HarringtonFishSmeller

Tech's defense will be awful for as long as they run their "Air Raid." They don't get the best athletes in their conference - never have, never will. So, their defense will always be filled with the fourth or fifth or sixth best recruits behind Texas, A&M, Oklahoma, LSU, and just about every other regional P5...and, Alabama when they damn well want to come in and take the best. And, they will stick them out on the field too long. Kevin Patrick was nice here, but no miracle worker. As pissy as Tech's defensive recruiting situation has always been, ours is worse. The guy is going maybe a step or two up the ladder. But...that weaselfart of a head coach at Texas Tech will never take defense into account enough to be serious. When weaselfart is fired after next season, Patrick will be on the streets again. Then, maybe he'll finally get back to Miami now that they have a real head coach again.

Grades maybe? Academic transfer requirements? These also could have been a factor.

There was no turmoil on his character or work habits. He had started on OU's special teams as a freshman, forced fumbled, blocked kicks...he was really good, even at that level. He was also up to par in the classroom. That he would be involved in calling out his own program, for possible NCAA violations isn't a mark of bad character...to me. But, I value that UNT has never had an NCAA violation in football. In all, Trice was squared away on and off the field when he arrived. We've had plenty who were not - and, who were more highly rated than Trice. Some quarterback named Berglund comes to mind. This kid who couldn't get into Wisconsin, couldn't stay in shape over a summer knowing he was going to a college football program with elite tradition, then quitting on them in the middle of the season...let me just say that, if he even shows up here, I'll be skeptical of him until he proves he's grown up and can take care of his business on and off the field like the majority of the big boy players on scholarship do. For the program, I want players who respect that having a scholarship is a unique and rare opportunity. I don't want kids who feel like they are automatically owed respect and position just because of what they accomplished in high school. You are not going to sit on your ass during the week while everyone else is working and have things go well for you at this level. Texas A&M-Commerce is just a hike over 380 if you are looking to skate by. This level is different, and this kid doesn't seem to realize that. Separate the men from the boys, please.

Not really. This isn't a Marcus Trice-type transfer: someone who had a reputation for hard work, had excellent on and off the field results at his prior school. This is a guy who ended up not being able to get into Wisconsin, then showed up at Nebraska not ready to go...then, quit. Trice is a jackpot type of transfer. This type is the dice roll.

Here's what I read from the article: Stevenson seemed bound for a redshirt year after he arrived in Lincoln overweight and unfamiliar with the playbook. But coaches burned the redshirt of the freshman from Dallas so he could return kickoffs starting with the sixth game against Wisconsin. Stevenson did not shine at the position, averaging 14.2 yards per return in games against Wisconsin, Minnesota and Northwestern. One return against Northwestern was brought back to the 9. After that game, coach Mike Riley implicated the blocking more than Stevenson’s skill set, but Stevenson never returned another kickoff. He sat last week at Purdue. On Thursday, five days after the loss to the Boilermakers, Riley said Stevenson was sick and that he also wouldn’t return kickoffs against Michigan State. Instead, Stanley Morgan and Brandon Reilly will return kicks against the Spartans. Riley said Thursday that he didn’t regret burning Stevenson’s redshirt. “I think our intentions and his desires were good,” Riley said. “Only the future will tell.” The future now resembles Stevenson’s near-past, as he will try to find a new school. Stevenson had to do the same this summer when his original choice, Wisconsin, denied him admission. Obviously, you have to look at this as "we'll give the kid a second chance...C-USun Belt is much lower competition than Big Ten, so maybe...." It's rife with hopes, at this point, for this kid - much like other transfers we've had who couldn't cut the mustard at bigger places. If he doesn't hit the weightroom, film room, and study hall here as well, we will have wasted another scholarship and time that could have been used on a hardworking kid that could really contribute. To me, this kid sounds like a bigger than usual dice roll. We will see.

I"d like them both. However, if we just get the kid from Allen/Bama, then sign a couple of real FBS prospects this year, I'd be happy. Kinkade would be gravy in that scenario. I trust Littrell & Co. can find a prep QB or two who can throw the ball three yards behind or in front of the line of scrimmage, as is the Air Raid way. What we need is WRs who can block for this type of offense. Big and physical on the outside...which I think we already have, so clear out the junk for the little guys making the majority of the catches to run around after the catch - the Wes Welkers and Danny Amendolas.

Thanks.

How many and whom? Doesn't Brett usually have some sort of inclination about these things?

They do have a stellar I-A/FCS record. No question about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Kentucky_Colonels_football They also handed degrees to Lee Majors and Rex Ryan.

One word: North Dakota State College of Science. And, some people here think Dickey did some stealth recruiting? There are no JUCO CBs between here and North Dakota? At Oklahoma NEO A&M, the Kansas JUCOs...not even from the talent-poor Iowa JUCOs? Out east, the Mississippi JUCOs. Out west, from talent-challenged Arizona JUCOs. Not even a hard-scrabbled Evyn Roman can be squeezed out of a Cali JUCO? We're now recruiting Rhode Island via North Dakota? Not a basketball or hockey coach in sight? This kid played his high school ball in Rhode Island. I'd be more apt to throw him out on the basketball court and see if he could help shore up that squad. The truth is, some people say you've got to have beans to make chili, other say you don't. Either way, you're eating chili when all is said and done. Add a healthy dose of Cholula to it and call it a night.

Likely because they've watched actual game film as opposed to HUDL highlights. Also, FBS coaches are probably well aware that the competition in that JUCO conference is lower than the Kansas, Cali, and Mississippi JUCOs. Problem: How does this recruiting look any different than what we were doing before?

No good if we have to wait until 2017. We need a QB now. We have no FBS-type QBs on the roster for 2016. We need Littrell to get one for 2016. In reality, I'd rather ride out 2016 with a freshman who will grow with time than with a one shot guy. That's just me. If we were to get a one shot guy, I'd rather it be someone who had some starting experience. Seems like these guys considering us haven't even cracked the starting lineup where they are. So, if you are going to have a brand new starter, make it a freshman. Again, just my opinion.

You have to understand that the "Texas ties" thing is way overblown. We pretend - some of you, anyway - that the coaches who led the program before did not recruit Texas, that none of the assistants recruited Texas, etc. The fact is, it doesn't matter whether or not our head coach does or does not have "Texas ties." What kids want to be a part of is a winning program. Kids from all over the country flock to places like Oklahoma and Alabama because they win. That they are outposts in po-dunk states makes no difference. Win and kids don't care if your coach came from the moon. As stated before, we are way down the food chain even among Texas schools as far as getting Texas prep talent. And, yes - all those other Texas schools have coaches with these mythical "Texas ties." And, again, for all the blather over "Texas ties," it hasn't turned any state school into a national behemoth: one national title since 1969 for any Texas school, none in the last decade. Texas A&M will sometimes string two or three good seasons together, post-Sherrill/Slocum. Occasionally, Texas will get on a tear, but not often since the late 60s and 70s. Post-Mack Brown, Texas is stumbling along like they did in the mid-80s until his hire in 1998. Mack had never coached in Texas prior to being hired. He was heavily rooted in the South, Southeast and Midwest, having coached at Florida State, Southern Miss, Memphis, Iowa State, LSU, Appalachian State, Oklahoma, Tulane, and North Carolina. Before the North Carolina job, he was a vagabond like many other assistants - but, not in Texas. Mack won a lot at North Carolina for many years, and that appealed to recruits. "Texas ties" had nothing to do with Mack's tenure at Texas. He was a kids from Tennessee who played ball at Vandy and Florida State. He's a Southerner to the core. But, he won. And, that drew recruits. But, be realistic. Seth Littrell - or, any other hire - was not going to waltz in here and take the state by storm. Not by a long shot. What we need is a coach and a coaching staff who can built AND maintain/sustain a winning program. Dickey petered off eventually after building up the program. McCarney fell off a ledge after building a bowl team. Forget about the "Texas ties" angle. Every coach and assistant is going to recruit Texas. Kids want to win. Worry about winning because that is what takes care of 99% of the recruiting.

Great interview with Leon King, for those that haven't read it, from 1982.: http://www.unt.edu/50yearsofprogress/oralhistory/kingl.htm King: It really didn't dawn on me that we were pioneers until about eight years ago. It came up in a discussion, and the impact really hit me. But when we went up, if there were any fears, it had to have been on their part because we didn't know any. All I wanted to do was just go up and play football. I think there were some fears among the coaches, and I think they were primarily how would we be accepted because I think Coach Mitchell did say something about having to go to the board of regents to see if it was okay. They knew integration was coming and all. I guess the thing that stands out more in my mind about the situation was the fact that through the years North Texas had always played Ole Miss the first football game, and they always played them in Mississippi; and Abner and I just happened to have gone by in the coaches' office when Coach Mitchell was talking to the coach at Ole Miss, and he explained to them, "Next year I will have two on my varsity." The coach evidently told him, "Either you leave them there, or we don't play anymore," because Coach Mitchell told him, "We just won't play you guys anymore." From that day since, I don't think North Texas has ever played Ole Miss. But that was quite gratifying to hear him say that.

Not so fast, my friend! As those a little longer in the tooth will attest, this hasn't always been the case. And, even with all of the late losing, we still have an all-time winning record: http://www.winsipedia.com/north-texas But, at 493-489-33, we need some breathing room. Here's something: A seven win seven next year gets us to 500 victories all-time. And, another conference title would put us on the doorstep to the Top 10 all-time conference championships. As it is, we sit at #13: http://www.winsipedia.com/ranking/conference-championships SO...listen up when it is suggested that something more substantive than a little building outside the stadium be named after Odus Mitchell. If we were a school proud of its traditions, we'd honor the coach who gave us the majority of those conference championships, almost a quarter of the wins, and integrated the team. It is loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong overdue that we name the field Odus Mitchell Field at Apogee Stadium. Also, if there should be a bust or statue of anyone it should not be of Spiriki alone. The two other busts/statues in the stadium should be of Coach Mitchell and Joe Greene. I'd also argue heavily in favor of busts or bronze plaques of Abner Haynes and Leon King, who were the first two black athletes to play football for North Texas. This is a school known for arts. We have turned out many great sculptors. Why can't we have these things done to celebrate our history? We have good tradition, as many of us have argued before, we just ignore it.

I was watching that kid and thinking, wow - Oklahoma would have paid him handsomely back in the 80s. Kid's real smooth. Fun to see that offense when it's clicking. Although, the OU-Miami tilts of 1985-87 showed its limitations when it runs up against a really fast, athletic defense. But, then again, really fast, athletic defenses usually shut down any type of offense they face, so...there's that. Still, really fun to watch the option executed to near perfection.

You are right. But, we failed once trying to throw the ball 40-50 times a game...so, we're going to do it again. As posted before, I think people here are dreaming the same dream they did in 2007: offensive coordinators around FBS college will somehow be surprised by our version of the spread. Again, it's athletes that make the best of spread offenses succeed. You have to get the best to out-athlete your opponents' defense. We are not getting the best spread quarterbacks in the state. Nor are we getting the best receivers. Or, even the second, third, or fourth best. So, while I'm excited that we got something new coaching-wise for Christmas, if it fails quickly, it will be something else to put at the back of my closet with the rest of the toys. By the way, what kids like is winning, whether by way of running, throwing, or both. If we don't win, we stay on the mouse wheel of fighting the SMUs and Texas States of the world for whatever two-star, one-star, and no star players available after the bigger schools sweep the best away.

Same type of recruits - mainly two-star players - that we are getting and SMU is getting. In fact, over the past two/three seasons, our classes have been about the same as SMU and Texas State. The only difference among the three of us is that SMU is the only school which believes that these types of recruits are a step up from where they were with the previous coaching staff. But, we already knew the Pony faithful (fateful?) were delusional. So...let the Phonies Don't Stop Believing. The Journey song can be their new fight song as they battle us and Texas State for the ripest two-star recruits around the state, mixing in one to three three-stars. SMU "ponies" up more money for their two-stars, though, than we rednecks at North Texas and Texas State. Helicopters and whatnot. It's like taking a limousine out to pick up a prostitute off the street. Hey...it's their money. Let them use it to keep pretending they are better than us football-wise.

I don't follow. Explain. This isn't like the two offensive hires of his Texas Tech buddies who have little or no experience. Ekeler has experience. Surely, you are not comparing him to Dodge's Mendoza, right?

I'd still like to see a silver helmet, green flecked, with the logo in green, outlined thinly in black and white. That is my fantasy UNT helmet.

Would love to see the darker green return as well. Probably won't happen. But...one can hope. I'm happy enough with the new stadium and non-"North Texas" helmets to accept that the green is now lighter.

RE: Players "showing good on film." You haven't seen all of his film. You are seeing highlights. Coaches, if they are smart, are looking at much more film than HUDL. We've seen plenty of kids go through here who "show good on film" in their little highlight shows for youtube, HUDL, and others. Again, this is why I hold DaMarcus Smith didn't have any offers the second time around coming out of JUCO. Enough coaches saw enough film other than the "showing good on film" highlights to understand he doesn't have the ability to be a passer at this level.

No. And, Ozougwu was a grayshirt from McCarney. So...seem to be about where we have been in recruiting. Hopefully, we get more like the OL, multiple offers from several FBS schools. The two DEs are more gambles.

I'm okay with Ekeler because he has experience. I'd be okay, for that reason, with Brad Davis as well. I'm worried about the no experience and one year experience guys hired on the offensive side of the ball. But, give me coaches on the defensive side with as many years in it - and, at the P5 level - as Ekeler, and half the battle will be won. Other half will be somehow getting talented - and, motivated - enough players on board to execute what these coaches can teach.

Like that this guy began his coaching career with Bo Pelini at OU and LSU. That's an aggressive coach. Hope we can pull the athletes on board to allow him to blitz and pressure the way Pelini's defenses do.