TORONTO, Canada – Former Colorado State University Pueblo quarterback Hunter Raquet recently signed a contract to play with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.
Raquet, who played one season for the ThunderWolves in 2022, attended rookie minicamp with the NFL's Denver Broncos in 2023. Raquet is one of four quarterbacks listed on Toronto's roster with former Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly being the incumbent starter after earning the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award in 2023.
In his one season with the Pack in 2022, Raquet, who is listed as 6-foot-4, 225-pounds, threw for 2,316 yards with 27 touchdowns and just four interceptions with the Pack. During the 2022 season, Raquet played in 11 games and was 140-for-238 passing and averaged nearly 211 passing yards per game. He also finished the season with 2,377 yards of total offense as he rushed for 61 yards on 70 attempts. He recorded three or more touchdown passes in five games, including a season-high five touchdown passes at Black Hills State. Raquet was also named a two-time NFF Colorado Chapter Player of the Week. The 27 touchdown passes were the most in a single season by a Pack quarterback since Chris Bonner tossed 30 in 2014.
Prior to playing at CSU Pueblo, Raquet, who is a native of Santa Cruz, Calif., played at Jacksonville State during the 2021 season and at Fresno State in 2018. In addition, he played at Monterey Peninsula College in both 2017 and 2019 and threw for over 5,000 yards and 59 touchdowns and was a two-time All-Conference selection.
Raquet is the second Pack player to sign a contract with a CFL team in the past week as former Pack defensive lineman Trey Botts signed a two-year contract last week with the defending CFL Grey Cup Champion Montreal Alouettes.
Raquet and Botts are two of four former ThunderWolves that are currently active players on CFL rosters. They will be joined in the league by Dean Faithfull, who is a kicker for the Edmonton Elks and Darius Williams, who is a linebacker for the Calgary Stampeders. In addition, several other Pack players have played in the CFL the since 2016 as Darius Allen played four years in the league from 2016-19, including playing two seasons with British Columbia and two seasons with Edmonton, while CJ Roberts played the 2016 season with Winnipeg and Dionte Sykes signed in 2022 with Edmonton, but was released prior to main camp starting.
During the 2023 season, Toronto finished the season with a 16-2 overall record and lost in the Eastern Division finals of the CFL Playoffs to Montreal. The Argos, who are coached by Ryan Dinwiddie, will commence with a preseason game on May 25 at Montreal and will open the 2024 regular season with a home game on June 9 against the BC Lions.
