Day 1 of practice was a busy one for Jack Coan

Known by the complimentary label of “Little Trevor,” Jack Coan routinely immerses himself in preparation with the objective of helping the Saskatchewan Roughriders win.

Much of his hard work is noted outside the public eye, because Trevor Harris has thrown all but two of the Roughriders’ passes during the 2026 CFL season.

Coan, who is 2-for-2 for 15 yards this season, could fatten those totals when the Roughriders oppose the Edmonton Elks in the regular-season finale on Saturday (1 p.m., Mosaic Stadium).

With a playoff berth having been secured, Coan was the featured quarterback in Tuesday’s practice.

“It’s kind of the most I’ve practised in a few years, so it was fun to be out there and play a good amount — getting some reps and being able to learn from them as well,” Coan said. “It has been awesome.”

Head Coach Corey Mace is still determining the blueprint for Saturday’s game, which will determine where the Roughriders travel for Round 1 of the playoffs.

A victory over Edmonton would propel Saskatchewan into the Western Semi-Final against the B.C. Lions on Oct. 31. If the Elks prevail on Saturday, the Roughriders will cross over into the East Division and oppose the Toronto Argonauts.

Harris, the 2025 Grey Cup MVP, will be a key presence in the playoffs. The unanswered question at this point: How much of an on-field role will he play on Saturday?

To be determined. Harris was rested during Tuesday’s practice.

After working so closely with Harris — and so diligently in general — for three years, Coan is curious to see how it all translates on to the field.

“In practice, I’m always taking the reps behind the plays and seeing if I did the right thing here and there, but it’s a little bit different in the game,” Coan said. “The speed’s a little bit faster. You get hit a little bit, so it’s a little bit different.

“There’s definitely a little bit of curiosity. You always have confidence in yourself, but it would be awesome to get back out there.”

Coan has had milestone games during each of the past two regular-season finales.

He threw his first CFL touchdown pass — a 19-yarder to Jerreth Sterns — against the visiting Calgary Stampeders on Oct. 26, 2024.

Coan ran for two touchdowns versus B.C. on Oct. 25, 2025, giving him the Roughriders’ final three majors of the regular season.

“After every game, it’s always, ‘Man, I forgot how much fun it was to be out there,’ ” Coan said. “The adrenalin you get, the thrill of getting hit and getting back up and all that stuff is just awesome. You don’t get that when you’re sitting on the sideline.”

Shea Patterson started in place of Harris for the 2024 regular-season finale. Jake Maier, who started for Calgary in the aforementioned 2024 game, made the Roughriders’ final two regular-season starts last year.

Coan has not started a regular-season game since he was with the XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas in 2023. He started seven games that season, concluding by going 34-for-48 for 312 yards against the visiting DC Defenders on April 22, 2023.

In his final start with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Coan threw for 509 yards and five TDs against Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, 2022.

He signed with the Roughriders on March 15, 2024, and quickly established a bond with Harris.

“I’m trying to find another way to say it, because he’ll crush me, but he’s Little Trevor — in a good way, not in a joking way,” Mace said.

“He has been in Trev’s hip pocket ever since he came here. He’s one of the first people in the building in the morning. He takes incredibly good care of his body. He’s down there crushing film with Trev and the other quarterbacks (Tommy Stevens and Brayden Schager) from early in the morning until late in the evening.

“He has been nothing but professional in his time with us. We love Jack.”

EAST OR WEST?

Mace was asked whether the site of the Roughriders’ first playoff game — B.C. or Toronto? — mattered to him.

“In reality, no,” he said. “Staying west would benefit us in just how we operate, but ultimately the goal is to win the game, which would keep us in the West. So let’s go win a game.”

TRAVEL TRIVIA + TREVOR

The Roughriders have not played a road game in Round 1 of the playoffs since they crossed over and faced the Ottawa REDBLACKS in 2017. Ottawa’s starting quarterback at the time: Trevor Harris.

Oddly enough, the Roughriders have never played a first-round playoff game in Vancouver.

Since the Lions’ debut in 1954, the Roughriders’ destinations for first-round games have been Calgary (eight times), Edmonton (seven), Winnipeg (five), Montreal (one), Ottawa (one) and Toronto (one).

Saskatchewan travelled to Toronto for the 2002 Eastern Semi-Final.