HAMILTON -- Colgate head coach Dick Biddle announced Wednesday the addition of 15 members to the Class of 2017 as the Raiders took part in National Signing Day for the first time.
 
Biddle said the ability to offer scholarships this year changed the recruiting dynamic. Last year, Colgate kept recruiting through signing day and announced its signing class in late April.
 
“It was a unique thing for us this year,” Biddle said. “We were fortunate to be able to grant scholarships based on athletic merit, and that opened up the pool for the kind of player we were able to get this year. Overall, with all the newness about scholarships, our coaches did a great job.”
 
Biddle reminded everyone, however, that some things weren't changing on the Raiders sideline.
 
“They still have to be great students,” he said. “It's always going to be that way at Colgate. But (scholarships) enabled us to go after a Division I player or a Division I-AA scholarship player who maybe, financially, you weren't able to go after.”
 
The Raiders inked eight linemen -- four on the defensive side and four on who played offense -- and signed six student-athletes from the state of Florida. In addition to their Sunshine State connection, Biddle and his staff signed four from New Jersey, two each from New York and Pennsylvania, and one from Ohio.
 
Colgate also welcomes two players each at the defensive back, linebacker and wide receiver positions, along with one quarterback .
 
Spring practice begins next month, and the defending Patriot League champions open their 2013 season Aug. 31 at Air Force.

Thumbnail bios of all Colgate signees are posted below.

Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown/High School
Charles Cairnie	DL	6-5	215	Wooster, Ohio/Wooster HS
Alex Campbell	DL	6-3	225	Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan HS
Jordi Dalmau	OL	6-3	295	Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep HS
Kyle Diener	LB	6-0	217	Boca Raton, Fla./Pine Crest School
Brett Field	DL	6-5	270	Durhamville, N.Y./Vernon-Verona-Sherrill HS
Joe Figueroa	DB	5-10	190	Port St. Lucie, Fla./Fort Pierce Central HS
Dan Grasso	LB	6-3	215	Washington Township, N.J./Bergen Catholic HS
Ryan Kasten	OL	6-4	270	Farmingdale, N.J./Freehold Borough HS
John Maddaluna III	WR	6-1	170	Bernardsville, N.J./Bernards HS
Jake Melville	QB	6-1	185	Sparta, N.J./Sparta HS
Chris Morgan	DB	6-1	185	Ardmore, Pa./The Haverford School
Nathan Obinwa	DL	6-3	240	Gotha, Fla./Olympia HS
Zach Provin	OL	6-2	260	Davie, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas HS
Eddie Robinson	WR	6-1	195	Woodmere, N.Y./Lawrence HS
Grant Siegel	OL	6-4	280	Miami Beach, Fla./Gulliver Prep HS