jdennis82

Came across an interesting tidbit about our Mean Green reading Dane Brugler's NFL Draft guide. According to Brugler, in the spring of 2016 when QB Ryan Finley was choosing his transfer destination when leaving Boise State, he'd narrowed the decision down to NC State and North Texas. This appears to be corroborated by USA Today (LINK) . The QB Timeline appears to look something like this... Dec '15: Alec Morris agrees to transfer to North Texas Jan '16: Mason Fine commits to North Texas May '16: Ryan Finley transfers to NC State I know we'd all keep things as they played out but it's fascinating to wonder if Finley had landed in Denton, how things would have shaken out.

This is great to hear... After a 2018 off-season that saw great staff retention, we've experienced a 2019 off-season with much turnover. Once the dust settled, though, I think most feel there's reason to think the staff may be improved overall and the united front of Baker & Littrell is a huge reason those openings were appealing. We enjoyed an incredible and potentially transformative 2019 recruiting class. Stack a similarly (or better) 2020 class behind them and the future of the program looks amazing. An extension for Littrell will only bolster the recruiting pitch.

Love it. This young man looks like an incredible addition to what's growing in Denton. Welcome aboard, Mr. Lee! A couple benefits to recruiting tight ends... The Flex TE is becoming an almost indispensable mismatch weapon in the game and should really help the offense play quicker without sacrificing the running game. Last year, SB Nation had a nice breakdown ( LINK ). Of note, Jayce Gilder was second on EWU last year with seven TDs. A 17 year old playing TE is still growing into his body. A larger frame with added weight could be used on either line, if TE does not work out. There are many examples of tackles who were recruited as TEs (Lane Johnson, Jake Fisher, etc.)

Pool play begins today. For those unfamiliar, the event is a 3 on 3 tournament open to seniors who've exhausted NCAA eligibility. Teams are formed based on collegiate conference affiliation. Pool play wins net the team $1,000 with a tournament championship landing them $100,000. This is the event's second year (The Big Ten squad won in 2018) https://www.3x3uhoops.com/landing/index A couple teams of note around here... First, the CUSA squad features 3 players who made the All-Conference 1st or 2nd teams (Stith, Beard, Carver) and Sixth Player of the Year (Stapleton) Second, former NT great Jeremy Combs is representing the SWAC

With pro day behind our guys, it's time to see where they start popping up in mocks as the draft approaches. Looks like Randy Gurzi of Fansided's NFL Spinzone has EJ ending up in Foxborough... https://nflspinzone.com/2019/04/01/nfl-draft-2019-mock-draft-complete-7-rounds/63/

This. I will never shame a young man for changing his mind or wanting to press pause on making a decision at this stage of the process. I also don't fault 2019 de-commit Garrison Johnson for his decision but it's much better for all involved to have Carpenter be open about his second thoughts than it was when Johnson made his feelings known so late in the game.

It's always a good sign of what those in the know think about the direction of the program and those who lead it when they send their kids to Denton. Logan Holgorsen's initial commitment, Will Kuehne & now Caden Fedora demonstrate, to me, that NT Football is in good hands with an upward trajectory and sense of stability.

Always glad to be reminded of how great this run has been with Fine's exceptional leadership on the field, in the locker room, in the classroom, and as part of the Denton community.

If CUSA is going to level the financial playing field, it's got to start on the gridiron. We've got two shots in 2019 to do our part... Saturday, Sept 7 - at SMU Saturday, Sept 28 - vs HOU

For the record, the offer is for lefty combo guard Kevon Voyles (6’3″ combo guard). In the highlight package below, he appears to have some real range and according to a write up from 2017, he's engaged and energetic on the defensive end.

Would be a great get for this squad. This package from his 2018 freshman season at Indian Hills CC highlights his work in the paint and on the glass.

Need a rooting interest for the Texas 6A UIL Boys BBall playoffs? NT great and 2018 HOF nominee is the head coach of a squad ranked #8 in the state led by Louisville commit Samuel Williamson. For those curious, NT commit Jalen Jackson's SA Wagner are in the 5A playoffs, so there is no rooting conflict between the two squads.

Add this young man's assessment to the growing list of reasons #NewDenton is real. Getting players the caliber of those we signed for '19 and these who came to town this weekend is proof that Wren, Seth, and their staffs have reshaped the reputation of the North Texas football program in high school locker rooms. Add to that the work Smatresk has done to improve the perception of the University as a whole, and we have much to be proud of these days. Mr. Lewis sounds like he would be an incredible addition to the Mean Green Family

It'll take a lot for any NT PG to surpass the fun I had watching Josh White orchestrate the offense but Ryan's up there with him. Incredibly stark contrast between the two - both physically and style of play. Each seemed to be the perfect fit for the rosters they played with. With Josh, it felt like he was at the line for clutch free throws in every single game - and his confidence in those moments was felt by everyone in the arena. Being so small on the whole, Ryan's size, defense, and rebounding are critical to the team's success. Hard to compare such different players but both defined the term "floor general" for their respective squads.

Woolridge's numbers resemble those of the #10 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft... Ryan Woolridge ( https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/ryan-woolridge-1.html ) Elfrid Payton ( https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/elfrid-payton-1.html )

Exciting hire. Also of note, included in his recruiting area at Eastern Washington... https://goeags.com/coaches.aspx?rc=119 He seems to bring a new creativity that I think will serve our squad well. The leadership of next season's seniors wouldn't allow for a relaxed spring practice anyway, but I think having new blood on the staff will force players to be more engaged as they learn new schemes/plays while also giving our defense new looks and wrinkles when they scrimmage. The continuity last year served us well and I will root for Harrell in Southern California, but this hire looks very promising.

The rankings will settle out wherever they do from here but don't lose sight of the fact that the 2019 class for North Texas is special and will leave a legacy in Denton. As long as it doesn't come at NT's expense in terms of head to head recruiting battles, I welcome other CUSA schools to sign talent at or near the level we did this year as it only means our conference will improve its reputation against our G5 peers - which it needs to do.

While his in-game ability has been questioned on the board (as is the case with every OC in the country), the work he did in building up the young man who will go down as the best QB in our school's history should always be reason for NT fans to appreciate Harrell's time in Denton. Will be rooting for his success. The timing of this may play into our favor as there are several reasons OC gig here should be very appealing to potential candidates: QB position is settled and spectacular Littrell's arrow is pointing up and he proved with KState that he's loyal to his staff Those with HC aspirations may see opportunity to be in position to have a leg up on other replacement candidates if Littrell moves on (as @Wag Tag suggested) I think we all recognize that Littrell has become one of the more well-connected coaches in the game (certainly at the G5 level) and I think he'll have plenty of quality options to choose from.

Found this Draft Diamonds Q&A on for Mr. Guyton. Pretty interesting read... https://www.nfldraftdiamonds.com/2019/01/jalen-guyton/ Also, Rotoworld has him ranked as the #49 receiver based solely on stats/production. Based on draft history, about 30-32 WRs are drafted each year... http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/cfb/85659/453/2019-nfl-draft-wr-stats-report

Great Brune article, as always. The article focuses on his defensive improvement - which is warranted as it's been incredible - but his offense may be just as crucial to the 15-1 start. In stretches where shots aren't falling for our perimeter players, getting him a touch or two in the post really has a settling effect on the squad. Often college post players are rushed and/or indecisive with the ball so for Simmons to have a calming influence in this way is extremely valuable.

The confidence Woolridge plays with was key to keeping us from unraveling midway through the 1st half. What a stud! This is a resilient bunch with a winning mentality. Sure to be an exciting ride in conference play. Go Mean Green

I've come to assume sometimes (or, often) Vito is asked to sit on a story to allow it to be released/revealed as is preferred by the involved party. I imagine Choice and GT preferred to break the news themselves and Vito - likely knowing the situation fully - allowed them to do so. As for replacing Choice, there's no question Littrell is well connected in the industry. I have full faith in his ability to find a great fit for both coaching and recruiting. It'll be tough to find someone who is as committed as Choice was to growing the players into quality young men off the field, but I also feel Littrell will prioritize this aspect in the interview process as well.

PFF has been quick to sing the praises of the season Fine has put together this year and Palazzolo continues the refrain in this article for ESPN... "Fine has an NFL arm in a slot receiver's frame."

Haha...well done. I've corrected the mistake, thanks.

I've chosen not to post on the threads related to our coaching situation because I have no insight and can provide no new information on the matter but in reading much of what's been posted, it feels like where GMG.com represents "the voice of the fans" it can start to feel like Mean Green fans are quick to assume the worst, inclined to feel betrayed by the idea that an individual might consider options outside of Denton, and hasty in withdrawing support for individuals who have represented our University in a mighty way I think, however, there's a silent majority of Mean Green fans who have chosen to be patient, waiting for things to play out understand that it would be irresponsible for someone to choose not to consider all opportunities (refuse enough interviews and the requests will dry up) recognize that we've enjoyed one of the best 3 year stretches in school history and will never not appreciate the effort of those who contributed I hold out hope that things end with Littrell and his staff returning to bring us a CUSA title in 2019 and many more in following seasons, but should things not work out that way, I will unwaveringly stand behind our Mean Green and its leadership while also supporting those who have given much to the program and chosen to move on.