Newly appointed Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ head coach Scott Milanovich is a believer in quarterback Taylor Powell.
Speaking to R.J. Broadhead of the Ticats Audio Network, Milanovich shared his excitement with what he saw from the 25-year-old signal-caller in his rookie campaign.
“There are things that he needs to work on, he and I have talked about them, there are things he can do to improve. But for a rookie in the position he was thrust into, he’s very coachable, he’s there early, he loves the game and that’s a great starting point,” the noted quarterback guru said. “He’s accurate — the number one thing you need to be as a quarterback — and so I’m excited about him.”
Powell was a late addition to Hamilton’s roster during training camp, signing with the team on May 17 to little fanfare. However, injuries at the position unexpectedly thrust him into the starting role in Week 7 and had him in command of the offence for nine games, posting a 4-5 record.
The Fayetteville, Ark. native completed 197-of-292 pass attempts (67.5 percent) for 2,283 yards with 10 touchdowns, and nine interceptions while rushing 28 times for 196 yards and one TD. He led the Ticats in every major passing category while recording the most wins of the QB group.
Milanovich earned his stripes in the CFL while working with two of the league’s greatest quarterbacks, Anthony Calvillo and Ricky Ray, and developed three current starters while serving as head coach of the Toronto Argonauts: Winnipeg’s Zach Collaros, Saskatchewan’s Trevor Harris, and Montreal’s Cody Fajardo. He quickly identified Powell as a player in a similar mould in training camp but notes that the youngster was forced to experience a much steeper learning curve.
“I had always been of the opinion that guys like Zach, Trevor and Cody — they sat for a number of years and got to learn this league; it is different,” Milanovich said. “I had hoped for Taylor’s sake he didn’t have to play this year but he did and I thought he did an amazing job.”
Powell’s success came despite a circuitous collegiate career that included stops at Missouri, Troy, and Eastern Michigan, starting just 13 games across six NCAA seasons. He completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 3,793 yards with 24 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
Though Powell was eventually demoted off the game-day roster at the end of the 2023 season, he could soon eclipse his college production as a professional. The Ticats are staring down a serious decision at quarterback with playoff starter Matthew Shiltz scheduled to hit free agency and benched franchise pivot Bo Levi Mitchell has a $175,000 roster bonus deadline on January 15.
Milanovich dodged questions about Mitchell’s future with the team during his introductory press conference but was more effusive in his praise of Powell. Those compliments align with his wishlist of quarterback attributes. With the soon-to-be second-year pivot offering enticing cap savings by virtue of his entry-level contract, the idea that he could be at the helm in 2024 has gained traction.
His coach is not yet ready to make any such proclamations, touting the ability of all three viable passers currently on the roster.
“I think they’re all talented quarterbacks. (I) loved what Matt was able to do. Bo, I didn’t have as much time with because of the injuries but Bo can still throw it, he’s still accurate, he’s highly intelligent, he’s got leadership,” Milanovich said. “All of those things I think will help us as we make decisions going into the future.”
