Updated Roster

BillySee58 · July 15, 2016

As it was discussed in another thread, the roster has been updated with the arrivals of the 2016 signees. Good news and bad news.

Good news is that all of the high school signees appear to have made it in and are on the roster.

Bad news is of the five JUCO transfers we signed who were set to graduate from their JUCO in spring, only one is currently listed on the roster (Ejodamen Ejiya). The other four (William Johnson, Dee Baulkman, Darius Turner, and Cody Hayes) are not on the roster. We also had quite a few departures including walkons and scholarship guys, notably a few o-linemen signed by Mccarney. We're down to just 10 total offensive linemen on our roster.

We desperately need all these guys we've received commitments from since signing day to all make it in. None of those guys are currently on the roster but I think that's to be expected, especially if they are expecting to blueshirt.

http://m.meangreensports.com/m/signingday/signing-day-2016.html

UNT Mean Green · July 15, 2016

4 minutes ago, BillySee58 said:

As it was discussed in another thread, the roster has been updated with the arrivals of the 2016 signees. Good news and bad news.

Good news is that all of the high school signees appear to have made it in and are on the roster.

Bad news is of the five JUCO transfers we signed who were set to graduate from their JUCO in spring, only one is currently listed on the roster (Ejodamen Ejiya). The other four (William Johnson, Dee Baulkman, Darius Turner, and Cody Hayes) are not on the roster. We also had quite a few departures including walkons and scholarship guys, notably a few o-linemen signed by Mccarney. We're down to just 10 total offensive linemen on our roster.

We desperately need all these guys we've received commitments from since signing day to all make it in. None of those guys are currently on the roster but I think that's to be expected, especially if they are expecting to blueshirt.

http://m.meangreensports.com/m/signingday/signing-day-2016.html

Thanks Billy. All good...these juco guys should "show up" in August.

untjim1995 · July 15, 2016

It's the mountain of dogshit that McCarney left us in...this thing has very little size or depth, much less speed. If we win 3 games or more, Littrell will have really proved what a great hire we hope he will be.

Wag Tag · July 15, 2016

5 minutes ago, BillySee58 said:

As it was discussed in another thread, the roster has been updated with the arrivals of the 2016 signees. Good news and bad news.

Good news is that all of the high school signees appear to have made it in and are on the roster.

Bad news is of the five JUCO transfers we signed who were set to graduate from their JUCO in spring, only one is currently listed on the roster (Ejodamen Ejiya). The other four (William Johnson, Dee Baulkman, Darius Turner, and Cody Hayes) are not on the roster. We also had quite a few departures including walkons and scholarship guys, notably a few o-linemen signed by Mccarney. We're down to just 10 total offensive linemen on our roster.

We desperately need all these guys we've received commitments from since signing day to all make it in. None of those guys are currently on the roster but I think that's to be expected, especially if they are expecting to blueshirt.

http://m.meangreensports.com/m/signingday/signing-day-2016.html

If they are blues shirting when will they show up on the roster? Start of fall?

UNT Mean Green · July 15, 2016

2 minutes ago, Wag Tag said:

If they are blues shirting when will they show up on the roster? Start of fall?

September 3

BillySee58 · July 15, 2016

7 minutes ago, Wag Tag said:

If they are blues shirting when will they show up on the roster? Start of fall?

That's a very good question, and I can't give you as good an answer. What I will say is that how blueshirting works is that the player comes in initially as a walkon and is put on scholarship ASAP, which I believe is at the start of fall practices.

I don't see why they wouldn't be put on the roster when they are technically still walkons, as we have other walkons on the official roster. We may just be expecting them to come in later than the more traditionally brought in scholarship guys, since they would have to foot their own bill on rent from now until fall camp starts. Although that puts them in a tough spot to contribute early, or really even have that big an impact at all this season.

Edited July 15, 2016 by BillySee58

MeanGreen13 · July 15, 2016

If memory serves me right, at the end of fall camp when they would have to start paying for stuff.

BillySee58 · July 15, 2016

10 minutes ago, untjim1995 said:

It's the mountain of dogshit that McCarney left us in...this thing has very little size or depth, much less speed. If we win 3 games or more, Littrell will have really proved what a great hire we hope he will be.

That may be so, but if those JUCO guys don't make it in then that is on Littrell for sub-par roster management. Mccarney was awful at roster management, and it showed once all the Dodge recruits were gone, but banking on a bunch of spring JUCOs who don't actually make it in would compound the issue.

Wag Tag · July 15, 2016

10 minutes ago, UNT Mean Green said:

September 3

If this is right that is scary as hell! Are we doing bed check the night and of Sept 2nd?

untjim1995 · July 15, 2016

Just now, BillySee58 said:

That may be so, but if those JUCO guys don't make it in then that is on Littrell for sub-par roster management. Mccarney was awful at roster management, and it showed once all the Dodge recruits were gone, but banking on a bunch of spring JUCOs who don't actually make it in would compound the issue.

Well, in his defense, when you can't get decent HS recruits to come here because you have sucked for the better part of 20+ years as a FBS program, and you are brand new to being a head coach, JUCOs don't look too bad as an option to go after. But that's what he should have known what he was up against when he took the job here.

BillySee58 · July 15, 2016

2 minutes ago, untjim1995 said:

Well, in his defense, when you can't get decent HS recruits to come here because you have sucked for the better part of 20+ years as a FBS program, and you are brand new to being a head coach, JUCOs don't look too bad as an option to go after. But that's what he should have known what he was up against when he took the job here.

I personally don't think high school recruits care how good or bad we've been the last 20 years because they likely have never seen a UNT game live or on TV if we were not recruiting them until the winter, after Littrell was hired on. You get to paint the picture for them. If you can get them to buy what you are selling, it doesn't matter.

And JUCOs are one thing, spring JUCOs more specifically are another. That's where I disagree with Littrell's strategy. Especially when you factor in that we probably we be that good in the first two years anyways. I'd rather use those scholarships on guys who will be here in year 3 or 4 but Littrell is seemingly going all in on years 1 and 2 as well. I guess he wants to make an early splash to help attract those good high school players, but either way he is going to be expected to have something going by years 3 and 4.

TheWestie · July 15, 2016

Classes for Fall 2016 begin August 29

BillySee58 · July 15, 2016

6 hours ago, TheWestie said:

Classes for Fall 2016 begin August 29

Blueshirts would be put on scholarship during fall camp, before then. And theoretically they should be on the roster even before that, since walkons are listed on the official roster as well.

NorthTexan95 · July 15, 2016

UNT Football Scholarship Spreadsheet - Update 7/15/2016 (found in the UNT Football Recruiting forum)

Numerous changes including removal of the following:

AJ Ezzard, Avery Fortenberry, BJ Ebozue, Christian Flewellen, Cody Hayes, Connor Trussell, Dakota Smith, Darin Kyle, Darius Turner, Dee Baulkman, Derris Prater, Gavin Culberson, Harrison Sorge, Jake Davis, Jordan Siegert, Joustin Garor, Kaydon Kirby, Kyle Mealey, Marcell Porter, Ryan Rentfro,Taylor Nelson, William Johnson.

As Billy noted, lots of offensive linemen we've been waiting on for several years are gone. We also only have four running backs including incoming Nic Smith. Willy Ivery will be a JUNIOR and we've gotten very little out of his talents. Hopefully he and Wilson can stay healthy this year.

According to my spreadsheet we have 61 players currently listed as on scholarship.

Please let me know of any changes or updates.

Edited July 15, 2016 by NorthTexan95

TreeFiddy · July 15, 2016

As far as I can tell Johnson, Hayes, Baulkman, and Turner were not likely to be blue shirts. They signed in Feb and I would expect them to be part of the 2016 signing class same as the high school guys that signed in Feb. If they are here, not sure why they would not be on the roster.

Their have been 6 or 7 other names that committed over the spring/summer that seem likely candidates for blueshirts depending on whether or not we still have 2016 spots available (i.e. someone that signed LOI doesn't show up).

Edited July 15, 2016 by TreeFiddy

UNTLifer · July 15, 2016

57 minutes ago, NorthTexan95 said:

UNT Football Scholarship Spreadsheet - Update 7/15/2016 (found in the UNT Football Recruiting forum)

Numerous changes including removal of the following:

AJ Ezzard, Avery Fortenberry, BJ Ebozue, Christian Flewellen, Cody Hayes, Conor Davis ,Connor Trussell, Dakota Smith, Darin Kyle, Darius Turner, Dee Baulkman, Derris Prater, Gavin Culberson, Harrison Sorge, Jake Davis, Jordan Siegert, Joustin Garor, Kaydon Kirby, Kyle Mealey, Marcell Porter, Ryan Rentfro,Taylor Nelson, William Johnson.

As Billy noted, lots of offensive linemen we've been waiting on for several years are gone. We also only have four running backs including incoming Nic Smith. Willy Ivery will be a JUNIOR and we've gotten very little out of his talents. Hopefully he and Wilson can stay healthy this year.

According to my spreadsheet we have 61 players currently listed as on scholarship.

Please let me know of any changes or updates.

@Brett Vito, time to get to work and find out what happen to these young men, especially Hayes, Turner, Baulkman, Rentfro, Johnson, etc...

GrandGreen · July 15, 2016

I count 65 ship players on the roster, but some I counted I am not sure of such as Shanbour, Gunter and Fernandez. I assume they are not including the transfers until all the paperwork is done and they actually show up.

For the most part the missing players are walk ons and players that where unlikely to ever see the field. So I don't think it matters as much as some think particularly if the majority of the transfers make it to Denton. A whole new group of walk-ons who this coaching staff recruited will help provide some at least practice depth.

I really feel that NT has more a quality issue than quantity. There is always turnover with a new staff and in this case, a new offense and defense. Still not even close to Matt Simon's first year were over 50 players disappeared.

TreeFiddy · July 15, 2016

I see Michael Lawrence and Jason Pirtle on the roster. This strikes me as odd since they were supposedly walk ons, which usually don't get added until after practice starts or closer to the start of classes.

Makes me wonder if they ended up receiving a scholarship due to a couple of juco no shows.

Cr1028 · July 15, 2016

Baulkman still appears set to be here based on his recent twitter presence.

Edited July 15, 2016 by Cr1028

jtm0097 · July 15, 2016

I bet a few of the JUCO guys are still slated to be here. It's probably just a timing issue due to transferring here. I am sure a couple didnt qualify. This happens every year.

MeanGreenMailbox aka TFLF · July 15, 2016

As stated last week, there is a reason many of the JUCOs are still available - and most are not good. And, the majority of those are either academic or trouble with the law.

Blame Littrell for it? Not at this point. The guy walked in needing some depth, and even after our bowl years recruits weren't knocking themselves out to suit up for us.

Again, if half of the JUCOs they sign show up, that would be a sign of success. However, you have to look at those guys realistically: we were their last FBS hope in almost very case.

TreeFiddy · July 15, 2016

7 minutes ago, MeanGreenMailbox said:

As stated last week, there is a reason many of the JUCOs are still available - and most are not good. And, the majority of those are either academic or trouble with the law.

Blame Littrell for it? Not at this point. The guy walked in needing some depth, and even after our bowl years recruits weren't knocking themselves out to suit up for us.

Again, if half of the JUCOs they sign show up, that would be a sign of success. However, you have to look at those guys realistically: we were their last FBS hope in almost very case.

Let's give it a few weeks and see who shows up before projecting too much doom and gloom. We already have 3 of the juco a from last class on campus and at the moment there is no evidence any of the other 4 won't make it.

The 6 or 7 possible blue shirts are just gravy. If they make it, great. They will get added to the 2017 class. If not, then the staff still has 12 months to fill the spots.

I don't disagree that it is unlikely that all of them make it.

BillySee58 · July 15, 2016

42 minutes ago, TreeFiddy said:

I see Michael Lawrence and Jason Pirtle on the roster. This strikes me as odd since they were supposedly walk ons, which usually don't get added until after practice starts or closer to the start of classes.

Makes me wonder if they ended up receiving a scholarship due to a couple of juco no shows.

They are preferred walkons. They are guaranteed a roster spot. The walkons who are not guaranteed a roster spot will not be put on the roster until they officially make the roster

MCMLXXX · July 15, 2016

Littrell, unlike McCarney, has not been critical of the players he inherited. He is methodically putting together the team he needs to fit his offense and defense. I believe he will win sooner than later.

MeanGreenMailbox aka TFLF · July 15, 2016

Okay, but answer me this, do we want to give 6 or 7 JUCOs blue shirts/gray shirts/whatever? I mean, shouldn't that be reserved for projects coming out of high school who can be developed over four years instead of guys who might be here only one or two seasons?

If the ultimate goal of a program is to have quality depth in the future, it seems to me that you wouldn't be blue/gray-shirting so many JUCOs.

Edited July 15, 2016 by MeanGreenMailbox