MeanGreen61

He'll be at TD's camp ALFRED DUPREE http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=353&p=8&a...amp;nid=2778779

Cooley, it's a secret conspiracy to make you take your shoes off and use your toes too.

Football: Early recruits keep coming for UNT Mean Green lands running back, wide receiver to lift committment total to seven players 10:35 PM CDT on Monday, June 11, 2007 Brett Vito / Staff Writer One of the top wide receivers in Central Texas and a standout running back from the Dallas-Fort Worth area committed to North Texas over the weekend. Mart wide receiver Kenny Barrett and Haltom running back Lance Dunbar were both being recruited by multiple Division I-A programs, but decided to orally commit to UNT early. Oral commitments are non-binding. The first day recruits can sign national letters of intent is Feb. 7. Barrett and Dunbar both named a chance to play in the offense being installed by new UNT head coach Todd Dodge as a reason for committing to the Mean Green. "I liked North Texas and that I will get a chance to play in an offense where we will throw the ball a lot," Barrett said. "I wanted to go somewhere with a wide-open offense. With four wide receivers on the field, that will give me a chance to get out there right away." Barrett (6-4, 190) finished with 660 receiving yards last season while also playing safety for Mart on its way to the Class 2A Division II state title. Barrett caught three touchdown passes in Mart's win over Cisco in the state title game and was a first-team All-District 22-2A selection both as a wide receiver and defensive back last season. "Kenny will have an easy transition to the college game," Mart head coach Rusty Nail said. "I think he can carry over 200 pounds when he gets into a college training program, plus he has outstanding hands and decent speed. He is an outstanding athlete who is pretty physical on the football field." UNT was the only school that had offered Barrett a scholarship, but he was also being recruited by Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Louisiana Tech and Houston. Barrett said he would still listen to what coaches from other programs have to say, but will likely stay committed to UNT. "I think Kenny is pretty solid on North Texas," Nail said. "He wants to go somewhere they are going to throw the ball. We think he will hold. We talked to him about what commitment means and he has a lot of family in the Dallas and Denton areas." Dunbar (5-9, 180) was also a highly recruited player. Virginia, Oklahoma State and Colorado all offered Dunbar a scholarship after he rushed for 1,060 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. He also caught 49 passes for 729 yards and two touchdowns while playing under new UNT wide receivers coach Clayton George, who left Haltom to join the Mean Green's staff in December. "I already had a relationship with the coaching staff because of coach George and I wanted to stay close to home," Dunbar said. "I also liked the school. The fields, the weight room and the dorms were all right there close together." Dunbar will also be playing in an offensive system similar to what Haltom used last season. "I didn't want to wait to commit," Dunbar said. "I had the opportunity and jumped on it. I am excited about some of the guys I am going to be playing with." Dunbar was a first-team All-District 5-5A selection at running back as a junior last season and is expected to play the same spot at UNT, which will try to take advantage of his 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash. The addition of Barrett and Dunbar gives UNT seven players who have orally committed to become members of the Mean Green's 2008 recruiting class. BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com. North Texas 2008 commitments The following is a list of players who have orally committed to play for UNT beginning in the 2008 season: OL Eloy Atkinson Los Fresnos WR Kenny Barrett Mart RB Lance Dunbar Haltom OL Troy Franklin Celina WR Willie Taylor Dallas Hillcrest LB Derek Tomlin Southlake Carroll S Darien Williams Vernon

It's also interesting that one poster said the Longhorns were "over committed" on the KNOWN number of available 'ships.

Scout.com article. OK. Cyrus Gray is a 4-star running back who doesn't have UNT listed, however he will be here for camp on the 17th. OPPORTUNITY ! Fun & Friendly By Allen Wallace National Recruiting Editor Posted Jun 11, 2007 The only two schools that Cyrus Gray has already visited are SMU and Texas A&M, which are 30 minutes and three hours away, respectively. "Out-of-state or in-state doesn't matter to me," Gray said. "SMU is a great program and they have a great tradition at the running back position. I'm also really close friends with Terrance Wilkerson (2007 quarterback signee)..." Cyrus Gray, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound three-star running back from Desoto, Texas, says he now has approximately 50 scholarship offers, but says he's still trying to narrow down his list. "I have more like a top ten right now," Gray said. "Towards the end of summer I'll have my top five. Right now I'm leaning towards taking my visits, but you never know. If I feel it in my heart that I'm ready, then I'll commit." Gray has been offered by the likes of Michigan, Penn State, Illinois, Florida, Kansas, Colorado, California, UCLA, SMU, Texas A&M, Louisville, Notre Dame, Arizona, Oklahoma State and several others. "Academics are first for me," he said. "I want to major in health and want a good dental program. I also want to make sure I like the environment. I want to be in a fun and friendly place that is very supportive of the team." Although Gray denies a leader, he favors SMU, Texas A&M, Louisville, Notre Dame, Miami, Florida and Kansas. He'll be attending a camp at North Texas on June 17. The only two schools that Gray has already visited are SMU and A&M, which are 30 minutes and three hours away, respectively. "Out-of-state or in-state doesn't matter to me," Gray said. "SMU is a great program and they have a great tradition at the running back position. I'm also really close friends with Terrance Wilkerson (2007 quarterback signee). He says to take all of my visits and to get to know the coaches really well." Gray, ranked No. 40 in the Southwest by Scout.com, also has a few former teammates at A&M as well and likes the Aggies tradition. "They always have a packed house," Gray said. "It's always like over 90,000 people there and they really love their team. They have great fans." This summer, Gray plans on visiting Florida and Notre Dame unofficially, "but I also may head out west to California and Arizona. "I really like the prestige of Notre Dame," he said. "They are always on TV and that's big. Also, coach Charlie Weis is really good and I love that it's a football town. It's like Texas because they love football there." He reports a 3.2 core GPA and says he's not sure what his SAT score is. "I know I've got it back, but I don't really know. I haven't really checked."

They'll probably be up soon. Frequently there's a lag time before new committments are posted.

Buy the mag, it's only $9.95

Sure we can lose one or even several, but TD will probably hold on to most.

UNT adds another; OU adding more Texas preps 06/11/2007 North Texas is up to six verbal pledges, and the latest might be the greatest. Mart receiver Kenny Barrett, a Texas Top 300 receiver, pledged to the Mean Green over the weekend, his high school coach Rusty Nail confirmed. Barrett had three TDs in the state title win over Cisco and had over 600 yards receiving last year. Blurb from Dave Campbell's http://www.texasfootball.com/index.php?s=&...hange_well_id=2 Rivals - Kenny Barrett http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/viewp...361&sport=1

"On the bright side, at SMU he could get the ball and hear his mother yelling for him from the stands without being drowned out by pesky fans."

Football: UNT racks up early commitments Dodge outpacing rivals in spring recruiting wars 11:34 AM CDT on Sunday, June 10, 2007 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer Between attending offseason workouts at Southlake Carroll, preparing for his senior year and squeezing in some time for a little fun in the last summer of his high school days, Derek Tomlin has few precious free moments these days. And like most teenagers, the linebacker was sure he could find a better way to spend them than sorting through a stack of recruiting letters and pondering where he would continue his football career in college. The situation set up perfectly for North Texas and its new head coach Todd Dodge, who is handing out scholarship offers and accepting oral commitments regularly as part of a new recruiting approach for the Mean Green this spring. UNT offered Tomlin a scholarship early and reaped the benefit when the senior-to-be became the fifth player to orally commit to become a member of the Mean Green's 2008 recruiting class in the last few weeks. "Our season runs from August to December, but football never stops at Carroll," Tomlin said. "I wanted to focus on getting stronger and quicker. Summer workouts are important and are a big part of team building. I wanted to focus on that right now. Committing early gives me that opportunity." Early commitments are nothing new in college football. They are just new to UNT, which took a far different approach under former head coach Darrell Dickey. Dickey specialized in finding the players who slipped through the cracks. He rarely offered players scholarships before official visit sessions in the weeks before national signing day, when players' commitments become binding. The players Dickey signed led the Mean Green to four consecutive Sun Belt Conference titles before the program hit the skids the last two years, prompting Dickey's departure and the arrival of Dodge. Dodge had the opportunity to implement his approach in a full recruiting season for the first time beginning this spring. So far his philosophy has helped UNT outpace several of its rivals in terms of early commitments. According to online recruiting site Rivals.com, TCU had two commitments heading into the weekend, while UNT's other Dallas-Fort Worth rival, SMU, had yet to land a player. Florida International has one commitment and is the only team in the Sun Belt Conference other than UNT to have a player tentatively locked up for its 2008 class. UNT's coaches cannot comment on specific recruits until they sign their national letters of intent, and are keeping quiet about their approach in general. Dodge refused to comment on any aspect of his recruiting philosophy. What is of little doubt is UNT is attracting attention in recruiting circles by securing commitments early. "Getting commitments early is advantageous for North Texas because it seems to be happening in all of college football," said John Talman, a recruiting analyst who covers Texas schools for Rivals.com. "Teams in the Big 12 and Conference USA are recruiting earlier. There's a lot of competition for players in Texas and Dodge knows the state. It's a good idea to try to get players early." The case for early commitments Every college team in the country has its assistant coaches on the road during the season and in the spring, when the largest schools in the state have their spring workouts. Staffs form their wish lists and begin contacting the players who will make up their next recruiting class before their senior seasons. More and more, coaches are offering scholarships before players step onto the field as seniors. Like every aspect of recruiting, offering scholarships early has its rewards and its risks. The players UNT has landed so far this spring show just how big the rewards can be. Celina lineman Troy Franklin is ranked among the top 50 college football prospects in the area by The Dallas Morning News . Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine ranks Dallas Hillcrest quarterback Willie Taylor among the top 300 prospects in the state. Vernon safety Darien Williams said he was being recruited by Arizona, TCU, Rice and Tulsa, but committed to UNT because it was the first team to offer a scholarship. "North Texas was the team that gave me the opportunity and wanted me to go there," Williams said. "I wanted to show that I appreciated it." Several of the other players who committed to UNT early also named the chance to lock in a scholarship as a reason to commit to the Mean Green before their senior seasons. "A lot of the guys North Texas is getting now had a lot of offers," Talman said. "They have done a great job of not just getting kids, but getting quality kids." There might not be a better time for UNT to be looking for players than this spring. Dodge won three straight Class 5A state titles at Carroll and has a pristine reputation in Texas that is attracting players. "I really liked the coaches and heard a lot of good things about them," Los Fresnos offensive lineman Eloy Atkinson said. "They have won in the past and had a good tradition at Southlake Carroll." Atkinson's coach at Los Fresnos is Scott Ford, who played under Dodge when he was an assistant at UNT earlier in his career. That connection is just one example of how Dodge's ties in Texas are quickly paying off. The question is if that reputation will help UNT hang on to the players who have committed early on. A risky proposition Since oral commitments are non-binding, nothing can prevent UNT's players from changing their mind in the coming months, when the Mean Green begins what could be a tough season. UNT is changing offensive and defensive systems under Dodge. The Mean Green opens at Oklahoma, plays four of its first five games on the road and returns just five starters on offense. Several preseason publications have picked the Mean Green to finish near the bottom of the Sun Belt for the third straight season. A losing season might make playing for UNT a little less attractive for the recruits the Mean Green has already landed. Atkinson committed to UNT without ever setting foot in Denton. He is scheduled to visit the campus in late July. Other programs could try to move in and steal a few of UNT's recruits in the coming months. "You can lose guys if you take early commitments, but you can lose them if you don't offer them early as well," Talman said. There is also no guarantee the players who commit early will be as highly regarded after their senior seasons. Players can have career-altering injuries or not develop as expected. Those risks are ones programs take while recruiting players before their senior year. Now that Dodge is in charge at UNT, the Mean Green is taking those risks with the expectation of gaining the rewards early recruiting can offer, including signing highly regarded players like Franklin. "I committed to North Texas because of coach Dodge," Franklin said. "He's getting players North Texas' old coaches couldn't get before." And he's getting them earlier than ever. BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

Vito Blog June 09, 2007 Dave Campbell's and season predictions One of the best moments of the summer for any football fan in Texas is upon us. Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine will be officially released on Monday. There are a number of preseason publications, but for fans in Texas, Dave Campbell's has it all from high school coverage to stories on the college and pro teams. I have had the honor of writing the North Texas and Sun Belt previews for the last few years. For a while I also wrote the UNT recruiting review and season predictions as well, but these days the editors of the magazine handle both of those chores. And when it comes to the season prediction part, I differ on my expectations. The magazine picked UNT to finish 7-5, which is pretty optimistic. UNT will have a tough time beating Navy, even if the game is at home and a win at Louisiana-Lafayette will be a tough task with Tyrell Fenroy back. ULL's running back might be one of the two or three best players in the league. Beating Middle Tennessee is a lot to expect for UNT after the Blue Raiders hammered the Mean Green 35-0 in Denton last season. And don't forget that Florida Atlantic has never lost to UNT. The Mean Green should break through against the Owls this season, but that seems to be the case every year. UNT could be better this season than in the final year of the Dickey era, but 4-5 wins might be a more realistic prediction of what is to come for the Mean Green. Posted by Brett Vito at 3:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

No problem, your in the area and in the middle of some Sun Belt schools. Maybe I just should have said "others in the area"

Thru Friday, June 8th TEXAS Texas: 19 Texas A&M: 18 Texas Tech: 7 Baylor: 6 North Texas: 5 Houston: 4 Rice: 4 TCU: 2 UTEP: 1 SMU: 0 SUN BELT North Texas: 5 FIU: 1 Arkansas State: 0 FAU: 0 UL-L: 0 UL-M: 0 Muts: 0 Troy: 0 WKU: 0 OTHERS OF INTEREST Tulsa: 3 La. Tech: 1 (had 2, lost 1 to Arkansas)

These are not committments made the last week of the signing period in February. These are EARLY committments, something we really haven't experienced and I like to think that TD has good reasons for the offers he extended.

Interesting and probably correct comments by CougarRed on the CUSA board. "Historically, blue chip lists were created based on who was recruiting the players. The practice of taking early commitments has skewed the process of creating these lists. A kid who commits early to a school like Houston, while still being recruited by others, won't receive as many offers as he would have if he had waited until after his senior year to take visits and commit. So, many of our early commits don't end up with more than "2 stars." But that's OK. Our coaches have targeted them early for a reason. And I trust them."

"I committed to North Texas because I am so familiar with the coaching staff,” Tomlin said. “I feel like they are the best staff in the nation. Why not go play for them?"

Wasn't Cedric Hardman a 6'-6'1, 175-180 DB his freshman year ?

MAYBE IT'S TIME TO SHUT THIS THREAD DOWN. SEEMS TO HAVE PRETTY WELL RUN THE GAMUT.

Possibly just a SE Regional game & not a national telecast.

Game Times Set for Mean Green Football Courtesy: University of North Texas Release: 06/07/2007 DENTON, Texas (6/7/07) – North Texas has finalized all of the kickoff times for the 2007 football season, which will begin at 6 p.m. in Norman Oklahoma on Sept. 1. The final piece of the puzzle came when it was announced that FOX Sports Southwest would televise the game between Oklahoma and North Texas in their evening time slot. The first six games of the year for the Mean Green will all be night games starting at 6 p.m. with the exception of the game at SMU which will begin at 7 p.m. The game at Troy on Oct. 20 will be played at 2:30 p.m. The last five games of the year will alternate between afternoon and evening game. North Texas will begin its first three home games at 6 p.m. and the final two home games will start at 3 p.m. Along with the Oklahoma game being picked up by FSN Southwest, it is expected that as many as three Sun Belt Conference games could be added to the television slate that will be announced by the league in late July. All 12 North Texas football games will be able to be heard on the Mean Green radio network with George Dunham and Hank Dickenson. The games can also be heard via the internet by clicking the listen live button on the home page of flagship station KWRD at www.thewordfm.com. CLICK HERE TO VIEW SCHEDULE http://www.meangreensports.com/SportSelect...&SPSID=9052

Bummer

Good for you.

That is just a TECH writers opinion.

Star-Telegram blurb Big 12 on Versus FSN, the cable home to Big 12 and Pac-10 football, said it has reached an agreement to sublicense college football games to Versus; its previous five-year sublicense deal with Turner Sports has expired. Versus will telecast five Big 12 games in 2007. The Sept. 15 Iowa vs. Iowa State game has been selected, with the other four games to be announced at a later date. Games for the 2007 season that have been scheduled for FSN: North Texas at Oklahoma, 6 p.m. and Colorado State at Colorado, TBA, on Sept. 1. Fresno State at Texas A&M, 2:30 p.m., TCU at Texas, 6 p.m. and Colorado at Arizona State, 9:15 p.m., on Sept. 8. Texas Tech at Oklahoma State, 2:30 p.m. and Rice at Texas, 6 p.m., on Sept. 22.