Dmn's Area Top 50 For 2008

[gangrene]

I just got home and started reading DMN's Sports Day coverage of National Signing Day.

First thing I notice is that we're grouped on the same page as SMU and TCU's list coverage ("Area Schools"). That page is divided vertically in thirds with each school getting equal space. However, at the bottom of the page is about six inches, just enough for one horizontal story and guess which school got the space. Yep, that's right...UNT. Aside from the great positioning, we got a nice, big headline "Dodge, UNT make most of time with area recruits," a big picture of Coach Dodge and the same story that was published online. So, way to go Brett Vito!! I can't find any article on TCU recruiting and SMU is on the following page under the 2008 Area, State and National Top 50 lists.

Speaking of 2008, both Riley and Tre' are listed in the Area and State Top 50, but neither list UNT as a school they are considering:

Riley Dodge, 5'11", 168 - Missouri, OU, Rice, SMU, A&M

Tre' Newton, 6'0", 194 - Iowa St, Kansas, Nebraska, OU, Miss, TCU, UT, A&M, TX Tech

It was bad enough that SMU got Abner Hayes' grandson, what a major coupe that would be if they stole Riley!! Staying true to the past, not a single player on any of three lists has UNT as a school he is considering. But, we've got a whole year to help them change their mind!!!

[MeanGreenZen]

It is an embarrassment to Todd Dodge and UNT that Riley has among his listed schools Rice and SMU and not North Texas.

If Riley can sign with a BCS school then that's fine, but TD cannot let Riley sign with Rice, SMU or any other school UNT is expected to compete with.

What if four years from now Riley is the starting QB for SMU and the Ponies are playing his dad's Mean Green and TD's job is on the line with a "win or else" edict from the AD? Wouldn't that be awkward if Riley threw for 300 yards and 4 touchdowns and SMU beat his dad's Mean Green and got his dad fired? This cannot be allowed to be even a possibility. Either Riley signs with a BCS school or UNT.

Wouldn't it be huge for TD to get an early committment from his son to come to UNT? That way every time Riley is mentioned in any media they say he is on his way to play for his dad at UNT. Wouldn't that build a lot of momentum for TD's 2008 recruiting class?

If he verbals to SMU or Rice wouldn't it look like Todd Dodge doesn't even think UNT is good enough for his own son?

Riley should support his father and come to UNT.

[SAGreenFan]

It is an embarrassment to Todd Dodge and UNT that Riley has among his listed schools Rice and SMU and not North Texas.

If Riley can sign with a BCS school then that's fine, but TD cannot let Riley sign with Rice, SMU or any other school UNT is expected to compete with.

What if four years from now Riley is the starting QB for SMU and the Ponies are playing his dad's Mean Green and TD's job is on the line with a "win or else" edict from the AD? Wouldn't that be awkward if Riley threw for 300 yards and 4 touchdowns and SMU beat his dad's Mean Green and got his dad fired? This cannot be allowed to be even a possibility. Either Riley signs with a BCS school or UNT.

Wouldn't it be huge for TD to get an early committment from his son to come to UNT? That way every time Riley is mentioned in any media they say he is on his way to play for his dad at UNT. Wouldn't that build a lot of momentum for TD's 2008 recruiting class?

If he verbals to SMU or Rice wouldn't it look like Todd Dodge doesn't even think UNT is good enough for his own son?

Riley should support his father and come to UNT.

I'm sure that TD wants to honor his sons wishes as far as where he would like to go to school, and who he would like to play for. To say that it should be BCS or North Texas for Riley because it would make it seem Todd Dodge doesnt think UNT is good enough for his son is rediculous. I would rather Riley come here because he wanted to be here, not because his dad made him because a BCS school didnt want him. And I think media hype would be just as great if Riley played for a rival than for his dad. Besides, how is he supposed to mature as an athelete if he's only ever played for one coach, and his father nontheless.

[MeanGreenZen]

Besides, how is he supposed to mature as an athelete if he's only ever played for one coach, and his father nontheless.

He's playing for Hal Wasson next season.

Plus, there are other coaches at UNT who would have an impact on him not just his dad, notably the OC and QB coach. I don't have a problem with Riley going to a school besides UNT, I just think it would be sorry of him to go to one of UNT's rivals.

[LAZER]

He's playing for Hal Wasson next season.

Plus, there are other coaches at UNT who would have an impact on him not just his dad, notably the OC and QB coach. I don't have a problem with Riley going to a school besides UNT, I just think it would be sorry of him to go to one of UNT's rivals.

Agreed if Riley went to SMU it would be a slap in the face. The media would be all over that as would the SMU fans.

[runt96]

It would just be nice to hear that he has NO interest in smu or rice and that if he goes elsewhere, it will be a big time bcs program. Didn't he and Tre visit OU recently?

[DeepGreen]

No disrespect to Riley, but isn't he a little on the smallish side to be a BCS QB? Guess they could recruit him as a DB.

[good_ken]

No disrespect to Riley, but isn't he a little on the smallish side to be a BCS QB? Guess they could recruit him as a DB.

That's what RC Slocum said about a quarterback from Austin Westlake, so Drew Brees decided to go to Purdue instead.

[PlummMeanGreen]

I vote we all allow another (almost) year go by before there be any semblance of any toasting of Riley Dodge for a DMN listing that may not be even close to warm of what Riley's real collegiate interest will be (even in this quite early speculative form).

We all know how UNT has signed kids in the past (I defer to the below paragraph in bold black letters) who never even listed UNT as one of a recruits school of interest.

Anyone remember the last part of the Texas statewide televised 5A championship game when the Austin Westlake player (who I think was future UNT recruit Hager) asking Riley Dodge about.......................SMU? Well..................there you go with some real genius undercover work by some DMN sports reporter who saw this same video footage of those 2 players post-game talk and then that reporter saying: Oh, then its going to be SMU for Riley, eh?

I'm having to stretch the brain-waves a bit on this one, but I recall being quite pissed that no area paper seemed to ever list NT as being on Milton Collins list of interest schools until the day we signed the #1 recruit in the entire state of Texas back in 1977 (and by an NT coach whose name I won't mention but his initials were..........Hayden Fry). It seemed TAMU, OU, all the same ol' regulars were always where the recruiting scribes/gurus seemed to think Milton Collins would sign his national letter of intent.

So can we give Riley Dodge a year before this kind of discussion is even threaded on GMG.com and then posted upon (which I've just done myself with this post albeit making this request)? Should we spare father and son all this for the time being? Just my .02.

Edited February 9, 2007 by PlummMeanGreen