CALGARY – With only a handful of fourth and fifth-year players set to hit the field, a changing of the guard is set to occur at a youthful spring camp this week for the University of Calgary Dinos.
The annual spring camp will be held April 27-30 at McMahon Stadium and includes eight on-field sessions open to the public. The Dinos will get their first look at their 2023 recruiting class and test them alongside a roster full of second and third-year returnees.
"It is a great opportunity; we have a lot of young players," said Dinos ninth-year head coach Wayne Harris. "We had some great strength gains in the weight room this year and it will be good to evaluate them on the field. We are hopeful that some of the guys we project to be starters are going to be able to step up and show the improvement we need out of them to compete at this level."
Some of those gains and renewed optimism among players and coaches can be attributed to a revamped off-season program developed for the football team by Taylor Altilio of The Alfa Project, supported by Rich Hesketh, head coach of strength and conditioning for Dinos Athletics. The Dinos have also benefited from winter skills training made possible for the first time by the inflatable dome at Shouldice Athletic Park.
"We have changed our philosophy in the weight room and have made sure we are maximizing our time in there, and the guys have worked hard throughout the winter. We are more prepared going into spring camp than we have been in the past," explained Harris. "Being able to run practices in the dome is something we have never been able to do before and it has helped us improve our running program along with some football skills.
"It has motivated our guys through the drudgery of winter from just going through that early morning routine every day in the weight room. It has been able to break things up and keep everyone engaged – they are ready to get going now."
Among the players set to debut in Scarlet & Gold this week is quarterback Dom Britton. A graduate of St. Mary's High School in Calgary, Britton returns to his hometown after spending the past three seasons in the Canadian Junior Football League, leading the Okanagan Sun to a national championship in 2022.
"We think very highly of Dom. He is a big, strong quarterback that has both the arm-strength and mobility. We will be looking to see how quickly and how well he has learned the playbook," said Harris. "It is still a job for him to earn, but he has shown that he is a deserving candidate. He has the experience, has won a championship, and has some familiarity with his brother being on the team as one of our top receivers. He is a student of the game and loves to get into the meeting rooms, but now is a chance to get him out on the field."
Following spring camp, the Dinos will have their eyes on the Canadian Football League Draft, set for May 2. Senior defensive back
Jacob Biggs is among those eligible after competing at the CFL's National Combine.
On May 13, offensive linemen
Daniel Townsend and
John Bosse will take part in the 2023 East-West Bowl, showcasing themselves for next year's CFL Draft.
The 2023 Canada West regular season begins on Sept. 1 when the Dinos host the Alberta Golden Bears. Single-game and season tickets will go on sale on May 1 at GoDinos.com.
2023 Dinos Spring Camp Schedule
All practices at McMahon Stadium
Thursday, April 27
9:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Practice 1
5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. – Practice 2
Friday, April 28
9:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Practice 3
5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. – Practice 4
Saturday, April 29
9:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Practice 5
3 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. – Practice 6
Sunday, April 30
9:15 a.m. – 11 a.m. – Practice 7
11:30 p.m. – 2 p.m. – Practice 8
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