The Unorthodox Journey of Swedish UNT Commit Kevin Dillman

Harry · January 27, 2015

he story of Kevin Dillman's football career isn't about Dillman himself, at least not entirely. Rather, it's about the people—the family, friends, coaches and teammates—who helped make it happen.

Sure, there are facts about Dillman that are important and have been plastered on sites like Sports Illustrated for years. He's 17 years old and recently committed to Nebraska for the class of 2015. The 6'4", 220-pound dual-threat quarterback is a 3-star prospect and considered one of the top 50 players in the state of Texas. As of April 2014, he holds more than a dozen scholarship offers. The first, from UCLA under former head coach Rick Neuheisel, came when he was a freshman in high school.

Born in Östersund and raised in Ystad, Sweden, Dillman moved to La Mirada, Calif., in 2011 as a 14-year-old—without his parents. In January, he relocated to Denton, Texas. Perhaps one day he could be the first known Swedish-born quarterback to start in a major college football game.

Still, his journey is about more than him.

Read more: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2030819-the-unorthodox-journey-of-swedish-qb-recruit-kevin-dillman

2012gradUNT · January 27, 2015

He is the one who couldnt play this year for Denton Guyer right? (havent read the article yet sorry)

HoustonEagle · January 27, 2015

whole thing is strange to me. I am not certain how he garnered so much interest with so little playing time. On the flipside how did he manage to lose all of those offers. Just seems fishy. My guess is we never see him in uniform here. Just a hunch.

Harry · January 27, 2015

If you have the time you should read it as it gives a very good picture of his story. After reading the article it appears his stock skyrocketed early on...guys like Steve Nehuisel were throwing him a full ride at UCLA etc. It appears then that moving to Denton Ryan to be with his guardian and injuries seemed to push his stock down. He arrives there to find he's competing with one of the top QB's in the state and he ends up getting denied eligibility. Why he did not transfer to a private high school to get playing time is the biggest question on his resume. He sat on a Nebraska QB offer for a long time. Then he was injured and Nebraska asked him to move to tight end. Nebraska fired their coach and relinquished his offer (see it happens a lot people!).. in the end, he wanted to stay close to his guardian who is a manager at Peterbilt and North Texas made a lot of sense.

Been following UNT recruiting for awhile and I have to say it is one of the most intriguing situations I have seen. The guy is big, extremely athletic and could turn out to be really good. Then there's the case that at one time this kid was a 5-star QB recruit so he just has to have some skills there as well He also appears to be extremely motivated to play football at a high level and seems very dedicated.

BillySee58 · January 27, 2015

This article has the quote on why he stayed at Guyer, rather than transferring to Liberty Christian.

http://highschoolsportsblog.dallasnews.com/2014/08/nebraska-commit-kevin-dillman-to-stay-at-denton-guyer-play-qb-for-jv.html/

"Pretty much, it's the people I was around here. They had a more competitive edge in football and their attitude (at Guyer). That's why I felt I fit in more here."

That quote is one of the reasons I have no idea why he shouldn't be given a shot at qb. Plus the fact that his high school coach in California said he had it all mentally. This kid wants to compete. He wanted to stay in the more competitive environment, even if it meant he couldn't play varsity. He also apparently had great grades, and he's committed enough to the sport where he moved halfway across the world, without his parents, at the age of 14.

The other schools offers were no longer good because he didn't part ways with Nebraska until last month, and by then all those schools had long since had their QB commitments for their class. Plus, him not playing his senior year made him too risky to take a chance on since those schools already had their QB commit.

He does come with a lot of risks, but I'd argue that he comes with less risks than the other QBs we've signed under Mccarney. And with a much higher ceiling.

Edited January 27, 2015 by BillySee58

Harry · January 27, 2015

This article has the quote on why he stayed at Guyer, rather than transferring to Liberty Christian.
http://highschoolsportsblog.dallasnews.com/2014/08/nebraska-commit-kevin-dillman-to-stay-at-denton-guyer-play-qb-for-jv.html/
"Pretty much, it's the people I was around here. They had a more competitive edge in football and their attitude (at Guyer). That's why I felt I fit in more here."
That quote is one of the reasons I have no idea why he shouldn't be given a shot at qb. Plus the fact that his high school coach in California said he had it all mentally. This kid wants to compete. He wanted to stay in the more competitive environment, even if it meant he couldn't play varsity. He also apparently had great grades, and he's committed enough to the sport where he moved halfway across the world, without his parents, at the age of 14.
The other schools offers were no longer good because he didn't part ways with Nebraska until last month, and by then all those schools had long since had their QB commitments for their class. Plus, him not playing his senior year made him too risky to take a chance on since those schools already had their QB commit.
He does come with a lot of risks, but I'd argue that he comes with less risks than the other QBs we've signed under Mccarney. And with a much higher ceiling.

I agree 100% Billy! Really excited to follow his career at UNT.

Coffee and TV · January 28, 2015

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Still can't believe we lost that match to Portland....

UNTLifer · January 28, 2015

I could not agree more Billy, and that is why I think we should at least give the young man a shot at playing QB. If it doesn't work out, he's athletic and big enough to move to H-back, Tight End or even Defensive End. He is a special talent.

HoustonEagle · January 28, 2015

I guess what I mean to say is how did this kid garner so much interest in the first place? I will concede that he appears to be a very good athlete but from everything I see he barely played at La Mirada before being injured and of course did not play at all at Guyer (JV does not count). I am excited to have him even if it is just as a raw talent.

BillySee58 · January 28, 2015

I guess what I mean to say is how did this kid garner so much interest in the first place? I will concede that he appears to be a very good athlete but from everything I see he barely played at La Mirada before being injured and of course did not play at all at Guyer (JV does not count). I am excited to have him even if it is just as a raw talent.

Played spot duty at QB as a freshman and sophomore while also playing other positions at La Mirada, was already picking up offers from schools like UCLA after his freshman year, and then became the full-time starter his junior year before tearing his Achilles midway through the year. The Achilles injury was not a bad break for his recruiting, as his offer list grew to about 17 schools, including Clemson, Nebraska, Tennessee, Auburn, and Florida State. However, it did take away some valuable game experience which he desperately needed. Transferred to Guyer in January, committed to Nebraska in April, then got beaten out for the QB job at Guyer by a Shawn Robinson who, even as a sophomore, was further along from a developmental standpoint at QB than Dillman due to growing up in the states, having a football coach as a dad, and starting his entire freshman season at the varsity level. All of which Dillman did not have, despite being two years older. Dillman then was ruled ineligible by the UIL while Robinson is now the top 2017 in the country. Nebraska fired Bo Pelini and Mike Reilly and the new staff chose to part ways with Dillman in December, when all the other schools who had offered were long since done with QB recruiting for that class (most schools have their QB commit for the class by June or July). Big programs can choose to be picky with wild situations like this, while we shouldn't be.

One of the craziest situations you'll ever see in recruiting, and if not for all that craziness there's no way he ends up at North Texas. He reportedly has the smarts, the drive, the competitive nature, the commitment to the sport, and the talent. He comes with less risk at the QB position than our other young QBs, IMO. With 4 senior tight ends I don't see him making an impact there this year, so I don't see why we can't wait to see if that's where he needs to end up.

UNT90 · January 28, 2015

He isn't a risk at QB, he is a complete unknown at QB.

That is worse than a risk in my book.

But throw him out there and see if he measures up. If not, move him to DE.

FirefightnRick · January 28, 2015

All I can think of is what a colossal disserving failure several coaches have been to this kid over the years. Unless his injuries were so freakishly overwhelming and occurring that he never could be evaluated over a 4 year period then there should not be this many questions as to where he will play.

And as for his college career, if he were going to say,.... TCU, Id feel confident he'll be properly evaluated and would expect to see him on the field in a year or two? Here,....I don't feel so confident. I'm sorry if this brooms away the Fairy Dust in some eyes. It just is what it is.

I could see this kid being the next Jordan Case or Andy Blount,.. but I could also see him being the next J. Olawale?

Rick

Coffee and TV · January 28, 2015

If he was making great grades as the articles say he was, what made him ineligible at Guyer?

FirefightnRick · January 28, 2015

If he was making great grades as the articles say he was, what made him ineligible at Guyer?

He was playing for Guyer and not Aledo.

Rick

Mean Green 93-98 · January 28, 2015

If he was making great grades as the articles say he was, what made him ineligible at Guyer?

It wasn't his grades. He was deemed to have transferred to Guyer for football, or at least he couldn't adequately demonstrate that he didn't.

http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/sports-headlines/20140811-football-guyer-quarterback-kevin-dillman-ruled-ineligible.ece

BillySee58 · January 28, 2015

If he was making great grades as the articles say he was, what made him ineligible at Guyer?

UIL ruled that he transferred in to Guyer for athletic purposes. He actually transferred there because some family friends who had known him his whole life moved to Lantana and he went to live with them.

He isn't a risk at QB, he is a complete unknown at QB.
That is worse than a risk in my book.
But throw him out there and see if he measures up. If not, move him to DE.

If he was a complete unknown then those big schools wouldn't have bothered to offer him, or wouldve waited to see more before doing so.

Let's look at our other potential future QBs. There's redshirt sophomore Dajon Williams, who is talented but has struggled with commitment issues, didn't even make the last trip to UTSA, and only other offer was from FCS-school Montana. Redshirt freshman Connor Means completed under 50% of his passes and had 10 touchdowns against 9 interceptions as a high school senior, and showed some flashes in the spring game but wasn't able to nudge himself into a subpar QB race, despite being an early enrollee. And Caleb Chumley played even less high school QB than Kevin Dillman and didn't display nearly the QB ability. His only two offers to play QB were us and ULM, but it's presumed that he may be moved and this was because he would only go to a school that would let him play QB.

Hopefully at least one of those guys pans out, but if not then this staff will have to sign another JUCO QB and we haven't had much luck with that. Of the 3 JUCO QBs we had signed prior to Damarcus Smith, the most productive one has been Josh Greer. And this is now the 4th time in 5 classes that this staff has had to sign a JUCO QB. I would hate to be sitting here in two years scrambling for a QB again and wondering if we should've given Dillman a shot.

UNT90 · January 28, 2015

Thats why I said throw him out there and see what he can do. Just not optimistic that he is the savior.

Edited January 28, 2015 by UNT90

BillySee58 · January 28, 2015

Lets why I said throw him out there and see what he can do. Just not optimistic that he is the savior.

Nobody has ever implied that he's going to be our QB savior. So I don't understand the reasoning behind implying he probably won't be. I just think he could be a guy who comes in and steadily improves over 5 years of development and can become a solid CUSA level QB. And has as good a chance, better IMO, to do so as our other options.

oldguystudent · January 28, 2015

Will there be Swedish fish in the club level buffet? Will there be Swedish bikinis in the Mean Green Team Store for UNT90's special moments in the stalls? Will Tony's balls be usurped by catering from Ikea?

These and many other questions remain unanswered.

UNT90 · January 28, 2015

Nobody has ever implied that he's going to be our QB savior. So I don't understand the reasoning behind implying he probably won't be. I just think he could be a guy who comes in and steadily improves over 5 years of development and can become a solid CUSA level QB. And has as good a chance, better IMO, to do so as our other options.

I think a kid that played on a high JUCO level and threw 30 TD passes last year has a better chance than a kid that played half of his junior year at QB in high school.

I know you like his potential, but even if he exceeds all expectations, he won't be ready to play at this level for 2 to 3 years.

Edited January 28, 2015 by UNT90

oldguystudent · January 28, 2015

I think a kid that played on a high JUCO level and threw 30 TD passes last year has a better chance than a kid that played half of his junior year at QB in high school.
I know you like his potential, but even if he exceeds all expectations, he won't be ready to play at this level for 2 to 3 years.

Agree. If there's anything we've learned watching football at UNT, it's that the FBS game is a HELL of a lot faster than any levels below it. I don't care how good a kid has been in high school, he won't be ready for the speed.

BillySee58 · January 28, 2015

I think a kid that played on a high JUCO level and threw 30 TD passes last year has a better chance than a kid that played half of his junior year at QB in high school.
I know you like his potential, but even if he exceeds all expectations, he won't be ready to play at this level for 2 to 3 years.

I feel like you're arguing points that I'm not making. I've never said he's a guy who we need to throw into our mix at QB for the 2015 season, and I've never used this kid and the word savior together.

That's why I've only compared him to our QBs who will still have eligibility 2-3 years from now. Not guys like Smith or Mcnulty. Redshirt him and develop him, because even if Smith works out, he only has two years of eligibility left. And we have a lot of question marks after that, and not just the average question marks that every team has with their young QBs.

Mean Green 93-98 · January 28, 2015

I feel like you're arguing points that I'm not making. I've never said he's a guy who we need to throw into our mix at QB for the 2015 season, and I've never used this kid and the word savior together.
That's why I've only compared him to our QBs who will still have eligibility 2-3 years from now. Not guys like Smith or Mcnulty. Redshirt him and develop him, because even if Smith works out, he only has two years of eligibility left. And we have a lot of question marks after that, and not just the average question marks that every team has with their young QBs.

Sounds like the smart plan to me.

UNT90 · January 28, 2015

I feel like you're arguing points that I'm not making. I've never said he's a guy who we need to throw into our mix at QB for the 2015 season, and I've never used this kid and the word savior together.
That's why I've only compared him to our QBs who will still have eligibility 2-3 years from now. Not guys like Smith or Mcnulty. Redshirt him and develop him, because even if Smith works out, he only has two years of eligibility left. And we have a lot of question marks after that, and not just the average question marks that every team has with their young QBs.

Sounds like you are arguing with someone who agrees with you, just doesn't quite see the upside that you do.