Tim Patton out -

Stan R · August 7, 2006

Well that is just not good.. not good..

Eagle-96 · August 7, 2006

Hey why don't you just come to my office and kick me in the nards?

Gilmore, Brown, Patton, Staley, Alexander... and that was BEFORE practice started.

H-towngreen · August 7, 2006

How nice of him to wait till the first day of practice to let us know. But you wonder with the weight loss how good he was going to be.

FirefightnRick · August 7, 2006

No surprise here. In my oppinion he lost all that weight because I don't think he planned on playing ball in the first place, plus, he never showed up this summer for anything. In the very least this is a good thing because we are finding out early where his heart is and won't have to watch him quit on us late in a 4th quarter when it's easier to lay down rather than get a stop.

Rick

Edited August 7, 2006 by FirefightnRick

UNTLifer · August 7, 2006

This recruiting class has turned into a joke. Our highest rated recruit, Trent Stanley, leaves after the spring because he wasn't quite up to advanced billilng, Eddrick Gilmore, one of our top recruits from last year, can't make the grades and now Tim Patton, our highest rated recruit this year, backs out of of his LOI. Great job by our staff.

BTW, doesn't NT have to release Patton from his LOI?

SilverEagle · August 7, 2006

This recruiting class has turned into a joke. Our highest rated recruit, Trent Stanley, leaves after the spring because he wasn't quite up to advanced billilng, Eddrick Gilmore, one of our top recruits from last year, can't make the grades and now Tim Patton, our highest rated recruit this year, backs out of of his LOI. Great job by our staff.
BTW, doesn't NT have to release Patton from his LOI?
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EXACTLY!

IslandEagle · August 7, 2006

EXACTLY!
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This has been in the rumor mill for quite a while. Something was up with him, but like Rick says, its better we know now that his heart isn't in it then investing a lot of time for nothing. Still, this has to be a major disappointment for the staff.

UNTLifer · August 7, 2006

its better we know now that his heart isn't in it then investing a lot of time for nothing.
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Think we would have invested all that time recruiting him if we didn't think his heart was in it? That time could have been better spent recruiting someone that wants to play.

SilverEagle · August 7, 2006

So who do we have left at the DL position now?

I'm guessing that Mr. Santiago will definitely be put at the DL position.

DeepGreen · August 7, 2006

So who do we have left at the DL position now?
I'm guessing that Mr. Santiago will definitely be put at the DL position.
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I think Adam Venegas needs to go on the defensive side of the ball. From the Athletics website-

"High School/Personal: Received All-State 6A First Team honors ... Was named one of the top 11 players in the state of Kansas by The Topeka Capital-Journal ... Ranked second on North’s defense in the Eagles’ point system, racking up 30 solo tackles, 29 assists, seven tackles for loss and a team-high six sacks ... Recorded nine career sacks and started on a North team that lost one game ... Participated in the 2003 Shrine Bowl Game ... Was state champion in wrestling ...

Edited August 7, 2006 by DeepGreen

H-towngreen · August 7, 2006

Time to move on and focus on the rest of the freshman class, i.e. the kids that want to be here. I have a feeling that this is still gonna turn into an excellent class. They seemed to bring in a lot of big bodies that fit well into the 3-4 scheme. Are we expecting updates from the freshman practice today?

August 7, 2006

I think Adam Venegas needs to go on the defensive side of the ball. From the Athletics website-
"High School/Personal: Received All-State 6A First Team honors ... Was named one of the top 11 players in the state of Kansas by The Topeka Capital-Journal ... Ranked second on North’s defense in the Eagles’ point system, racking up 30 solo tackles, 29 assists, seven tackles for loss and a team-high six sacks ... Recorded nine career sacks and started on a North team that lost one game ... Participated in the 2003 Shrine Bowl Game ... Was state champion in wrestling ...
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I have been wondering, too. I knew of Venegas' credentials on the defensive side of the line and wondered why he was put on offense. On a side note, he is one of three state heavyweight wrestling champions on the squad. The other two, Isaac Thomas and Sky Pruitt are both playing defense and both could start. It seems to me to be a natural for someone whose forte is strength, agility and the ability to take down an opponent.

Now, I believe that Mr. Santiago's honors are on the offensive side of the line so they'll probably make a defensive lineman out of him. Go figure.

LongJim · August 7, 2006

Are we expecting updates from the freshman practice today?
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Well, from what I saw, the MG have some pretty good athletes coming in in this class. Some big boys out there, and a few with some serious speed.

It'll be interesting to hear illuvius' thoughts.

August 7, 2006

This recruiting class has turned into a joke. Our highest rated recruit, Trent Stanley, leaves after the spring because he wasn't quite up to advanced billilng, Eddrick Gilmore, one of our top recruits from last year, can't make the grades and now Tim Patton, our highest rated recruit this year, backs out of of his LOI. Great job by our staff.
BTW, doesn't NT have to release Patton from his LOI?
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I love it when people think that stuff like this happens only to UNT and blame it on the coaching staff. Yep, I'm sure DD recruited those guys because he knew they were going to quit, lose 85lbs or fail. I guess the coaching staff is responsibe for all the players that pass their classes? And for all those who show up and work hard?

LongJim · August 7, 2006

I love it when people think that stuff like this happens only to UNT and blame it on the coaching staff. Yep, I'm sure DD recruited those guys because he knew they were going to quit, lose 85lbs or fail. I guess the coaching staff is responsibe for all the players that pass their classes? And for all those who show up and work hard?
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Very true.

From the DMN:

11 players from Tech's 34-man signing day class were not on the reporting roster and will either delay enrollment or enroll elsewhere. Two of the 11 signees

were 4-star players Leonard Hewitt and Daniel Johnson.

SilverEagle · August 7, 2006

Very true.
From the DMN:
11 players from Tech's 34-man signing day class were not on the reporting roster and will either delay enrollment or enroll elsewhere. Two of the 11 signees
were 4-star players Leonard Hewitt and Daniel Johnson.
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Talent-wise, we have much less margin for error than B-12 schools.

Green92 · August 7, 2006

You are correct Silver. All schools roll the dice when it comes to recruits. Some kids just don't pan out. It just really kills us when so many have not panned out in a couple of different recruiting classes. It becomes very hard to recover.

LongJim · August 7, 2006

Talent-wise, we have much less margin for error than B-12 schools.
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Of course, but the point is that this issue is not specific to UNT. When you're dealing w/18-19 year old kids, these things can happen.

UNTLifer · August 7, 2006

I love it when people think that stuff like this happens only to UNT and blame it on the coaching staff. Yep, I'm sure DD recruited those guys because he knew they were going to quit, lose 85lbs or fail. I guess the coaching staff is responsibe for all the players that pass their classes? And for all those who show up and work hard?
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I know it happens everywhere and is not just a problem of North Texas, but I do have a problem when two of our highest rated recruits in a class where we didn't even sign all the scholarships we had to offer are gone before fall practice begins.

Tech isn't a good example. They "signed" 34 knowing the max is 25, so at least 9 were going elsewhere. At least they still have a relatively full class.

Of course I expected this reply from e-bone after I questioned one of his posts in another thread. Touche`

good_ken · August 7, 2006

Tech isn't a good example. They "signed" 34 knowing the max is 25, so at least 9 were going elsewhere. At least they still have a relatively full class.

Tech is a good example.

Two of their 4-stars will not be showing up, and 2 of their 3-stars will not be showing up due to grades.

As here is an update on their stud defensive lineman (4 star):

Sophomore defensive lineman McKinner Dixon, who was reported to be in academic trouble, was not on the 105-man roster issued Sunday. Redshirt defensive end Rashad Hunt is academically ineligible.

Yes, TT is a good example as it shows that this stuff happens everywhere. Our margin is just that much smaller than other schools.

Edited August 7, 2006 by good_ken

emmitt01 · August 7, 2006

This is just an example of what happens when a kid listens to his boys and not his brain. Patton's friends told him "hey man, go play JUCO ball and then you can walk on at a better school" when any good friend would have told him "hey man, congratulations on the chance to play for a D1 school."

UNTLifer · August 7, 2006

My point in TTech not being a good example is that they "signed" 34, lost 11, so they have a class of 23 arriving for Fall practice. North Texas signed 18 and lost their two highest rated players for a whopping total of 16 players, when NT could have signed a full allotment.

As others have noted, the margin for error at TTech is much smaller than North Texas. I am glad to have the young men that NT signed playing in Denton, but I have to question our coaching staff for not filling all scholarships available.

H-towngreen · August 7, 2006

but I have to question our coaching staff for not filling all scholarships available.
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This after last year when we did not have the full allotment of ship players. You would have thought that DD would have signed a full class.

Maybe 18 is all that DD could get to come to NT?

MeanGreen61 · August 7, 2006

I am glad to have the young men that NT signed playing in Denton, but I have to question our coaching staff for not filling all scholarships available.
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Tell us, how many scholarships were not filled ?

Edited August 7, 2006 by MeanGreen61