Feb. 10, 2006

Charleston, S.C. - Hard work and dedication paid off for The Citadel football recruiting staff as their 2006 signing class was tagged as the top in the state, according to The State Newspaper.

The Bulldogs' 22 signees, announced on Feb. 1, includes nine South Carolina athletes, two of whom are among the top-50 in the state. The class was ranked above nine other state programs, excluding South Carolina and Clemson, and including Southern Conference's Furman and Wofford.

"The fact that our recruiting class was No. 1 in the state is a testimony to the hard work by our coaching staff and faculty," said The Citadel Head Coach Kevin Higgins. "Our players also did a great job in communicating our vision of being a championship program."

The 2006 class is the first recruiting class for Higgins since joining the Bulldog staff in 2005. Among the class are five offensive linemen, four defensive backs, three linebackers, three wide receivers, three defensive linemen, two tight ends, one quarterback and one running back. Five of the athletes have earned All-Conference honors, while one received All-District honors and seven were named to All-Region teams.

According to The State, "The Citadel drew two top-50 S.C. players and shored up offense without neglecting defensive needs."

The Citadel's star of the class is quarterback Cameron Turner, of Libertyville, Ill., according to The State. Turner was an All-American Bowl nominee who totaled more than 3,000 yards of offense in two seasons. The son of a professional football coach, Turner was a preseason All-American his senior season, an Army All-American Bowl nominee and received North Suburban Conference All-Conference honorable mention honors.

The other state schools were ranked in the following order: 2. Charleston Southern 3. Presbyterian 4. Coastal Carolina 5. Furman 6. Wofford 7. Newberry 8. S.C. State 9. Benedict 10. North Greenville.