SBC thinks Metroplex is a ... recruiting hotbed

[Harry]

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/...ed.5819b98.html

Football: Sun Belt coaches have discovered the Metroplex is a ... recruiting hotbed

Six conference schools sport players from metroplex

08:57 AM CDT on Wednesday, July 26, 2006

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

NEW ORLEANS — Shortly after Rick Stockstill took over as coach at Middle Tennessee last winter, one of his new co-workers told him he needed to take a trip to Dallas.

DRC/Gary Payne

North Texas quarterback Daniel Meager (7) throws the ball to the sideline to avoid being tackled for a loss by Louisiana-Lafayette’s Mark Risher (4) in this Nov. 5, 2005, photo. Meager, a Richardson native, is one of five Mean Green starters that hail from the Dallas-Fort Worth region.

MTSU track coach Roger Kerr was recruiting a sprinter from Dallas Kimball and liked what he saw in Phillip Tanner, a running back from the same school.

That piece of advice led Stockstill into an area that resembles a Sun Belt Conference coaches’ convention in recruiting season. Dozens of teams from across the country recruit Dallas-Fort Worth each year, including just about every team in the Sun Belt.

All but two squads in the eight-team conference have at least one player on their depth chart from DFW heading into the season and several have multiple starters who call somewhere in the area home.

Only Florida rivals DFW in terms of recruiting in the Sun Belt.

“[DFW] is pretty important to everyone in the country because everyone recruits there,” UNT coach Darrell Dickey said during the final session of Sun Belt media days on Tuesday. “There are excellent football players throughout the state of Texas and population-wise there are a lot more people in the Metroplex than a lot of places around the country.”

UNT has six starters and five backups from DFW, but is not the only team in the conference with top players from the area.

Four key members of Louisiana-Monroe’s offensive line are from DFW. Louisiana-Lafayette has four starters from the area, including defensive lineman Tony Hills, who earned a spot on the preseason all-conference team.

Hills of Carrollton Newman Smith and UNT wide receiver Johnny Quinn of McKinney were the two DFW natives to earn a spot on the preseason all-conference team.

Both Hills and Quinn play their college football close to home, which can be an advantage for Sun Belt teams that try to lure top players from the area. The conference has several teams that are within driving distance, including ULM, ULL and Arkansas State.

“Dallas is only four hours away, so we can drive over there to recruit and parents can come and watch their sons play,” ULM coach Charlie Weatherbie said. “I have been recruiting the area since 1981 when I was at Wyoming, so it’s very familiar. Our No. 1 area is Louisiana. No. 2 is Dallas and East Texas.”

Arkansas State coach Steve Roberts said the number of schools packed into a small area helps make DFW one of the most productive recruiting areas for his coaching staff.

“The schools are within a proximity where you can have a very productive day, hitting seven to nine schools to locate prospects,” Roberts said. “The coaches there do a tremendous job not only preparing players, but also helping college coaches get all the information they need to make decisions in recruiting. I have been recruiting the area for 14 years. We want to work the area very hard.”

The academic standards in Texas also make DFW an attractive option for Sun Belt schools. Players have to meet minimum standards to be eligible to play.

The NCAA is instituting new standards, including the Academic Progress Report (APR), that track the levels at which schools retain and keep athletes eligible. The new rules make recruiting athletes who are academically prepared more important.

Schools could eventually be penalized for not meeting academic standards.

ULL coach Rickey Bustle named the academic requirements in Dallas as a key advantage for recruits in the area.

UNT has made a few changes since the end of last season in an effort to land as many of the top players from the area as possible. Each member of the Mean Green’s staff that recruits now has a local area to work.

Dickey said the move should help UNT sign more of the area’s best players because the Mean Green will be able to do a more thorough job of working in each city in DFW.

That increased recruiting effort, combined with the attention the rest of the Sun Belt’s teams give the area, could help foster more interesting rivalries.

Tanner’s decision to play for MTSU might help strengthen the Blue Raiders’ rivalry with UNT. The former all-district and all-region running back originally committed to Houston and also considered UNT before deciding to attend MTSU.

“Being in the conference and going to play North Texas every other year, kids will be familiar with us,” Stockstill said. “We may be able to get a guy out of there every once in a while.”

History shows Stockstill won’t be the only coach in the Sun Belt who will be trying.

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

SUN BELT RECRUITS FROM METROPLEX

The Sun Belt Conference has several teams with players from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The following is a rundown of players listed on the two-deep depth charts at each school.

North Texas

Starters (5)

WR Johnny Quinn, McKinney

FB James Mitchell, Aubrey

QB Daniel Meager, Richardson

FS Steve Warren, Burleson

K Denis Hopovac, Dallas

P Truman Spencer, Mesquite

Backups (5)

OL Chris Eidd, Euless Trinity

RB Deavin Cox, Dallas

DL Isaac Thomas, Mansfield

LB Raifu Durodoye, Denton

S Cliff Higgs, Sanger

Louisiana-Monroe

Starters (3)

OL, Adam Hill, Arlington Lamar

OL Aaron Schutz, Keller Fossil Ridge

DE Travis Eickman, Garland

Backups (3)

OL, Kyle Kersten, Flower Mound

OL Pat Avinger, Duncanville

WR J.J. McCoy, Garland

* Note – ULM has three other Dallas-Fort Worth natives listed third on their depth chart

Louisiana-Lafayette

Starters (4)

OL Brandon Cox, Irving Nimitz

DE Tony Hills, Carrollton Newman Smith

DB Kyle Ward, Dallas Kimball

DB Michael Adams, Dallas Kimball

Backups (2)

WR Phillip Nevels, Dallas Skyline

DE Travis Ferguson, Dallas Skyline

Arkansas State

Starters (1)

DL Prince Hickman, South Garland

Backups (5)

WR Gary Vincent, Arlington Sam Houston

DL Reggie Green, Mesquite

DL Curtis Bonds, Dallas Carter

DB Kelvin Cox, Garland Naaman Forest

RB Chris Easley, The Woodlands

Troy

Starters (1)

LB Andre Morgan, South Garland

* Note – Punter Adrian Vera is listed third on the depth chart

Middle Tennessee

Starters

None

Backups (1)

LB Wes Hofacker, Allen

Florida International

None

Florida Atlantic

None

COMBING THE REGION

The Sun Belt Conference has several teams that feature players from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The following is a rundown of the number of players listed on the two-deep depth charts at each school:

North Texas (10)

Louisiana-Lafayette (6)

Louisiana-Monroe (6)

Arkansas State (6)

Troy (1)

Middle Tennessee (1)

Florida International (0)

Florida Atlantic (0)

[eulesseagle]

I am glad to see Coach DD sending all of his coaches into the Greater DFW area (Johnson, Tarrant, Dallas, Denton Counties). Appeared it was difficult for one coach to handle the largest inland megolopolis in the U.S.A..

[redallover]

I'd think that UNT would have about half its starters from the greater DFW area. Five seems on the low side.

I'd bet that SMU, which has half its student body from out of state, has at least five starters from the Metroplex as well.

I think UH has probably eight or more starters from the greater Houston area, but has been recruiting DFW and West Texas a lot more since Briles was hired four years ago.

[H-towngreen]

I too think that splitting up the DFW area between coaches will help out. Hopefullly this will lead to an increase in recruits from the area. Because these last few years have been unacceptable.