The Tusculum College football team has received 80 commitments from student-athletes announced Pioneer head coach Frankie DeBusk Wednesday during college football's Signing Day.

The Pioneers addressed several needs, but especially in the secondary as 25 of the commitments were defensive backs. The list of commitments also includes 15 defensive linemen, 12 receivers, nine linebackers, nine running backs, six quarterbacks, three athletes and one offensive lineman.

"This is always a very exciting day for our team and our coaching staff," said DeBusk. "Our staff has worked tirelessly this year and I'm always proud of the commitment and dedication they put forward in our recruiting efforts."

Included in the Pioneers' list of signees is Eric James from West Greene. James (6-2, 200) will play defensive back for the Pioneers after helping lead the Buffaloes into the TSSAA playoffs the last two years.

Other signees from East Tennessee include Jordan Bishop, a running back from Morristown West; Blake Overton (running back) and Nicholas Smith (defensive line), both from Seymour; and Bryce Whaley (wide receiver) from Sevier County.

Tusculum's recruiting scope covered 10 states with Georgia having the largest representation with 29 commitments. Seventeen from Tennessee are on the list, while 16 are from South Carolina. Five commitments each come from Florida and Kentucky, while California, North Carolina and Texas had two apiece. Washington and Mississippi rounded out the list with one commitment each.

"I'm really pleased with the quality of this recruiting class," DeBusk added. "We targeted specific needs and I'm confident we were able to fill them. We got a lot of the guys we wanted and I'm excited with the potential this class has."

The Pioneers will open spring practice on Feb. 15 in preparation for this fall's season-opener against the University of Charleston (W.Va.) at Pioneer Field on Aug. 28.