Sports Editor

As of 5 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, 24 high school seniors had signed letters-of-intent to play football for the Troy State Trojans in the fall of 2001.

TSU head coach Larry Blakeney said, overall, he was pleased with the quality of the 2001 recruiting class, a class which, along with three junior college transfers, could number close to 30 players total by end of the week.

Greg Mills (DE, 6-2, 260), Roger Ridgeway, (P, 5-11, 185), and DeLoise Moore (RB, 6-0, 205), all signed with the Trojans out of the JUCO ranks in the early signing period.

"At this point I feel real good about this class," Blakeney said. "We tried to concentrate a lot on wide receiver and defensive backs this year and we signed some good defensive ends as well."

Of the 24, Blakeney said there are eight or nine players that could see significant time at either wide receiver or defensive back. They include: Arthur Adams (5-10, 200), Stone Mountain,Ga.; Blake Broadhurst (5-10, 180), Eau Gallie, Fla.; Damien Coleman (6-0, 183), Swainsboro, Ga.; Johnny Faulk (5-9, 170), Dothan; Adrian Ghent (5-8, 170), Madison, Fla.; Reggie Lindsey (5-10, 180) Pensacola, Fla.; Clayton Long (6-0, 195), Eufaula; Jermaine Miller (6-0, 175), Louisville, Miss.; and Jamal Smith (5-10, 175) Atlanta, Ga.

The Trojans also signed three quarterbacks, although one, Jason Samples (6-1, 187) of Swainsboro, Ga., could move to free safety in the fall.

The other two, Kacson Maddox of Hamilton, Ga. and David Taylor of South Lake, Fla. both fit the mold as prototypical quarterbacks. Both players are 6-foot-5 and weigh over 200 pounds.

Taylor hit 66-of-138 passes for 1,380 yards and 11 touchdowns as quarterback last season at South Lake High School, while Maddox moved to the position for his senior season at Harris County High School. In both his junior and sophomore years, Maddox played wide receiver.

But Blakeney said he will keep Maddox at quarterback when he comes to Troy.

"You can tell by watching him (Maddox) and the way he moves, that he’s been coached at the position before," Blakeney said. "He’s barely scratched the surface in what he can accomplish at quarterback. He’s got a strong arm and both he and Taylor just fit as far as what we’re looking for in a future quarterback."

For the fourth straight year, the Trojans continued their pipeline to Auburn High School in Auburn. Demarcus Ware, a 6-5, 230 pound defensive end, chose to come to Troy State. There are three players on the Troy State roster who came from Auburn, tight end Jonathan Tomlin, offensive lineman Branden Hall and defensive lineman Osi Umenyiora.

The Trojans did well in Georgia, pulling in nine players from that state, with six apiece coming from Florida and Alabama. Three members of the 2001 Troy State recruiting class hail from Mississippi.