The Saskatchewan Roughriders signed defensive lineman Eric Black, linebacker Braxton Hill, and defensive backs Antonie Brooks Jr. and Alfahiym Walcott to future contracts on Thursday according to the CFL Transactions page. Black, Hill, and Brooks Jr. spent the season on Saskatchewan’s practice squad.
Eric Black is six foot and weighs 247 pounds. The 25-year-old from Rochester, New York, attended the New York Giants rookie minicamp in 2023. Black signed with the Edmonton Elks on January 25, 2024. He played two games for the Elks in 2024 making four tackles and one tackle on special teams. The Elks released Black on July 21, 2024.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders signed Black on August 5, 2024. He played two games for Saskatchewan making one tackle on special teams. The Roughriders released him on November 10, 2024.
Collegiately, Black played four seasons at Buffalo (2018-21) with 36 tackles (18 solo, 18 assists), eight tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries in 29 games for the Bulls. He recorded a pair of sacks in the 2021 Camellia Bowl.
Then, he transferred to Stony Brook in 2022 with 19 tackles (11 solo, 8 assists), seven tackles for loss, five sacks, four pass breakups, and one forced fumble in ten games for the Seawolves.
Braxton Hill is six foot two and weighs 225 pounds. The 24-year-old from Anaconda, Montana, went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Saskatchewan Roughriders signed Hill on September 16, 2024, and spent several weeks on the practice squad. The Roughriders released him on October 13, 2024.
Collegiately, Hill played five seasons at Montana (2019-23) making 231 tackles (76 solos, 155 assists), 17 tackles for loss, nine sacks, two interceptions for 34 yards, one touchdown, eight pass breakups, and two fumble recoveries in 51 games for the Grizzlies.
In 2023, Hill made 128 tackles (43 solos, 85 assists), 7.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, two interceptions for 34 yards, one touchdown, five pass breakups, and one fumble recovery in 15 games. He led the Big Sky Conference and finished fifth in the FCS with 128 tackles.
Hill was named First Team All-Big Sky Conference, Second Team All-American by STATS, Third Team All-American by Phil Steele and Associated Press, a two-time Academic All-Big Sky, Team Defensive MVP, Co-Recipient of Tony Barbour Award, and a Buck Buchanan Award Finalist.
Antoine Brooks Jr. is five foot eleven and weighs 210 pounds. The 26-year-old from Lanham, Maryland, was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sixth round (198th pick) of the 2020 NFL Draft. He played one season in Pittsburgh with two tackles (1 solo, 1 assist) in four games before spending the rest of the season on the practice squad.
After Pittsburgh, Brooks Jr. signed with the Los Angeles Rams and spent a couple of seasons on the practice squad. Then, Brooks Jr. was drafted by the Seattle Sea Dragons (XFL) in the second round (10th pick) in Phase 2 of the 2023 XFL Draft.
In 2023, Brooks Jr. made 44 tackles (28 solos, 16 assists), three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one pass breakup, one quarterback hit, and two fumble recoveries in ten games. In the playoffs, he made seven tackles (4 solo, 3 assists) and one interception for 11 yards against the D.C. Defenders.
The Seattle Sea Dragons were not included in the XFL and USFL merger which formed the United Football (UFL) and Brooks Jr. was drafted by the Memphis Showboats in the 2024 UFL Dispersal Draft.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders signed Brooks Jr. on April 11, 2024. He made eight tackles, one interception, and one tackle on special teams in two preseason games and earned a spot on the practice squad. In 2024, Brooks Jr. dressed for one regular season game but did not see any action. The Roughriders released him on November 10, 2024.
Collegiately, Brooks Jr. played four seasons at the University of Maryland (2016-19) with 237 tackles (172 solo, 65 assists), 27.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, four interceptions, one touchdown, 13 pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery in 44 games for the Terrapins.
Alfahiym Walcott is six foot two and weighs 210 pounds. A native of Wilmington, North Carolina, Walcott attended the Buffalo Bills rookie minicamp in 2024.
Collegiately, Walcott played one season at Butler Community College in 2019 making 70 tackles (52 solos, 18 assists), three tackles for loss, three interceptions for 30 yards, two forced fumbles, and 14 pass breakups in 13 games for the Grizzlies. Walcott helped Butler go 10-3 and the Grizzlies won the Midwest Classic Bowl over Trinity Valley. He was named an All-Jayhawk Conference Honorable Mention after the season.
Next, Walcott transferred to Baylor (2020-22) making 118 tackles (74 solos, 44 assists), 12 tackles for loss, three sacks, four interceptions for 105 yards, one touchdown, 13 pass breakups, three forced fumbles, and one blocked kick in 33 games for the Bears.
In the 2022 Sugar Bowl against Ole Miss, Walcott returned a pick-six 96-yard touchdown which was the second-longest interception return in Baylor history. He was named Second Team All-Big 12 by the Associated Press and Pro Football Focus in 2022.
Then, Walcott transferred to Arkansas in 2023 making 56 tackles (34 solos, 22 assists), half tackle for a loss, five pass breakups, three interceptions for 32 yards, and one touchdown in 12 games for the Razorbacks.
