The Hamilton Tiger-Cats made several moves on Friday. First, they signed Mount Allison defensive lineman Reece Martin, defensive back Robert Panabaker, and Saskatchewan wide receiver Caleb Morin.
Next, they signed wide receiver Justin McGriff, linebacker Dyton Blackett, and wide receiver Jon’Vea Johnson. Lastly, Hamilton announced that linebacker Grant McDonald is retiring.
Reece Martin is six foot five and weighs 285 pounds. The 22-year-old from Moncton, New Brunswick, was drafted in the fourth round (31st pick) of the 2023 CFL Draft. Martin made 25 tackles (19 solo, 12 assists), 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and two pass breakups in eight games for the Mounties.
Martin played four seasons at Mount Allison (2018-19, 2021-22) with 67.5 tackles (50 solo, 35 assists), 20.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and six pass breakups in 29 games. He is a three-time Hardy Trophy winner (2018, 2021-22).
Robert Panabaker is six foot and weighs 190 pounds. The 23-year-old from London, Ontario, was drafted by Hamilton in the fifth round (40th pick) of the 2023 CFL Draft. In Panabaker’s senior year made 38 tackles (15 solo, 23 assists), one tackle for loss, six interceptions for 108 yards, one touchdown, 12 pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery in ten games for the Mustangs.
Panabaker played four seasons at Western (2018-19, 2021-22) with 88 tackles (53 solo, 35 assists), 2.5 tackles for loss, seven interceptions for 108 yards, one touchdown, 21 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries in 36 games. He helped the Mustangs win the 2021 Yates Cup and the 2022 Vanier Cup.
Caleb Morin is six foot three and weighs 190 pounds. The 23-year-old from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, was drafted by Hamilton in the eighth round (67th pick) of the 2023 CFL Draft. In his senior season, Morin made 48 catches for 736 yards, and one touchdown in 12 games for the Huskies.
Morin played four seasons at the University of Saskatchewan (2017-19, 2022) with 61 catches for 900 yards, one touchdown, one carry for seven yards, and seven punt returns for 49 yards in 32 games.
Justin McGriff is six foot six and weighs 215 pounds. The 22-year-old from Tampa, Florida, caught 30 passes for 438 yards, and four touchdowns for the Aggies in 2022.
McGriff played three seasons at Utah State (2020-22) with 80 catches for 1,037 yards, and 15 touchdowns in 33 games. His 1,037 yards became the 37th player in school history with 1,000 career receiving yards
Before Utah State, McGriff played one season at ASA Miami in 2018 with 25 catches for 360 yards and eight touchdowns in seven games for the Silver Storm.
Dyton Blackett is six foot four and weighs 227 pounds. The 23-year-old from Canning, Nova Scotia, made 32.5 tackles (27 solo, 11 assists), 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions for 36 yards, and one pass breakup in eight games for the X-Men.
Blackett played four seasons at St. Francis Xavier (2018-19, 2021-22) with 49 tackles (40 solo, 18 assists), seven tackles for loss, four sacks, two interceptions for 36 yards, and two pass breakups in 22 games.
Jon’Vea Johnson is six foot and weighs 192 pounds. The 27-year-old from Gary, Indiana, signed with the Memphis Showboats (USFL) in February 2023 but was released two months later. Before Memphis, Johnson spent the 2022 season on the Montreal Alouettes practice squad.
Johnson signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He also spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears.
Collegiately, Johnson played four seasons at Toledo (2015-18) with 120 catches for 2,186 yards, 24 touchdowns, one catch for three yards, and one kick return for 22 yards in 51 games for the Rockets. He was named Third Team All-MAC in 2018 after making 30 catches for 623 yards, nine touchdowns, and one kick return for 22 yards in 12 games.
Grant McDonald is six foot three and weighs 235 pounds. The 23-year-old from Tsawwassen, British Columbia, made eight tackles on special teams in 18 games for the Ticats in 2022. Before Hamilton, he played 14 games for the Edmonton Elks in 2021 with 16 tackles on special teams.
The Elks drafted McDonald in the second round (14th pick) in the 2021 CFL Draft. Collegiately, McDonald played one season at Maine in 2017 with seven tackles (6 solo, 1 assist) and one forced fumble in nine games for the Black Bears. Then, he transferred to the University of Calgary (2018-19) with 122 tackles (103 solo, 39 assists), 14.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, one interception, three pass breakups, and one forced fumble in 20 games for the Dinos.
