Excited About Our Recruiting Class So Far

[BonfireBrian]

In the past, UNT has recruited against the likes of Louisiana-Lafayette and Arkansas State, but not this year. Here is a list of who North Texas has beat out for these recruits.

Players received scholarship offers from the following schools, but chose North Texas:

Air Force (2)

Army

Baylor

Boise State

Central Florida

Houston (3)

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa State

Louisiana-Monroe

Missouri

Navy (2)

Nebraska

Nevada

New Mexico State (2)

Rice (2)

TCU

Texas A&M

Texas State

Tulsa

Utah

Utah State

UTEP (2)

By conference:

Big 10 (2)

Big 12 (5)

Conference USA (10)

Independent (3)

Mountain West (4)

Southland (1)

Sun Belt (1)

WAC (4)

Players received interest from the following schools, but chose North Texas:

Alabama

California

Central Arkansas

Clemson

Colorado State

Houston

Iowa

Iowa State (2)

Kansas State

McNeese State

Sam Houston

SMU (2)

TCU (3)

Texas Tech

Tulane

Tulsa

Wake Forest

By conference:

ACC (2)

Big 10 (3)

Big12 (2)

Conference USA (4)

I-AA Independent (1)

Mountain West (6)

Pac 10 (1)

SEC (1)

Soutland (2)

Players transfering to North Texas from:

Booneville Northeast (Mississippi)

Navy

Rice

*** Please note: I compiled this list myself, so it's possible I made a few mistakes. If I did, sorry.

Edited February 3, 2007 by BonfireBrian

[eppy4life]

Thanks for the info. Very impressive.

[Harry]

Nice post Brian!

[MeanGreenZen]

Who chose UNT over Texas A&M? I don't believe that.

[MeanGreen61]

Who chose UNT over Texas A&M? I don't believe that.

ILB, A.J. Penson Lufkin HS, 6-1, 215, Jr. Stats: Scout.com has him with 85 tackles (I assume includes) 22 tackles for loss and 3 sacks. Scout.com has Penson a 3*

District 15-5A has him listed as 1st team all district at LB. Scout.com is high on him, listing him as a 3*, Position Rank #40,. Gridiron guide pre season had this to say about AJ " an enforcer @ LB" converted DE.

Considering Iowa State (1), Neb, Rice (1), A$M, UTEP (1) with offers from (1).

Rivals article Jan 22. Penson ready for his 3rd official visit...to North Texas weekend Jan 26th. He has visited UH and Texas State.

Rivals article

We understand he is to visit NT in January with two teammates.'A.J. Penson is the next big thing to emerge from the Lufkin

program. The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder puts his hand down for

Lufkin, but will most likely be a linebacker according to coach John

Outlaw. There have been several top prospects come out of the

tradition-rich halls of the East Texas school and Outlaw doesn't see Penson being

any different.

COMMITED TO NORTH TEXAS JANUARY 28, 2007

"It's probably because he had to play with his hand down, and at one

time, he was opposite a pretty good one with McKinner Dixon who lined up

on the other side. I don't know exactly why he may not have had all the

early attention but A.J. is an awful fine person and a high character

kid. Plus, he's a great football player."

Penson says that while he would like to play linebacker at the next

level, he'll play wherever the college coaches put him. Options are

already mounting on the recruiting front with schools like UTEP, Iowa State,

and Houston telling him to expect an offer in the mail.

Nebraska, Texas A&M, and Rice have verbally offered him at this time.

"I haven't talked to all of the schools, so I don't know if I have any

big favorites," Penson said. "I think A&M is a good school though. I

visited down there because we have teammates that have gone there. I want

to visit Oklahoma State though and see what they have to offer."

The Lufkin team has also been predicted to take home the 5A state tile

this year. Senior Penson likes the all the talk.

"It's us," Penson said. "There is always going to pressure because

we're at the top but that's how I see my team. We're a great group, we can

pull through it all. We were only one game away last year, so we've got

to finish and play hard.

Edited January 30, 2007 by MeanGreen61

[gangrene]

Call me easy, but I'm just as excited to see UNT actually printed in prospect's consideration lists and not having to wait until national signing day to see who we were recruiting....that stealth method was just silly, anti-social behavior.

The open (and normal) way of recruiting allows recruits, fans and alumni to get involved and get excited about the program. I can't even recall how many times I've read something about a player considering XYZ school because his teammate or another player that he admires is considering that school too.

[emmitt01]

Who chose UNT over Texas A&M? I don't believe that.

He's got a point. It's easy to see how kids would pick us over Missouri, Iowa State, Baylor and even the Nebraska Cornhuskers but never the almighty Aggies. I mean, they've been at the top of Big XII for what 0 years now?

[NT80]

Who chose UNT over Texas A&M? I don't believe that.

The kid must be VERY smart. Just say NO to cults!!

[MeanGreenZen]

That Texas A&M offer must have had a short expiration. There is no way that Texas A&M offer was still on the table when this kid committed to UNT. I love UNT, but a kid would have to be crazy to choose to play football for UNT over Texas A&M (unless there is some crazy circumstance like he has a ailing mother who lives in Denton or he wants to pursue a career in jazz or something like that). Texas A&M is not one of our natural recruiting rivals. We just can't compete with them.

[untbowler]

That Texas A&M offer must have had a short expiration. There is no way that Texas A&M offer was still on the table when this kid committed to UNT. I love UNT, but a kid would have to be crazy to choose to play football for UNT over Texas A&M (unless there is some crazy circumstance like he has a ailing mother who lives in Denton or he wants to pursue a career in jazz or something like that). Texas A&M is not one of our natural recruiting rivals. We just can't compete with them.

maybe he wants to play all four years rather than sit on the bench until he is a senior, but hey believe what you want.

BTW nice loser mentality there, guess TD might as well forfeit the OU and AR game b/c we just can not compete. Are you sure we can even hang with SMU or should we forfeit there also.

Edited January 31, 2007 by untbowler

[MeanGreenZen]

I mean, they've been at the top of Big XII for what 0 years now?

I mean UNT has been at the top of the Sun Belt for what 0 years now?

Get real people. No matter how much UNT, TCU, SMU, Tx Tech, UTEP, Rice or Houston try, none of them will ever consistently outperform UT or A&M on the football field. It has to do with $$$. Money those schools get from the state that the other schools don't and money those schools get from boosters that the other schools don't.

The ceiling at North Texas is to be consistently ranked in the Top 25. The ceiling at Texas A&M is a national championship. Go Todd Dodge!!!

[Cerebus]

Get real people. No matter how much Boise State tries, they will ever consistently outperform OU or Oregon State on the football field. It has to do with $$$.

Fixed it for you.

[GangGreen]

The ceiling at Texas A&M is a national championship.

Yeah, right. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[MeanGreenZen]

Fixed it for you.

That just proves my point.

Boise State went undefeated and did not win a national championship, but they finished in the Top 25.

If UNT went undefeated we would not win a national championship, but we would finish in the Top 25. If Texas A&M went undefeated they would win a national championship. See the difference?

[Cerebus]

If Auburn went undefeated they would win a national championship.

Fixed it for you.

[FirefightnRick]

Good post.....

http://www.gomeangreen.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=32346

Rick

[MeanGreenZen]

Fixed it for you.

Auburn didn't win because USC was also undefeated that year. The BCS awarded the title to USC.

If UNT and Texas A&M were the only undefeated D-1A teams next year the BCS would give the title to Texas A&M. If you dispute that, you are a delusional UNT football fan.

[runt96]

Fixed it for you.

Exactly, and auburn is in a much tougher conf. than ATUM or usc or tcu or mich. or OHsu.

[Green Mean]

As of right now I would say you are right MG...however I do think that this is a really long process and tho right now our ceiling is top 25 right now it does not mean that cant change in 10-15 years. And yes BSU beat OU and did not win the national championship but dont blame BSU for that...blame the messed up system and how its set up. Sure you would probably see that OSU and FL would both beat if not whip BSU but whose to say that 110%? Until they dont play you cant 110% assume stuff. Remember that we have 34K students and its growing EXTREMELY fast and before you know it we wont be too far behind UT as far as students. We have the potential that a lot of schools dont have benefits of....great state, city, campus, weather, athletic and academic talent and etc. Its just in the last few years that we've started tapping into our resources for money and donations and etc. Once we can up that up big time which I know with time we will dont be surprised if we are right up there in the Big 12 level of schools. Again I am not saying its going to happen but it is a possibility and we need to try as best we can to make that happen.

[stick82]

That Texas A&M offer must have had a short expiration. There is no way that Texas A&M offer was still on the table when this kid committed to UNT. I love UNT, but a kid would have to be crazy to choose to play football for UNT over Texas A&M (unless there is some crazy circumstance like he has a ailing mother who lives in Denton or he wants to pursue a career in jazz or something like that). Texas A&M is not one of our natural recruiting rivals. We just can't compete with them.

Markeith Knowlton picked UNT over OU...when i asked him why he would do that he relpied "i didnt want to be lost in the mix and I wanted to play early"...

[runt96]

Auburn didn't win because USC was also undefeated that year. The BCS awarded the title to USC.

If UNT and Texas A&M were the only undefeated D-1A teams next year the BCS would give the title to Texas A&M. If you dispute that, you are a delusional UNT football fan.

Don't worry, as long as fran is there, atom will not smell a championship.

[runt96]

As of right now I would say you are right MG...however I do think that this is a really long process and tho right now our ceiling is top 25 right now it does not mean that cant change in 10-15 years. And yes BSU beat OU and did not win the national championship but dont blame BSU for that...blame the messed up system and how its set up. Sure you would probably see that OSU and FL would both beat if not whip BSU but whose to say that 110%? Until they dont play you cant 110% assume stuff. Remember that we have 34K students and its growing EXTREMELY fast and before you know it we wont be too far behind UT as far as students. We have the potential that a lot of schools dont have benefits of....great state, city, campus, weather, athletic and academic talent and etc. Its just in the last few years that we've started tapping into our resources for money and donations and etc. Once we can up that up big time which I know with time we will dont be surprised if we are right up there in the Big 12 level of schools. Again I am not saying its going to happen but it is a possibility and we need to try as best we can to make that happen.

Doesn't our enrollment exceed all of the BIGXII except for atom and UT?

[PlummMeanGreen]

That just proves my point.

Boise State went undefeated and did not win a national championship, but they finished in the Top 25.

If UNT went undefeated we would not win a national championship, but we would finish in the Top 25. If Texas A&M went undefeated they would win a national championship. See the difference?

Sorta' see your point, MG Insurance Pro; and for certain (like many of you I'm sure), I have had Aggie friends all of my life especially being from the Houston area and they were all quite enthusiastic and always felt they never lost a game but time just ran out on em' (and all that kind of thing).

Worked with many Aggies at Dow Chemical (Freeport) during a couple of summers with a job I had there. 2 of my all time favorite cousins were true maroon Aggies and were in the TAMU Cadet Corp when it was much larger back in the day; but as far as TAMU and NCAA football national championships, I'm trying to recall just how many NC's they've had even in my lifetime (and I turned 56 last November 24'th).

Not sure TAMU and NCAA football NC's are synonomous or even rarely mentioned in the same breath of late, but (yet) they do have the potential to compete for an NC with all their means and reserves, but that doesn't always seem to be the panacea for getting an NCAA football national championship these days, either.

Addendum: I believe they actually did win an NC back when John David Crow played for the Ags and I was about 5 years old, but I don't have my college football encyclopedia handy right now for an exact year on all that.

Boise State seems to have gotten closer to #1 than I can recall TAMU has for quite a few years now. Hopefully, UNT will take all that to the next level and because of our location and still (virtually) untapped resources we are just now beginning to tap (a la 3 (three) $1 million dollar donors to NT Athletics the last 3 years), who knows what can happen with MG football, eh?

Edited January 31, 2007 by PlummMeanGreen

[MeanGreen61]

That Texas A&M offer must have had a short expiration. There is no way that Texas A&M offer was still on the table when this kid committed to UNT. I love UNT, but a kid would have to be crazy to choose to play football for UNT over Texas A&M (unless there is some crazy circumstance like he has a ailing mother who lives in Denton or he wants to pursue a career in jazz or something like that). Texas A&M is not one of our natural recruiting rivals. We just can't compete with them.

[emmitt01]

MG Insurance Pro here's a link for you

www.12thfan.com

When you get there just don't hit the "back" button. We'll miss you.