CALGARY – Canada West coach of the year Blake Nill introduced his 2010 recruiting class Friday afternoon in advance of the University of Calgary Dinos' spring camp, which runs this weekend at McMahon Stadium.

While heavily populated by players from Calgary and Southern Alberta, the list also features standouts from across Canada and even has a little international flavour.

“Our first priority is always to make sure we get the best players from our local area, and I'm confident that we have done that,” said Nill, who enters his fifth season with the Dinos this fall after making a Vanier Cup appearance last season. “To stay competitive in CIS football, however, you have to have national recruiting reach and we were able to get some top players from B.C. and Ontario as well. Overall, I'm very pleased with the group.”

Nill's top recruiting priority was at the quarterback position, with BLG Award winner and two-time CIS MVP Erik Glavic entering his final year of eligibility in 2010. Four new pivots join the group and will get their first on-field look at spring camp this weekend.

Eric Dzwilewski out of Centennial High School in Boise, Idaho joins Calgary's own Jake Altilio (St. Mary's HS), Adam Ballingall of South Kamloops High School, and University of Regina transfer Kiefer Olson as the new faces in the pocket. Altilio, who stands six-foot-five, is the younger brother of graduated Dinos receiver Taylor Altilio.

“Many of our drills this weekend have been designed to evaluate our quarterbacks,” said Nill. “Our succession plan at that position is our top priority, so it will be good to get a look at these young guys and see what they can do.”

Looking to crack the Dinos' all-star receiving corps is a pair of Central Memorial graduates, Braden Heffernan and Adam Osterling. Both are Alberta Senior Bowl selections that Nill referred to as among the top graduating players in Calgary.

Heffernan's sister, Courtney, is a former women's soccer goalkeeper for the Dinos.

Port Coquitlam, B.C. native Sukh Chung, a six-foot-three, 290-pound offensive lineman out of Terry Fox Secondary, is widely considered one of the top graduating athletes in the nation at his position. He represented Canada at the recent USA vs. The World junior football event in Florida as part of the Super Bowl festivities and was part of three B.C. provincial championship teams at Terry Fox.

Once again, Dave Black at Oak Park High School in Winnipeg, which provided Calgary with top recruits such as Tye Noble and Quinn McCaughan in previous years, sends another blue-chipper. This time around, offensive lineman Branden Stevens makes his way to join the Dinos after being heavily recruited across Western Canada.

Also on the offensive line, Lord Beaverbrook product Grant Potter was regarded as the top graduating lineman in Calgary and elected to play for the Dinos. Standing six-foot-five and weighing in at 305 pounds, Potter is rehabbing a knee injury and will not be on the field this weekend but is expected to be ready once training camp opens in August.

On defence, lineman Ian Shaw joins the Dinos after redshirting with the University of Manitoba last season. A native of Toronto, Shaw began his career at Saint Mary's University before spending last season in Winnipeg.

In the secondary, import Swede Doctor Cassama is an intriguing story. Nill first saw him at the 2009 World Junior Football Championship in Canton, Ohio where Cassama made the all-tournament team in the blue and gold of his native Sweden. Hard-hitting and athletic, Cassama looks to be a key component of a revamped defensive backfield for the Dinos in 2010.

Under CIS regulations, Cassama cannot practice with the team this weekend but will be on the sidelines to observe.

Spring Camp wraps up Sunday afternoon with the Red-White scrimmage before the team parts ways for the summer. Training camp opens Aug. 21, with the 2010 season opener set for Friday, Sept. 4 against the Saskatchewan Huskies under the lights at McMahon Stadium.

-UC-

2010 Dinos Football Recruiting Class
                         
QB    Jake Altilio    Calgary, Alta.    St. Mary's HS
QB    Adam Ballingall    Kamloops, B.C.    South Kamloops HS
QB    Eric Dzwilewski    Boise, Idaho    Centennial HS
QB    Kiefer Olson    Wilcox, Sask.    Univ. of Regina

RB    Andrew Kay    Airdrie, Alta.    Lethbridge Collegiate

R    Braden Heffernan    Calgary, Alta.    Central Memorial HS
R    Adam Osterling    Calgary, Alta.    Central Memorial HS

OL    Sukh Chung    Port Coquitlam, B.C.    Terry Fox Secondary
OL    Brock Farkas    Calgary, Alta.    Notre Dame HS
OL    Jose Liso    Red Deer, Alta.    Hunting Hills HS
OL    Grant Potter    Calgary, Alta.    Lord Beaverbrook HS
OL    Branden Stevens    Winnipeg, Man.    Oak Park HS

K    Andros Agathos    London, Ont.    Mother Teresa HS

DL    Calder Brown    Calgary, Alta.    Bowness HS
DL    Grayden Fast    Edmonton, Alta.    Bev Facey HS
DL    Ian Shaw    Toronto, Ont.    Univ. of Manitoba

LB    Zack Agathos    London, Ont.    Mother Teresa HS
LB    Anton Bellot    Calgary, Alta.    St. Francis HS
LB    Max Bowles    North Vancouver, B.C.    Handsworth Secondary
LB    Nick Demas    Raymond, Alta.    Raymond HS
LB    Matt Pander    Calgary, Alta.    Bowness HS
LB    Cory Roboch    Calgary, Alta.    Bowness HS

DB    Doctor Cassama    Kristianstad, Sweden    Team Sweden (Jr.)
DB    Kevan Hafichuk    Calgary, Alta.    Calgary Colts
DB    Ben Osmond    Lethbridge, Alta.    Lethbridge Collegiate