Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ QB Harrison Frost reminds Scott Milanovich of Trevor Harris

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When Harrison Frost looks across the field on Saturday, he might just be staring at his own future.

The 27-year-old quarterback is making his second career start for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and has yet to record a victory. However, he has earned the full endorsement of head coach Scott Milanovich, as well as a lofty comparison.

“Harrison is accurate. He’s got, I think, underrated pocket presence. He knows the offence. He’ll get through a progression,” Milanovich told reporters on Friday. “I’ve been telling these guys, I think maybe it was TSN yesterday, it reminds me a little bit of Trevor (Harris) in the way he gets through his progressions and puts the ball where it needs to be.”

Harris, who recently became the 12th quarterback in CFL history to throw for over 40,000 career yards, entered the league in 2012 with the Toronto Argonauts, the same year that Milanovich took over as head coach. The pair spent four seasons together, as the noted quarterback guru shaped the Division II standout into a future star. The current Saskatchewan franchise pivot has since described that period as seminal in his development, crediting Milanovich with teaching him how to play the position.

Now, the 53-year-old is attempting to mould Frost in a similar fashion. The six-foot-one, 195-pound passer has been in Milanovich’s system since 2024, but had to leave for the UFL and return amidst quarterback chaos in order to get his opportunity.

“I’m definitely more and more comfortable every single day. Probably every single play,” Frost told the Hamilton media. “You either confirm what you already knew or learn something new every single play, so it’s been good.”

In his first career start, a 27-24 loss to the B.C. Lions last week, Frost completed 20-of-33 pass attempts for 239 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He completed nine-of-20 passes for 165 yards, one touchdown, and one interception when coming off the bench to relieve Tre Ford in a loss to Calgary the week before that.

The Kennesaw, Ga., native also started three games for the St. Louis Battlehawks this year, completing 53.3 percent of his passes for 719 yards, seven touchdowns, and six interceptions.

That doesn’t give the Roughriders much tape to go on ahead of this game. However, despite his pedestrian statistical production, the defending Grey Cup champions are taking the young signal-caller very seriously because of Milanovich’s endorsement.

“There’s UFL film available to us, but just seeing him inside the system that he is in currently, you definitely have to focus on that,” head coach Corey Mace said this week. “Look, man, he’s been entrusted with the job and the ball in his hands each play from a coach who obviously has had tremendous success in this league and has worked with some really good quarterbacks. They feel that he’s the best option. We have to operate as if we’re getting a better version of that team.”

Jake Dolegala was at the helm for the Ticats the last time these two teams met, completing 17-of-30 pass attempts for 122 yards and one interception in a lopsided 38-7 loss. Frost sees his mission in the rematch as a simple one.

“Take what they give me early. Just try to do my job every single play. Make sure to operate as I always do. Make sure everybody’s getting lined up and communicating well. Just try to be myself,” he said succinctly.

However, doing his job could mean having to out-duel Harris, who has been on a tear to start the season. The 40-year-old has thrown for 2,655 yards, 19 touchdowns, and seven interceptions through eight games, making him a dark-horse Most Outstanding Player candidate.

It doesn’t surprise Milanovich in the slightest that his former protege continues to produce at such a high level in his fourth decade of existence, citing both his “fanatical” dedication to his body and unique mental acuity.

“His game is a mental game, an accuracy game. I doubt there’s anybody in football that gets the ball out of his hands quicker than Trevor does,” he said. “At this age, and all the plays and coverages he’s seen, when they do call a play that maybe isn’t going to work for the primary receiver, he knows exactly where he needs to go with the ball on the backside, and he gets there quickly. Frustrates your D-line because they may be winning on a pass rush, but they don’t get home because he gets the ball out. I think his style of play is probably a little bit more conducive to being able to play a long time than maybe a more mobile guy.”

Perhaps one day in the future, opponents will say the same thing about Frost.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats (3-6) will host the Saskatchewan Roughriders (6-2) at Hamilton Stadium on Saturday, August 15, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Roughriders easily beat the Ottawa Redblacks last week, while the Tiger-Cats suffered a narrow loss to the B.C. Lions.

The weather forecast in Hamilton calls for 24 degrees and sun. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 620 CKRM in Regina or the Ticats Audio Network in Hamilton.