On Tuesday, the Saskatchewan Roughriders drafted defensive lineman Tyrone Taleni in the first round (3rd pick) and punter Jordy Sandy in the second round (12th pick) of the 2024 CFL Global Draft.
Tyrone Taleni is six foot two and weighs 275 pounds. A native of Savai’i, Western Samoa, Taleni played one season at Mt. San Antonio College in 2019 with 26 tackles (15 solo, 11 assists), six tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and one pass breakup in 10 games for the Mounties.
Next, he transferred to Kansas State (2020-21) with five tackles (5 solo), two tackles for loss, and two sacks in 10 games for the Wildcats. Then, he transferred to USC (2022-23) making 36 tackles (16 solo, 20 assists), 8 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and one forced fumble in 21 games for the Trojans.
Jordy Sandy is six foot three and weighs 215 pounds. A native of Traralgon, Australia, played five seasons at TCU (2019-23) punting the ball 261 times for 10,611 yards (40.7 AVG) with a long of 64 yards, 16 touchbacks, 142 fair catches, 91 from inside the 20-yard line, 35 from 50-plus yards, one carry for -8 yards, and three tackles (3 solo) in 61 games for the Horned Frogs.
In 2023, Sandy punted the ball 37 times for 1,561 yards (42.2 AVG) with a long of 57 yards, two touchbacks, 17 fair catches, 11 from inside the 20-yard line, five from 50-plus yards, and one carry for -8 yards in 12 games. He was named Second Team All-Big 12 in 2020, a two-time All-Big 12 Honorable Mention, and was on the Ray Guy Award watchlist.
