Eric Rascoe, Matt Sibley join Stampeders in 2026 CFL draft

A Calgary Stampeders helmet is seen following a practice in Calgary, Thursday, June 4, 2009. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

There is a roster of new faces that joined the Calgary Stampeders as the CFL draft got underway Tuesday night.

The Stampeders had eight picks in this year’s draft, including a No. 6 pick in the first round that saw the team bring on linebacker Eric Rascoe from Angelo State University.

The six-foot-one, 210-pound linebacker was a three-time first team All-Conference selection at Division II, and he recorded 39 tackles in five games with the San Antonio Gunslingers of the Indoor Football League in 2025.

The 25-year-old is from Texas, but his mom is Canadian, which made him eligible for the draft.

Stampeders Head Coach and General Manager Dave Dickensen told reporters Tuesday he was excited to bring Rascoe to the team.

“I met his dad up at Combine and I felt like this guy really wants to play in the CFL, he wants to play football, and he feels like this would be a great opportunity,” Dickensen said.

The first pick of the draft overall went to the Ottawa Redblacks, who used the No. 1 selection to take the six-foot-two, 307-pound Purdue offensive lineman into their ranks.

More Canadian talent coming to the team

The Stampeders traded their second round pick to the BC Lions for Vernon Adams. In the third round, they picked up wide receiver Jesulayomi Ojutalayo 26th overall from Wilfrid Laurier University and Tristan Marois, a defensive linemen from Colorado by way of the Lions, coming 27th overall.

In the fifth round, the team picked up Calgary’s own Matt Sibley 44th overall.

The sixth round saw the team take offensive lineman Mitchel Schechinger 53rd overall from the University of Guelph and Steven Kpehe as a defensive lineman from Queen’s University in the seventh round 62nd overall.

Offensive lineman Jack Wararck of the University of Saskatchewan was picked 71st overall in the eighth round.

Training camp opens May 10, and the first pre-season game is May 18, where they host defending Grey Cup champions the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

— with files from CTV News’ Glenn Campbell and The Canadian Press