DRC on 3 NT recruits

OldTimer · January 16, 2006

Football: Mean Green get three more oral commitments

07:45 AM CST on Monday, January 16, 2006

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

Kelvin Drake and Avery Curry grew up together in Galveston following the same football routine.

Curry played running back and followed the path cleared by Drake, his friend who was one of the biggest and meanest offensive linemen in town. The arrangement is one the Ball High School duo plans to continue at North Texas.

Curry, Drake and Cypress Fair tight end Bryant Seidle all confirmed on Sunday night they have orally committed to play for the Mean Green next season after taking official visits to the school over the weekend.

Oral commitments are non-binding. The first day high school recruits can sign letters of intent is Feb. 1.

The trio joined a UNT class that now stands at seven players, including four who transferred from junior colleges at the semester break and will participate in spring practice.

“It will be good to have one of my teammates sign with me,” Drake said. “We have played together for a long time. I feel comfortable with him.”

Drake is the most highly regarded of the players who committed to UNT on Sunday. Rivals.com rates Drake as a two-star prospect on a scale of five. Utah State, Southern, Colorado State, Arkansas State and Toledo were among more than a dozen teams that offered the 6-3, 280-pound guard a scholarship.

Drake said he is solid in his commitment to UNT, but will take his official visit to Utah State this weekend and could go on one more trip, possibly to Colorado State.

Drake said UNT’s coaches project him as a guard or center.

“They told me that the best players will play right away,” Drake said. “I could also redshirt for a year.”

Curry, 6-0, 242, also had scholarship offers from McNeese State and Stephen F. Austin. UTEP and Arkansas State also showed interest.

“The coaches told me that I would play running back,” Curry said. “I played running back, linebacker and defensive end in high school. Playing different positions showed my athleticism.”

Drake was a first-team All-District 24-5A lineman, while Curry was a first-team defensive end and second-team running back.

Seidle, 6-3, 235, could end up playing along UNT’s offensive front with Drake.

The two-time, first-team All-District 17-5A selection knew once he visited UNT’s campus that he wanted to play for the Mean Green.

“I fell in love with the school,” Seidle said. “The team has a winning background and I liked the players and coaches. They will definitely get back to winning. They were just young last season.”

Northwestern told Seidle that it was likely to offer him a scholarship, while McNeese State and SFA had already extended offers.

“The coaches see me as a complete tight end,” Seidle said. “I can catch the ball and also get down and dirty and block. Their offense is based a lot of their tight ends, which I liked.”

Seidle caught 11 passes for 230 yards and four touchdowns last season for Cypress Fair, which uses a run-based offense similar to UNT’s.

Seidle also named the academic program and UNT’s new facilities as reasons he decided to play for the Mean Green.

“I want to major in business,” Seidle said. “UNT was a perfect fit for me.”

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com

UNT FOOTBALL commitments

The following is a list of players who have committed to North Texas beginning in the 2006 season.

Position Player School

TE Brian Carlson* Kilgore CC

FB/RB Avery Curry Galveston Ball

OL Kelvin Drake Galveston Ball

DB Roy Loren* Coffeyville CC

TE Bryant Seidle Cypress Fair