GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Athleticism, speed and kicking were just some of the areas addressed with the release of the 2011 Tusculum College Football Commitments announced head coach Frankie DeBusk on Wednesday. (Click here for Updated List and Bios)

This year's recruiting class includes 16 defensive backs, 12 receivers, 11 defensive linemen, nine offensive linemen, nine linebackers, three quarterbacks, two kickers, two running backs and one tight end in 6-10, 255-pound tight end in Wesley Powell (Eclectic, Ala./Elmore County HS).

"Tusculum College is a great product to sell, both academically and athletically," said DeBusk. "It starts at the top with our president, Dr. Nancy B. Moody, along with our faculty and staff and student body. Our six assistant coaches did a phenomenal job and were the reason for the success of this year's recruiting class. They spent countless hours on the road and in the office in promoting our College, its academics, and its football program."

Tusculum returns the nucleus of the No. 1 passing attack in collegiate football, including quarterback and Harlon Hill Trophy finalist Bo Cordell.

"We currently have a football team in place that has the ability to win a lot of football games." DeBusk added. "With this year's newcomers, I feel we have made ourselves a lot better on both sides of the football."

But there is one tremendous void the Pioneers must fill with the graduation of consensus All-American kicker Gareth Rowlands, who led the nation in field goal kicking, while establishing school and South Atlantic Conference single-season records with 111 kicking points this past fall.

The two kickers in this year's recruiting class looking to step in are Brandon Burkey and Logan Cornelius. Burkey, a 6-1, 200-pound native of Jonesborough, Tenn., garnered All-East Tennessee honors at Daniel Boone High School. Burkey went 41-for-44 on extra points and 7-of-9 on field goals, including a season-long 45-yarder. Cornelius, a 6-0, 190-pound product from Chattanooga, Tenn., earned 2010 District 6 Class 4A/3A Kicker of the Year recognition at East Hamilton High School. Cornelius went a perfect 22-of-22 on extra points and 7-of-12 on field goals.

"Our top concern was to find a placekicker and I feel we've done that with Brandon Burkey and Logan Cornelius aboard. This year's class is packed with athleticism and speed as well as a strong corps of newcomers on the offensive line. If you were to ask me to give this year's recruiting a grade, I would give it a B-plus."

The Pioneers (6-5 in 2010) will open spring practice on Feb. 15th. Tusculum will kick off the 2011 campaign on Sept. 3 when the Pioneers host West Georgia at the Niswonger Sports Complex and Pioneer Field.

- TC -

2011 Tusculum College Football Commitments
Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/Previous School
Sha-Ron Anthony DB 5-8 160 Ellenwood, Ga./Stockbridge HS
Cortez Beck DB 5-9 175 Decatur, Ga./Southwest DeKalb HS
Ethan Belasic OL 6-6 300 Linden, Tenn./Perry County HS
Travius Blair WR 5-7 160 Knoxville, Tenn./Austin East HS
Thomas Burdette DB 6-3 200 Anderson, S.C./TL Hanna HS
Brandon Burkey K 6-1 200 Jonesborough, Tenn./Daniel Boone HS
Zachary Capehart OL 6-1 265 Ooltewah, Tenn./Silverdale Baptist Academy
Corey Carson LB 5-11 230 Anderson, S.C./TL Hanna HS
Demarcus Copeland DB 5-8 160 Lithonia, Ga./Chamblee HS
Logan Cornelius K 6-0 190 Chattanooga, Tenn./East Hamilton HS
Darius Cunningham OL 6-2 275 Greenwood, S.C./Greenwood HS
Ifaybeian Daney WR 6-0 170 Hermitage, Tenn./McGavock HS
Jevante Davenport DB 6-1 180 Decatur, Ga./Columbia HS
CJ Dawson WR 5-11 175 Lithonia, Ga./Arabia Mountain HS
Eric Dulin DB 5-9 175 Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson HS
Dijon Elder DL 6-0 315 Atlanta, Ga./Grady HS
Dustin Fain QB/LB 6-1 200 Seymour, Tenn./Seymour HS
Anthony Farley DB 5-7 155 Fairburn, Ga./Creekside HS
Raphael Finley LB 5-10 220 Las Vegas, Nev./College of the Desert
Craig Franklin DB 5-11 175 Tucker, Ga./Tucker HS
Trey Fuellen DB 5-10 170 Smyrna, Ga./Campbell HS
Kenny Funnye WR 6-0 185 Georgetown, S.C./Andrews HS
Patrick Gavin DB 5-8 155 Riverdale, Ga./Columbia HS
Spencer Hall WR 5-8 165 Stockbridge, Ga./Stockbridge HS
Patrick Hansen OL 6-3 280 Kingsport, Tenn./Coastal Carolina/Dobyns-Bennett
Christopher Harden LB/DE 6-1 190 Orlando, Fla./Jones HS
Ikelan Helms WR 6-0 170 Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson HS
Marquise Henderson DL 6-2 210 Atlanta, Ga./Maynard Jackson HS
Tony Hillman WR 5-5 190 Moore, S.C./Byrnes HS
Cornelius Hudson LB 5-10 200 Covington, Ga./Newton County HS
D'Andre Jackson DL 5-10 230 Acworth, Ga./Etowah HS
George Jackson OL 6-2 265 Duluth, Ga./Duluth HS
K-Ron Jefferson LB 5-10 190 Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips HS
Foloronshu Johnson DB 5-10 175 Hiram, Ga./East Paulding HS
Rocky Jones DL 6-2 225 Anderson, S.C./Westside HS
Kenneth Judson DE 6-2 190 Orlando, Fla./Jones HS
Jivonte Kemp-Davis LB 6-1 175 Douglasville, Ga./Douglas County HS
Ramsey Lapala LB 6-1 240 San Diego, Calif./Southwestern CC
Adonis Lovejoy RB 5-8 185 Atlanta, Ga./Booker T. Washington HS
Cashaud Lyons DE 6-5 270 Ellenwood, Ga./Woodland HS
Johnathan Lytle DE 6-0 235 Dallas, Ga./East Paulding HS
Niquay Mack WR 5-9 165 Marietta, Ga./Marietta HS
Steven Matthews DB 5-10 170 Lithonia, Ga./Martin Luther King, Jr. HS
Stanthony Nelms WR 6-3 185 Decatur, Ga./Columbia HS
Daniel Nicely OL 6-0 255 Blaine, Tenn./Carter HS
Ricardo Penn, Jr. DB 5-9 170 Stockbridge, Ga./Stockbridge HS
Dekeshion Phiffer DB 5-11 170 Atlanta, Ga./Booker T. Washington HS
Charlie Phillips OL 6-7 270 Lake City, Tenn./Anderson County HS
Nigel Pierre DB 5-10 175 Norcross, Ga./Tucker HS
Wesley Powell TE 6-10 255 Eclectic, Ala./Elmore County HS
Brad Reid DE 6-0 230 Knoxville, Tenn./West HS
Iziah Rutledge DL 6-1 250 Chattanooga, Tenn./Red Bank HS
Jonathan Smith LB 5-10 190 Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips HS
Corliss Stone WR 6-2 175 Ponce de Leon, Fla./Walton County HS
Chaz Story ATH 5-11 235 Greeneville, Tenn./Greeneville HS
AJ Strange LB 5-10 180 Midway, Tenn./West Greene HS
Antonio Sutton DB 5-9 165 Miami, Fla./Miami Jackson HS
Cameron Tallent QB/DB 6-1 190 Evansville, Tenn./Rhea County HS
Cortney Tucker WR 6-1 175 College Park, Ga./Banneker HS
Joshua Tyler DL 6-3 210 Duluth, Ga./Duluth HS
Alexander Vick WR 6-1 180 Smyrna, Tenn./Smyrna HS
Jason Wynn OL 6-3 280 Saratoga, Calif./West Valley CC
Mykel Wyyet RB 5-10 180 Loganville, Ga./Loganville HS
Zachary Young OL 6-6 290 Sparta, Tenn./White County HS