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It’s now official.

Johnny Manziel will make his first CFL start this Friday night when he leads the Montreal Alouettes against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Percival Molson Stadium.

It is a dream scenario for the Canadian Football League.

What better way to introduce Manziel-mania to the CFL than by having “Johnny Football” kick off his Canadian career against the team that brought him north of the border?

The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner played in Hamilton’s two exhibition games, and didn’t look bad at all in his introduction to the three-down game.

READ MORE: Manziel to make CFL debut with Montreal Alouettes

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He completed 21 of 31 pass attempts for 168 yards and threw one touchdown, oddly enough, against Montreal in the preseason.

But with Jeremiah Masoli entrenched as the starter in Hamilton under head coach June Jones, the Ticats opted to move Manziel in a blockbuster deal that included receiver Chris Williams, defensive end Jamaal Westerman and two first-round draft picks.

With any football game, the spotlight is on the quarterback — he’s the straw that stirs the drink.

Come Friday, that spotlight is going to be shining very brightly on Manziel.

Can he help turn around the last place Alouettes? Does he have what it takes to be a star in this league?

However, I think the bigger lens is going to be on Masoli.

If he is outplayed by Manziel and the Alouettes win Friday’s game, Ticats fans will be carrying torches and pitchforks to the next game at Tim Hortons Field.

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Rick Zamperin is assistant program, news and sports director with Global News Radio 900 CHML.