As training camp ends, Milanovich says Tiger-Cats are right where they need to be
Over and Out.
The Tiger-Cats staged their final full practice of the week on Wednesday morning, which means 2025 training camp’s heavy lifting is done. All that remains is Thursday’s spirited walk-through—a no pads, no-real-running rehearsal of basic concepts, with every player wearing somebody else’s jersey—and Friday night’s final pre-season game against the Toronto Argonauts in Guelph.
Saturday, they depart the McMaster Campus to return to Hamilton Stadium in preparation for next weekend’s regular-season opener in Calgary.
But not before the coaching and personnel staff spend a mostly sleepless Friday night finalizing the last cuts—a cohort of perhaps two dozen players—in order to get down to the CFL-regulation 44-player active roster, plus the practice roster and injury list.
“I just told them I thought it was a great two-and-a-half weeks of energy,” head coach Scott Milanovich said after addressing the team at midfield upon the conclusion of the final drills.
“The buy-in has been excellent. I think the focus, the leadership, is much improved. And I think we’re right where we need to be at this point. There’s a lot of work left to be done, but, I’m pleased with where we’re at.”
A portion of Friday’s game points ahead to the next couple of weeks when the games mean something. Milanovich and his staff want to see a progression from last Saturday night’s first exhibition, a relatively satisfying victory over the same Argos, which reflects what they want to see in the opening part of the real season.
“We haven’t played much football live, that’s the biggest thing,” Milanovich said. “And that’s part of the CFL season with the short pre-season. You know the product isn’t what it’s going to be at mid-season in the first game. So, what we’ve got to do is learn on the fly and improve on a weekly basis. You should certainly be better in week two than you are in week one.
“In the meantime, you’ve got to find ways to win. So, it’s a process in this league because you don’t have that six week NFL preseason where, you know, everybody can get a thousand reps.”
In general, the Ticats will be asking for better overall tackling than they displayed at home last weekend, will provide plenty of playing time for those most deeply involved in the still-numerous roster-spot battles, and will afford the primary backups in critical positions, such as quarterback Taylor Powell, enough snaps to ready themselves.
“I’m looking for, in particular, the guys that are on the bubble—the young guys fighting for spots—to go out there and hopefully they can play fast and show what they actually can do without thinking too much about what’s going on,” Milanovich said.
The Ticats are still deciding how many of the presumptive regular-season starters will get some playing time, and how much of it, after most of them got into a full half or more against Toronto on Saturday.
It’s important to be in synch to break out quickly when the regular-season gates open—which the Cats have too infrequently accomplished over the last couple of decades—but it’s also important not to impose extra wear and tear on bodies already a bit punished from training camp. It’s another installment of the classic saw-off between rest and rust.
New players, and even some vets, who made an impression last weekend have to continue that into Friday. That will happen in several places but most graphically in kick returning where second-year Cat Isaiah Wooden had a solid game but also faces some other contenders, in the overall linebacking corps, and in the secondary depth chart. Many of those competitions will directly impact special teams and, eventually, the practice roster.
And every player involved is aware of it.
“Yeah, for sure,” says Qwuantrezz Knight, a former UCLA Bruin, who spent two years on NFL practice rosters but is a CFL rookie. He played Saturday’s second half at SAM linebacker, which is considered part of the secondary, after fellow newcomer Quavian White played the first 30 minutes. Both are squarely in the mix with a couple of other leading candidates for defensive back reserve roles, special teams work and practice roster spots.
Knight was noticeable with good coverage speed and special teams work that resulted in five tackles—one on special teams the other four on defence—including a couple of bone-rattlers.
“I feel like there’s no pressure,” he said. “I just need to go out there and continue doing what I’ve been doing. That’s being on my assignment. And I’ll make the plays that come to me, you know what I mean?
“Going into last week’s game my main thing was just learning the CFL rules, like the no-yards rule. That was a big thing. Going out there and making my plays definitely made me more comfortable for this week’s game. My preparation went up a level.
“I know I put on a good show and I want to make an even better show this week. So the preparation has stayed the same…don’t try to do too much, let everything happen in front of me.
“This game is definitely a serious one for a lot of people. You’ve got guys playing to make a team right now, going out there and putting their best foot forward.”
Quarterback Taylor Powell, who started nine games in 2023, has completed his third training camp and with starter Bo Levi Mitchell coming off a monster season, the Cats are confident about their pivot talent and potential.
“Just to do the simple things better and have a clean operation,” Powell said of his goals for Friday night. “Drops, reads, concepts, hots, all that. Just the controllables and operating at a high level.”
Powell said the speed, intensity and depth of coordinator Brent Monson’s defence—not only the A team but also the next group—has helped focus the offence during practice all through training camp.
“I think the best teams have great balance and competition,” Powell said. “And I think it’s been really good just to learn from all the exotic blitzes and stuff that they do. And it’s really good for us to develop great things to work against that. I think if we were shredding them every day in practice it’d be a problem. The same thing if we were getting dominated every day in practice; severe problem.”
Defensive tackle Casey Sayles is also in his third Ticat season after coming over—stop us if you’ve heard this before—from Winnipeg and earning his first divisional all-star berth in 2023. He is joined up front by free agent signings, Tyjuan Garbutt, Miles Fox and Julian Howsare who returns to the team after two years in Calgary.
“The number one thing for us is trying get off the ball as fast as possible,” Sayles said. “And I think we’re working together pretty well. Obviously none of us has played together besides Fox and Garbutt in Winnipeg but I think the relationships are there. I think we’re communicating really well so far.
“The offence, defence and special teams have been running well together. One major thing is that if you look at the last few years we’ve kind of battled some kind of injury bug a little bit during camp, some of those freak injuries. But, we’ve been pretty good this year. Scott’s been taking care of us, so everyone’s legs are under them.
“We have one more game and there’s a few bruises and stuff but the team is looking really good.”
CATS CLAUSES: The Ticats released RB Kahlan Griffin, who was signed last week … OL John Kourtis, the Cats’ seventh round (61st overall) pick in the 2024 National Draft was on the field Wednesday after being signed the day before. He returned to University of Saskatchewan where he’s spent two seasons after playing for former Ticat head coach Kent Austin’s offence at Liberty University.
