Football Announces Early Signing Class
12/15/2021 3:16:00 PM | Football
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel head coach Brent Thompson announced the addition of nine players during the first day of the early signing period. The list includes two players each of South Carolina, Georgia and Ohio, and one each from Florida, New York and Virginia.
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Ben Barnes, K, 5-11, 184, Medina, Ohio (Buckeye)
Played for head coach Greg Dennison at Buckeye High School…named Division III First-Team All-Ohio linebacker by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters as a senior…finished the year with 102 tackles, including 26 tackles-for-loss…added 1,320 rushing yards…connected on six field goals…selected as the District Defensive Player of the Year…first-team all-conference selection at running back, linebacker and kicker.
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Chase Burton, DB-WR, 6-2, 190, Anderson, South Carolina (T.L. Hanna)
Played for head coach Jason Tone at T.L. Hanna High School…had 12 catches for 193 yards and two touchdowns in seven games as a senior…added a pair of interceptions.
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Josh Cole, DB, 6-3, 215, Roswell, Ga. (Fellowship Christian School)
Played for head coach Tim McFarlin at Fellowship Christian School…named the Region 6A Player of the Year in helping the Paladins to a 12-2 record and the seminfials of the GHSA Class A Private Football championships…finished season with 120 tackles, 18.0 tackles-for-loss, 5.0 sacks and two interceptions…added 274 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 53 carries, while catching 15 passes for 270 yards and five scores…posted 53 tackles and an interception as a junior…totaled 567 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns…finished sophomore season with 83 stops, while rushing for 708 yards and 14 touchdowns.
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Johnny Crawford III, A-Back, 5-8, 180, Moore Haven, Florida (Clewiston)
Played for head coach Pete Walker at Clewiston High School…rushed for 1,028 yards and 15 touchdowns on 120 carries as a senior…finished prep career with 2,223 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns…ran for 605 yards and five scores as a junior, after finishing sophomore season with 545 yards and a touchdown.
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Avery Dixon, DB, 6-1, 170, Concord, Virginia (Rustburg)
Played for head coach Burt Torrence at Rustburg High School…earned first-team all-district and second-team all-region honors as a senior…selected as the MVP of the Appalachia Prep Combine.
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Ethan Greenwood, QB, 6-0, 180, Baldwin, New York (Kellenberg Memorial)
Played for head coach Kevin Hanifan at Kellernberg Memorial High School…selected as a Top 100 player by Newsday…played in four games as a senior, going 30-of-49 for 410 yards and five touchdowns…added 199 yards and two touchdowns on 39 carries…threw for 196 yards and three scores, while rushing for 293 yards and three scores in four games as a junior.
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Christian Hilton, WR, 6-1, 205, Granville, Ohio (Granville)
Played for head coach Wes Schroeder at Granville High School… helped the Blue Aces to a 13-1 record as a senior…selected to the all-district first team after catching 58 passes and totaling 1,190 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns…added 57 tackles…garnered Honorable Mention All-Ohio honors from the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association.
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Sawyer Whitman, OL, 6-1, 285, Gaffney, South Carolina (Gaffney)
Played for head coach Dan Jones at Gaffney High School…helped the Indians to a 15-0 record and the 5A state championship as a senior…garnered 5A All-State and All-Region honors as a junior and senior…selected to play in the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl...member of the A-B honor roll…father, Mike, played football at South Carolina.
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Cale Williams, DB, 6-0, 195, Canton, Georgia (Creekview)
Played for head coach Trevor Williams at Creekview High School…earned all-region honors after finishing senior season with 54 tackles, one interception and two pass break-ups in seven games…added 10 receptions for 177 yards and four touchdowns…preseason honorable mention all-state selection…earned first-team all-region and all-county honors after posting 87 tackles, one interception and nine pass break-ups as a junior…registered 51 tackles and four pass break-ups as a sophomore to earn second-team all-region and all-county accolades…father, Chad, played football at ETSU.
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Stay up to date on all your Bulldog news by following @CitadelFootball or visit CitadelSports.com.
Membership in The Citadel Brigadier Foundation is open to alumni and friends of The Citadel who are interested in supporting Bulldog athletics. By joining, you provide annual charitable contributions that fund scholarships for cadet-student-athletes.  Supporters interested in joining TCBF or for more information, please click HERE.
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| Name | Pos | Ht. | Wt | Hometown | High School |
| Ben Barnes | K | 5-11 | 184 | Medina, Ohio | Buckeye |
| Chase Burton | DB-WR | 6-2 | 190 | Anderson, S.C. | T.L. Hanna |
| Josh Cole | DB | 6-3 | 215 | Roswell, Ga. | Fellowship Christian School |
| Johnny Crawford III | A-Back | 5-8 | 180 | Moore Haven, Fla. | Clewiston |
| Avery Dixon | DB | 6-1 | 170 | Concord, Va. | Rustburg |
| Ethan Greenwood | QB | 6-0 | 180 | Baldwin, N.Y. | Kellenberg Memorial |
| Christian Hilton | WR | 6-1 | 205 | Granville, Ohio | Granville |
| Sawyer Whitman | OL | 6-1 | 285 | Gaffney, S.C. | Gaffney |
| Cale Williams | DB | 6-0 | 195 | Canton, Ga. | Creekview |
Ben Barnes, K, 5-11, 184, Medina, Ohio (Buckeye)
Played for head coach Greg Dennison at Buckeye High School…named Division III First-Team All-Ohio linebacker by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters as a senior…finished the year with 102 tackles, including 26 tackles-for-loss…added 1,320 rushing yards…connected on six field goals…selected as the District Defensive Player of the Year…first-team all-conference selection at running back, linebacker and kicker.
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Chase Burton, DB-WR, 6-2, 190, Anderson, South Carolina (T.L. Hanna)
Played for head coach Jason Tone at T.L. Hanna High School…had 12 catches for 193 yards and two touchdowns in seven games as a senior…added a pair of interceptions.
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Josh Cole, DB, 6-3, 215, Roswell, Ga. (Fellowship Christian School)
Played for head coach Tim McFarlin at Fellowship Christian School…named the Region 6A Player of the Year in helping the Paladins to a 12-2 record and the seminfials of the GHSA Class A Private Football championships…finished season with 120 tackles, 18.0 tackles-for-loss, 5.0 sacks and two interceptions…added 274 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 53 carries, while catching 15 passes for 270 yards and five scores…posted 53 tackles and an interception as a junior…totaled 567 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns…finished sophomore season with 83 stops, while rushing for 708 yards and 14 touchdowns.
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Johnny Crawford III, A-Back, 5-8, 180, Moore Haven, Florida (Clewiston)
Played for head coach Pete Walker at Clewiston High School…rushed for 1,028 yards and 15 touchdowns on 120 carries as a senior…finished prep career with 2,223 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns…ran for 605 yards and five scores as a junior, after finishing sophomore season with 545 yards and a touchdown.
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Avery Dixon, DB, 6-1, 170, Concord, Virginia (Rustburg)
Played for head coach Burt Torrence at Rustburg High School…earned first-team all-district and second-team all-region honors as a senior…selected as the MVP of the Appalachia Prep Combine.
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Ethan Greenwood, QB, 6-0, 180, Baldwin, New York (Kellenberg Memorial)
Played for head coach Kevin Hanifan at Kellernberg Memorial High School…selected as a Top 100 player by Newsday…played in four games as a senior, going 30-of-49 for 410 yards and five touchdowns…added 199 yards and two touchdowns on 39 carries…threw for 196 yards and three scores, while rushing for 293 yards and three scores in four games as a junior.
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Christian Hilton, WR, 6-1, 205, Granville, Ohio (Granville)
Played for head coach Wes Schroeder at Granville High School… helped the Blue Aces to a 13-1 record as a senior…selected to the all-district first team after catching 58 passes and totaling 1,190 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns…added 57 tackles…garnered Honorable Mention All-Ohio honors from the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association.
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Sawyer Whitman, OL, 6-1, 285, Gaffney, South Carolina (Gaffney)
Played for head coach Dan Jones at Gaffney High School…helped the Indians to a 15-0 record and the 5A state championship as a senior…garnered 5A All-State and All-Region honors as a junior and senior…selected to play in the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl...member of the A-B honor roll…father, Mike, played football at South Carolina.
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Cale Williams, DB, 6-0, 195, Canton, Georgia (Creekview)
Played for head coach Trevor Williams at Creekview High School…earned all-region honors after finishing senior season with 54 tackles, one interception and two pass break-ups in seven games…added 10 receptions for 177 yards and four touchdowns…preseason honorable mention all-state selection…earned first-team all-region and all-county honors after posting 87 tackles, one interception and nine pass break-ups as a junior…registered 51 tackles and four pass break-ups as a sophomore to earn second-team all-region and all-county accolades…father, Chad, played football at ETSU.
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Stay up to date on all your Bulldog news by following @CitadelFootball or visit CitadelSports.com.
Membership in The Citadel Brigadier Foundation is open to alumni and friends of The Citadel who are interested in supporting Bulldog athletics. By joining, you provide annual charitable contributions that fund scholarships for cadet-student-athletes.  Supporters interested in joining TCBF or for more information, please click HERE.
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