Taylor Shire
Regina Leader-Post
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are officially back to begin a season in which they hope to go back-to-back.
After a three-week training camp, a pair of pre-season games and a bye in Week 1 of the 2026 CFL season, the defending Grey Cup champions are set to begin a new season on Saturday when they host the B.C. Lions at Mosaic Stadium (5 p.m.) in Week 2.
“Guys are excited,” said halfback Rolan Milligan Jr. “Just trying to find that game-week routine again and get back into the flow of it.
“We’re hyped up.”
After winning the Grey Cup last season for the first time since 2013, Saskatchewan’s roster underwent some change this season as 16 players from the championship team either retired, were released or signed elsewhere in free agency.
However, there’s a core group returning from last year, which means Saskatchewan’s expectation of winning a Grey Cup this year is no different than it was last year or in 2024, which was head coach Corey Mace’s first year with the Green and White.
“That’s the bar that we set for ourselves,” said Mace. “We set (that goal) for ourselves in ‘24 when we first got here.
“It’s just hard work works. If we’re not afraid to put the work in, then we’ll be in a position to potentially play in a big game like that. These guys aren’t afraid to work hard, so yeah, I’m really, really pleased to be a part of that.”
Aside from rookie receiver Jaylen Johnson joining the group, Saskatchewan’s offensive unit looks similar last year with a returning offensive line in front of running back A.J. Ouellette and quarterback Trevor Harris, who is set to make his 129th career start on Saturday.
And even though Saskatchewan is returning a core that won last year’s championship, Harris expects some new wrinkles in the offence.
“A lot of times there’s certain nuances and plays that are different, and so you’re always growing and learning in those things,” said Harris, who is entering his fourth season with the team. “But in terms of the base plays, the things that we’ve done in the past that will continue to do, we’ve got a great feel for one another in terms of how we like things done and whatnot.
“So heading into a season, we have those things but also we’ve got some new things that are in the works. (Offensive coordinator Marc) Mueller is always evolving, as the great O-co-ordinators always are, and we’re really pushing the envelope to do some new things and see how it works out come game time.”
Saskatchewan has an entirely new special teams unit with kicker Alex Hale, punter Oscar Chapman, long snapper Aaron Crawford and kick returner James Letcher Jr., while the defence has several returners and newcomers.
CFL veteran James Vaughters and rookie Desmond Evans are expected to be the starting defensive ends in Week 1 for the Roughriders, while the club is returning tackles Mike Rose and Caleb Sanders.
Jameer Thurman holds down his spot at middle linebacker with strongside linebacker Antoine Brooks Jr. officially replacing C.J. Reavis, who left in free agency. On the other side, newcomer Josh Woods takes over at weakside linebacker for A.J. Allen.
And in the secondary, all five starters are returning from last season, which gives the Roughriders a bit of a head start when it comes to beginning a new season.
“I think we’ve got a lot of continuity specifically on the offensive side,” said Mace. “I thought we filled some gaps that we lost from the defensive side, and it’s really to be seen once we go out there and prove that we have to execute those things.
“I’m excited for these guys’ opportunities versus a really good opponent to see where we stand and where we think we are.”
For Milligan, the CFL’s most outstanding defensive player in 2024, he knows the end goal this year remains the same regardless of what happened last year. And playing with the same group in the backfield helps.
“It is a new season, so we treat it as such,” said Milligan. “We don’t hang our hats too much on previous seasons.
“Knowing who I’ve been working with for the past couple years, it makes it a lot easier. We’re already on the same page mentally. (Now it’s) just kind of filling in the gaps from being away from each other for the off-season. But the continuity always helps.
“We’ve got a group of guys that have been here, so we know the expectations.”
