July 30, 2003

Greenville, SC - A linebacker from the University of Cincinnati will join the competition for the job of starting quarterback at The Citadel, a battle that Bulldogs football coach Ellis Johnson calls "a mad scramble."

Kenwood Lattimore, a 6-4, 230-pound sophomore, was a high school quarterback before the Bearcats converted him to linebacker last season. Determined to play quarterback, Lattimore will transfer to The Citadel for the coming school year, and will have three years of eligibility. He will enter the military school's fourth-class system as a knob this semester.

Johnson expects Lattimore to be a candidate to replace last year's starter, record-setting transfer QB Jeff Klein, when fall practice opens next Wednesday.

"He's a good-looking kid, the most athletic of the bunch we've got," Johnson said Tuesday at the Southern Conference preseason meetings. "He can run, and he can throw the ball through that wall over there.

"But he hasn't played college quarterback, and he hasn't played quarterback in two years, since high school. He's got a lot of catching up to do, but I hope he can jump in there and make us better."

Lattimore played QB at Winton Woods High School in Cincinnati before signing with the Bearcats in 2001. He red-shirted at quarterback his first season before moving to linebacker and earning a varsity letter last year.

"I think he got caught in a logjam there at quarterback, and he wanted a shot to play that position," Johnson said. "We called his high school coach, and he said the kid can play, that he can play I-AA football, he could play in the MAC. He just hasn't had a chance yet."

The group vying for the QB job already includes four players who haven't taken a college snap for The Citadel -- redshirt freshman James Reiter, senior Justin Hardin, Navy transfer Ryan Moody and incoming freshman John Esther, a 6-2, 210-pounder from Dunwoody (Ga.) High School. Redshirt freshman Brian Starnes, who went through spring drills at QB, will move to defense, Johnson said.

"To predict that position at this point, it's a mad scramble," Johnson said.

THREE DOGS ALL-SOCON

Three Citadel players -- wide receiver Scooter Johnson, running back Nehemiah Broughton and kicker Travis Zobel -- made the first-team offense on the coaches' preseason All-SoCon team announced Tuesday.

Johnson, a senior, led the SoCon with 69 catches last season. Broughton, a junior, rushed for 1,038 yards and 11 touchdowns. Zobel, a senior, made 14 of 19 field goals and averaged 42.7 yards per punt.

First-team offense: WRs Scooter Johnson (Citadel); Isaac West (Furman); OTs Paul Collins (GSU); Michael Porter (App State); OGs Jason Whaley (W. Carolina); Reggie Cordy (GSU); C Brandon Mason (Elon); QB Chaz Williams (GSU); RBs Jermaine Austin (GSU); Nehemiah Broughton (Citadel); PKs Danny Marshall (Furman); Travis Zobel (Citadel); RS DaVon Fowlkes (App State).

First-team defense: DLs Michael Spicer (W. Carolina); Eric Hadley (GSU); Nick McNeil (W. Carolina); K.T. Stovall (App State); LBs Sam Smalls (App State); Rod Dunlap (W. Carolina); Derrick Butler (GSU); DBs Tony Tiller (ETSU); James Young (GSU); Derrick Black (App State); Gerald Sensabaugh (ETSU); P Nate McKinney (App State).

SOCON TV

A total of 15 SoCon football games will be carried on television this season, including five games on Fox Sports Net South and 10 games on a couple of new national cable networks.

The Citadel is scheduled to appear on TV twice -- on The Football Network on Sept. 20 at Western Carolina, and on Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast (CSS) at home against Furman on Oct. 18.

Here's how the schedule breaks out:

-- Fox Sports Net South -- Ga. Southern at McNeese State, 8 p.m. on Sept. 13; Ga. Southern at Wofford, 7 p.m. on Sept. 20; App State at Furman, 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 11; Ga. Southern at App State, 4 p.m. on Oct. 18; and either Western Carolina at App State or Wofford at Furman on Nov. 15.

-- The Football Network -- Samford at Chattanooga, 8 p.m. on Aug. 28; Elon at Furman, 7 p.m. on Aug. 30; Citadel at Western Carolina, 3:30 p.m. Sept. 20; Richmond at Furman, 7 p.m. Sept. 20; ETSU at App State, 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 4; App State at Wofford, 12:20 p.m. on Oct. 25; Ga. Southern at Elon, 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 15; Furman at Chattanooga, 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 22.

-- College Sports Television -- App State at Eastern Kentucky, 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 6; Furman at Ga. Southern, 1 p.m. on Nov. 8.