Photo: Michael Scraper/3DownNation. All rights reserved.
Ajou Ajou’s CFL future still hangs in the balance after violating the league’s gender-based violence and harassment policy, but he will never wear the Green and White again under the franchise’s current leadership.
“Not with the Saskatchewan Roughriders,” general manager Jeremy O’Day stated clearly when asked if there was any potential for future reconciliation with the Canadian receiver.
“I think this was a clear violation of our code of conduct and the CFL’s gender-based violence policy. This one was pretty clear-cut.”
Ajou was issued a minimum six-game suspension by the CFL on Thursday after a third-party investigation corroborated allegations that he engaged in “aggressive and unwelcome physical contact” with multiple women at a Regina restaurant. The Roughriders released the 24-year-old immediately following the announcement.
O’Day declined to elaborate on the exact nature of the allegations or whether a criminal complaint was made, though SportsCage.com has since reported that no charges have been filed against Ajou. He revealed that the Riders were contacted directly by a complainant in January, not by the Regina police, and promptly informed the CFL of the situation. While the league spearheaded the investigation, the decision to cut ties with the receiver was left entirely to the organization.
“The decision to release him was solely our decision. We did not have any direction on what we were going to do. It was solely a team decision,” O’Day said.
“We support the league’s decision. We support the program, the policy, and there is a protocol of what we need to do in situations. I’ll let the league comment on their protocol of what happens once they’re notified of any situations, but there is a pretty clear path of what you’re supposed to do and how fast you’re supposed to do it. That’s what we did, and then just helped them with any information they needed. I would say that the league did the majority of the investigations.”
The allegations against Ajou stem from the evening of November 18, 2025, the day of the Riders’ Grey Cup parade. O’Day stated that no other player was involved in the incident, and emphasized that intoxication was no excuse for the behaviour.
“We talk about how to handle yourself in the community. The education that we receive for the players during training camp isn’t just based on the gender-based violence policy; there’s substance abuse. We regularly talk to our players about our expectations of how they act in the community. It is pretty straightforward,” he said.
“Not that it’s right or wrong, but it’s pretty common, the celebrations that happen after winning a championship. I think there is a line that you have to make sure you don’t cross. Obviously, you want to make sure that everyone’s staying as safe as possible. You want everyone to enjoy their hard work, but you also want to do it in a responsible manner.”
Ajou’s suspension mirrors the one levied against Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly in 2024, when he was found to have violated the CFL’s gender-based violence and harassment policy. In order to be reinstated, the native of Brooks, Alta., will have to take part in at least 15 mandatory counselling sessions conducted by a gender-based violence expert, undergo a psychological assessment by another independent expert, and meet with Commissioner Stewart Johnston. If he does not satisfy those criteria, the punishment could be modified.
Toronto stood by Kelly through a nine-game suspension, but Saskatchewan quickly elected to cut ties with Ajou. The franchise has previously released players accused of violating the gender-based violence policy, including defensive back Justin Cox in 2017 and running back Jerome Messam in 2018. However, both of those situations were the result of criminal charges and saw the players indefinitely barred from playing in the CFL.
More recently, defensive back Kosi Onyeka was released following an undisclosed code of conduct violation in 2025. Others, like Loucheiz Purifoy in 2021, have been arrested following public incidents but allowed to stay with the team, at least in the short term. O’Day insisted that the organization does not approach these situations with a cookie-cutter mindset, judging each on its merits before determining the severity of the punishment.
“I think every situation is unique and its own. What we do is we collectively sit down and discuss anything that we need to. This case was no different,” he said. “We collectively sat down, and I think you have to get all the information. I think that’s really important to make sure you have all the information. I wouldn’t just put it to we handle everything the same way. I think that each situation is handled differently, but there’s certain things that maybe are tolerated more than others, and there’s certain things that aren’t.”
Ajou’s release is a significant loss to Saskatchewan’s offensive lineup, as he was projected to be one of three Canadian starters in the receiving corps. It also comes as a major blow off the field, where the gregarious youngster had quickly become a fan-favourite personality.
The Riders gambled on Ajou when they selected him in the seventh round of the 2024 CFL Draft, offering a shot at redemption after a wayward collegiate career that saw him devolve from a top prospect at Clemson to an afterthought at Garden City Community College. The six-foot-three, 218-pound target exceeded expectations on the field, catching 42 passes for 519 yards and two touchdowns across 20 games, interrupted only by a training camp stint with the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts last season.
His return to Saskatchewan mid-way through the 2025 campaign was described as a homecoming. Few would have anticipated that a starting assignment in the 112th Grey Cup would mark his final game in Rider green.
“It’s difficult for any player, but there are certain guys that you root for to do well,” O’Day acknowledged, striking a sombre tone. “We spent a lot of time with him, and it’s a sad situation all the way around. You feel for everyone that’s involved. Ultimately, we’re responsible for the decisions we make, and so it’s a tough one.”
“It’s unfortunate that it happens, and I would say that hopefully it prevents it from happening again. Hopefully, it makes people think about the decisions they make, understand that it’s important to be in control of yourself all the time, and treat people with respect.”
The Roughriders hold the ninth overall pick in the 2026 CFL Draft, which is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28 at 7:00 p.m. EDT. All CFL training camps are scheduled to open on May 10. Saskatchewan will play its first preseason game against the Calgary Stampeders on Monday, May 18 and its first regular-season game against the B.C. Lions on Saturday, June 13.
