First-round CFL draft pick Jonathan Denis to make first start for Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Photo: Bob Butrym/RFB Sport Photography / 3DownNation. All rights reserved.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats will have Canadian offensive lineman Jonathan Denis in the starting lineup for the first time when they visit the B.C. Lions on Saturday night. The team released its official depth chart on Friday morning.

The 24-year-old was the fifth overall pick in the 2026 CFL Draft. He began the season on the six-game injured list and made his professional debut in last week’s loss to the Calgary Stampeders. This week, he has been promoted to the starting lineup at right guard.

The Montreal native, who was raised primarily in Homestead, Fla., was originally a four-star recruit coming out of high school and received his first NCAA Division I scholarship offer at age 15. ESPN ranked him the No. 1 high school guard in Florida, while Rivals rated him the No. 6 guard in the country.

The six-foot-two, 313-pound blocker spent his first four collegiate seasons at the University of Oregon and the University of Miami. However, he appeared in only six games after suffering two ACL tears.

Denis rallied, finishing his collegiate career with stints at Central Missouri and Louisiana Tech, making 19 starts and building his way to becoming a first-round draft pick in the CFL.

Nathaniel Dumoulin-Duguay, who started Hamilton’s last seven games at right guard, has been moved to a depth role behind Liam Dobson at centre.

As was announced on Thursday, Harrison Frost will start at quarterback. The 27-year-old completed nine-of-20 pass attempts for 165 yards, one touchdown, and one interception last week. He also ran twice for 13 yards and fumbled once.

Frost signed with the Tiger-Cats on July 15 as an insurance policy following the potentially season-ending injury to starter Bo Levi Mitchell. He previously spent two seasons in Hamilton, but saw limited action in 17 games as backup, throwing for 95 yards and one touchdown.

Receiver and special teamer Tyler Ternowski, defensive end Mitchell Agude, and defensive tackle Charbel Dabire have each been moved to the active roster. Ternowski (shoulder) and Dabire (arm) were previously on the one-game injured list, while Agude was on the reserve roster.

Defensive lineman De’Jon Benton has been moved to the reserve roster, while Canadian defensive back Jake Nitychoruk has been placed on the practice roster.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats (3-5) visit the B.C. Lions (2-5) on Saturday, August 8, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Lions beat Winnipeg 35-19 at Princess Auto Stadium last week, while the Ticats lost 44-20 at home to the Calgary Stampeders.

The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS2 in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 730 CKNW (English) or Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600 (Punjabi) in Vancouver or the Ticats Audio Network in Hamilton.

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