaniel signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent on May 16, 2022. He was targeted three times but recorded no stats in one preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Collegiately, McDaniel played one season at Tulsa in 2017 as a defensive back with seven tackles (5 solo, 2 assists) and one blocked kick in 10 games for the Golden Hurricanes.
Then, he transferred to North Carolina Central (2018-21) transitioning into a wide receiver making 100 catches for 1,206 yards, 8 touchdowns, five carries for 24 yards, 8 kick returns for 122 yards, 13 tackles (7 solo, 6 assists), and one fumble recovery in 33 games for the Eagles. He was named Second Team All-MEAC in 2021 and was selected to play in the 2022 HBCU Legacy Bowl in New Orleans.
Gerald Willis is six foot two and weighs 300 pounds. The 28-year-old from New Orleans, Louisiana, made 24 tackles (8 solo, 16 assists), five tackles for loss, two sacks, and two forced fumbles in ten games for the Orlando Guardians (XFL) in 2023. The Guardians drafted Willis in the second round (9th pick) in Phase 3 of the 2022 XFL Draft.
Before Orlando, Willis signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent on May 3, 2023. He also spent time with the Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers. In 2019, he played two regular season games with the Dolphins making two tackles (2 assists).
Collegiately, Willis played one season at Florida in 2014 making 14 tackles (6 solo, 8 assists), half a tackle for loss, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery in 8 games for the Gators.
Then, he transferred to Miami (FL) (2015-18) with 78 tackles (47 solo, 31 assists), 23.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, four pass breakups, and one fumble recovery in 21 games for the Hurricanes. He was named Second Team All-ACC and Second Team All-American in 2018.
Maurice Ffrench is five foot eleven and weighs 200 pounds. The 25-year-old from New Brunswick, New Jersey, was on the Redblacks practice squad in 2023. The Redblacks signed French as a free agent on August 2, 2023.
Before Ottawa, Ffrench signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2020, making the practice squad, and later signed with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2022, playing three games with one catch for three yards.
Then, Ffrench signed with the Edmonton Elks on November 23, 2022. Ffrench made 15 catches for 190 yards, and one touchdown in four games for the Elks in 2023 before he was released on July 24, 2023.
Collegiately, Ffrench played four seasons at the University of Pittsburgh (2016-19) with 156 catches for 1,637 yards, ten touchdowns, 49 carries for 379 yards, four touchdowns, 27 kick returns for 652 yards, two touchdowns, and 28 punt returns for 164 yards in 46 games for the Panthers. He was named to the All-ACC third team in 2019.
