2003 Football Signing Class
February 5, 2003 · MT Media Relations
MT Head Coach Andy McCollum on the 2003 Class: "Speaking of the class, I couldn't be more proud of the work our staff put in so that we can compete at our level.
Am I happy with the class? Yes. Am I mad? Yes, I am still mad that we lost one or two who I really felt like we were going to get. I think that is what it is supposed to be about, however. But, I am not mad enough to where I am not happy with what we have.
We have some great kids. We are in battles all the time with the top kids and against the top programs. I think in our first year or two, we probably lost one here or there to Georgia Southern or Furman.
Now we are battling the Ole Miss's, Clemson's and those people all the way till the end of the night. We recruited the kids and that is part of the game when you go after the best. You can't always get everyone of them. We are doing a better job because we keep going to the finish on where we are going to be. That is just what I believe.
"What amazed me was when we started out recruiting, some of them didn't even know what our record was. They just remember us playing Alabama. That is really what is amazing about a bunch of the kids because that was shown all across the South. When you play those type people, they remember that.
Middle Tennessee's name is out where we could probably spread more in recruiting. I am very comfortable in the areas that we are in. I thought our state this year had more Division I players than the other three and a half years I have been here. We were able to keep some of those here. A couple got away from us. I wasn't disappointed because of the effort we gave in order to keep them here.
Georgia is always going to be a good state for our program. I still think we have to be better in Alabama. I still think we are missing some there. We are going to go back and see what we can do better to close that out. I would like to extend more in Florida and keep ties in South Carolina."
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Hometown (Prev. School) |
| Kenyon Buford | OL | 6-6 | 345 | Fr | Murfreesboro, TN (Riverdale HS) |
| - Chose MT over Ohio State and Auburn | |||||
| Leon Cesar | LB | 6-1 | 225 | Jr | Miami, FL (Dodge City CC) |
| - Led team in tackles and was 19th in conference | |||||
| Seneca Chambers | WR | 6-2 | 180 | Jr | Port St. Joe, FL (Hinds CC) |
| - A preseason NJCAA All-American | |||||
| Joe Evilsizer | OL | 6-1 | 302 | Jr | Broken Arrow, OK (NE Oklahoma A&M JC) |
| - Voted First Team All-Conference | |||||
| Ty Goodrich | OL | 6-5 | 300 | Fr | Union City, TN (Union City HS) |
| - Rated one of the top three lineman in Tennessee | |||||
| Eugene Gross | RB | 5-11 | 215 | Fr | Statesboro, GA (Statesboro HS) |
| - Played QB in High School | |||||
| Ralph Gunter | FB | 6-0 | 265 | Fr. | Hephzibah, GA (Hephzibah HS) |
| - Chose MT over NC State, Ga., Georgia Southern, UNC, Ga. Tech | |||||
| Jonathan Harris | DB | 5-10 | 185 | Fr. | Montgomery, AL (Jefferson Davis HS) |
| - Picked MT over Louisville and Southern Miss | |||||
| John Henry | OL | 6-6 | 303 | Fr. | Nashville, TN (Hillsboro) |
| - Rated No. 64 offensive lineman in nation out of HS | |||||
| Taron Henry | WR | 6-2 | 187 | Fr. | Murfreesboro, TN (Riverdale HS) |
| - Recruited by Tennessee, Auburn, Alabama, Florida | |||||
| Tyrone Hicks | DB | 5-10 | 175 | Fr. | Huntsville, AL (Lee HS) |
| - Set Alabama State Record with 12 INTs as a senior | |||||
| Pedro Holiday | WR | 6-1 | 185 | Jr. | Rome, GA (SW Mississippi JC) |
| - Originally signed with Auburn out of High School | |||||
| Jerrin Holt | WR | 6-3 | 215 | r-So. | Grand Prairie, TX (Ranger JC) |
| - Signed with Vanderbilt in 2001 | |||||
| Marcel Horne | LB | 6-1 | 215 | Fr. | Stone Mountain, GA (Clarkston HS) |
| - Led team with 150 tackles | |||||
| Sam Hunt | QB | 6-3 | 210 | Fr. | Cedartown, GA (Cedartown HS) |
| - Named First Team All-State by two different associations | |||||
| Patrick Jackson | QB | 6-3 | 180 | Fr. | Macon, GA (First Presby. Day School) |
| - Threw for 8,010 yards and 72 TDs during prep career | |||||
| Terry Jackson | RB | 5-10 | 185 | Fr. | Memphis, TN (Kingsbury HS) |
| - Rated No. 57 tailback in nation by Rivals.com | |||||
| Tommy Manus | WR | 6-4 | 215 | Jr. | Dallas, TX (Ft. Scott CC) |
| - Chose MT over Cal, TCU, Texas A&M | |||||
| Lance McCullough | OL | 6-4 | 309 | Fr. | Gaylesville, AL (Cedar Bluff HS) |
| - Voted All-State, All-Region and All-County | |||||
| Demarco McNair | RB | 6-0 | 180 | Fr. | Thomson, GA (Thomson HS) |
| - Georgia AAAA State Player of the Year | |||||
| Sean Mosley | LB | 6-3 | 245 | Fr. | Sylvania, GA (Screven Co. HS) |
| - Savannah Area Defensive Player of the Year | |||||
| Darren Mustin | LB | 6-1 | 220 | Fr. | Franklin, TN (Brentwood Academy) |
| - A two-time All-State selection | |||||
| Antoine Owens | LB | 6-2 | 215 | Fr. | Antioch, TN (Ezell-Harding HS) |
| - A finalist for Mr. Football Lineman in 2002 | |||||
| Bobby Payne | DE | 6-4 | 285 | Fr. | Morrilton, AR (Morrilton HS) |
| - A Super Prep All-American | |||||
| Justin Rainey | ATH | 6-1 | 195 | Fr. | Rock Hill, SC (Northwestern HS) |
| - Drew interest from South Carolina and Tennessee | |||||
| Bradley Robinson | WR | 5-9 | 165 | Fr. | Duncan, SC (James F. Byrnes HS) |
| - Herald-Journal Offensive Player of Year | |||||
| Danny Tolbert | DB | 5-10 | 170 | Jr. | Okeechobee, FL (Coffeyville CC) |
| - Second Team NJCAA All-American | |||||
| Erik Walden | DE | 6-3 | 225 | Fr. | Dublin, GA (Dublin HS) |
| - Courier-Herald Heart of Georgia Defensive Player of Year | |||||
| Jonathan Ward | ATH | 6-1 | 222 | Fr. | Collinwood, TN (Collinwood HS) |
| - Won Class A Mr. Football Award | |||||
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