CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos' rise to elite status in CIS football will take another step forward this fall with the addition of three blue-chip recruits from Central Canada.

Dinos head coach Blake Nill announced his 2012 recruiting class Friday, and the trio of running back Mercer Timmis along with receivers Elie Bouka (pictured) and Brett Blaszko jumps off the list. Timmis and Blaszko, both products of the Burlington, Ont. area, join Laval, Que.'s Bouka on the top flight of new players for the four-time defending Canada West champs as they continue to chase the Vanier Cup.

“The quality of our local recruiting class really allowed us to identify and focus on a select few national recruits,” said Nill. “This year we were able to bring in significant talent at the offensive line position, at receiver, and at tailback, and those were our primary needs. It's one of the top recruiting classes I've had since arriving in Calgary.”

Long known for his run-oriented offence – the Dinos have led the conference in rushing four of the past five seasons – Nill was able to land perhaps the most sought-after tailback recruit in the nation in Mercer Timmis.

Timmis transferred from Burlington's Assumption High School to Canisius in upstate New York following his Grade 10 season. Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing in at 225 pounds, Timmis racked up ridiculous numbers in his senior year: 180 carries, 1,560 rushing yards, and 22 touchdowns in 11 games. In his two seasons at Canisius, Timmis churned up the field for more than 3,000 yards and scored 37 touchdowns.

“Our need to fill voids at tailback were obvious with the graduation of (Matt) Walter and (Anthony) Woodson,” said Nill. “Mercer gives us the size and talent we need at that position to continue our tradition of being a powerful run-oriented program.”

Bouka, who had several opportunities in the NCAA, began attending the University of Calgary in January and will suit up for the Dinos this fall. Hailing from the Montreal suburb of Laval, Bouka attended Cégep Montmorency where he starred as a wide receiver for three years. Most notable was his 2010 season, where he racked up 650 receiving yards on 46 catches for a 14.1 yards-per-catch average. An impressive athlete with speed to burn, Bouka's arrival is another coup for the Dinos offence.

“We started recruiting Elie a couple of years ago, and we're very fortunate to get a player of his calibre who should be an impact player on our offence from Day 1,” said Nill.

Blaszko, meanwhile, is a 6-foot-4, 205-pound slotback out of Corpus Christi high school in Burlington. He chose the University of Calgary over a host of CIS and NCAA options after two straight selections to the Golden Horseshoe all-star team and, along with Bouka, should make an impact for the Dinos right away.

Also an outstanding soccer player, Blaszko has significant experience on special teams as well as a kicker, punter, and returner.

“Brett Blaszko's skill set really reminds me of one of my former players, Dave Stala,” said Nill. “He has great hands and route-running ability, and his size will make him a challenge for opposing defences in the coming years.”

-UC-