The BC Lions announced on Wednesday the signing of quarterback Tommy Ritenhouse as well as running back Emani Bailey.
QB Tommy Rittenhouse – Illinois State (5’11, 195 lbs)
Rittenhouse played his collegiate ball with Illinois State from 2022 to 2025 after redshirting in 2021. He dressed in 44 games over which he completed 669 of his 1,032 passes (64.8%) for 7,117 yards and 60 touchdowns with 21 interceptions. He also rushed 235 times for 1,145 yards, 4.9 average, and 19 touchdowns. He had over 400 rushing yards in each of his last 2 seasons.
2024 saw him complete 259 of his 390 passes (66.4%) for 2,840 yards and 17 touchdowns with 7 interceptions. In 2025, he completed 334 of his 516 passes (64.7%) for 3,568 yards and 40 touchdowns with 12 interceptions.
Rittenhouse was an All-Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2025 and an All-MVFC Honorable Mention in 2024.
“Tommy is an athletic, productive quarterback that’s consistently made plays as a runner and a passer at Illinois State,” stated Lions’ General Manager Ryan Rigmaiden. “He is another dynamic player for our QB room that we are really excited about.”
RB Emani Bailey – TCU (5’7, 202 lbs)
Emani Baily started his college career at Louisiana, where he played in 2020 and 2021, rushing 112 times for 702 yards (6.26 yards per carry) and 8 touchdowns. He also caught 15 passes for 153 yards with Louisiana.
Bailey finished his NCAA career with TCU in 2022 and 2023. 2022 saw him rush 31 times for 250 yards (8.06 yards per carry) with 2 touchdowns and catch 7 passes for 43 yards. He was a workhorse in 2023, rushing 223 times for 1,209 yards (5.42 average) and 8 touchdowns, and catching 25 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown. He was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention in 2023 and subsequently invited to the Senior Bowl.
He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024 as an undrafted free agent, where he spent time on the practice squad after rushing 10 times for 29 yards in the preseason. He was released in November of 2024 and picked up by Carolina in December. He rushed 14 times for 58 yards in the 2025 preseason with the Panthers prior to being waived.
Bailey had the 26th-highest rushing grade from Pro Football Focus in the 2025 NFL preseason among running backs.
