GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum College football team has announced it has received 51 commitments from student-athletes to attend Tusculum and play football for the Pioneers announced head coach Frankie DeBusk on Wednesday.

The Pioneers addressed several needs at different positions, but especially in the secondary as 17 of the 51 commitments received on signing day were defensive backs.

"I'm very excited about this year's recruiting class," said DeBusk. "This is an outstanding group of young men we are proud to have them as part of the Tusculum family."

The State of Tennessee boasted the most commitments with 18 student-athletes from the Volunteer State. Georgia was second with 13 commitments, followed by South Carolina (11), California (3), Florida (2), Texas (1) and one from Canada.

Besides the secondary, Tusculum also received nine commitments at the linebacker position, followed by seven defensive linemen, six receivers, five offensive linemen and three long snappers.

"I'm very proud of the recruiting efforts of our coaching staff," said DeBusk. "We have exceeded most of my expectations entering today. We tried to address our needs at all positions, including the secondary, offensive line and long snapper. Our coaches have put in a lot of tireless hours and have worked very hard."

After starting the season 0-3, Tusculum rebounded by winning six of its last eight contests. TC finished the year with a 6-5 record, including 4-2 in the South Atlantic Conference, tying for third place in the league. Tusculum has accounted for a winning campaign in seven of the last eight years.

Tusculum College, located in Greeneville, Tenn., is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and is a NCAA Division II member of the South Atlantic Conference which is comprised of nine colleges and universities in Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.