Early Recruits Keep Coming For U N T

MeanGreen61 · June 12, 2007

Football: Early recruits keep coming for UNT

Mean Green lands running back, wide receiver to lift committment total to seven players

10:35 PM CDT on Monday, June 11, 2007

Brett Vito / Staff Writer

One of the top wide receivers in Central Texas and a standout running back from the Dallas-Fort Worth area committed to North Texas over the weekend.

Mart wide receiver Kenny Barrett and Haltom running back Lance Dunbar were both being recruited by multiple Division I-A programs, but decided to orally commit to UNT early. Oral commitments are non-binding. The first day recruits can sign national letters of intent is Feb. 7.

Barrett and Dunbar both named a chance to play in the offense being installed by new UNT head coach Todd Dodge as a reason for committing to the Mean Green.

"I liked North Texas and that I will get a chance to play in an offense where we will throw the ball a lot," Barrett said. "I wanted to go somewhere with a wide-open offense. With four wide receivers on the field, that will give me a chance to get out there right away."

Barrett (6-4, 190) finished with 660 receiving yards last season while also playing safety for Mart on its way to the Class 2A Division II state title.

Barrett caught three touchdown passes in Mart's win over Cisco in the state title game and was a first-team All-District 22-2A selection both as a wide receiver and defensive back last season.

"Kenny will have an easy transition to the college game," Mart head coach Rusty Nail said. "I think he can carry over 200 pounds when he gets into a college training program, plus he has outstanding hands and decent speed. He is an outstanding athlete who is pretty physical on the football field."

UNT was the only school that had offered Barrett a scholarship, but he was also being recruited by Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Louisiana Tech and Houston.

Barrett said he would still listen to what coaches from other programs have to say, but will likely stay committed to UNT.

"I think Kenny is pretty solid on North Texas," Nail said. "He wants to go somewhere they are going to throw the ball. We think he will hold. We talked to him about what commitment means and he has a lot of family in the Dallas and Denton areas."

Dunbar (5-9, 180) was also a highly recruited player. Virginia, Oklahoma State and Colorado all offered Dunbar a scholarship after he rushed for 1,060 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. He also caught 49 passes for 729 yards and two touchdowns while playing under new UNT wide receivers coach Clayton George, who left Haltom to join the Mean Green's staff in December.

"I already had a relationship with the coaching staff because of coach George and I wanted to stay close to home," Dunbar said. "I also liked the school. The fields, the weight room and the dorms were all right there close together."

Dunbar will also be playing in an offensive system similar to what Haltom used last season.

"I didn't want to wait to commit," Dunbar said. "I had the opportunity and jumped on it. I am excited about some of the guys I am going to be playing with."

Dunbar was a first-team All-District 5-5A selection at running back as a junior last season and is expected to play the same spot at UNT, which will try to take advantage of his 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash.

The addition of Barrett and Dunbar gives UNT seven players who have orally committed to become members of the Mean Green's 2008 recruiting class.

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

North Texas 2008 commitments

The following is a list of players who have orally committed to play for UNT beginning in the 2008 season:

OL Eloy Atkinson Los Fresnos

WR Kenny Barrett Mart

RB Lance Dunbar Haltom

OL Troy Franklin Celina

WR Willie Taylor Dallas Hillcrest

LB Derek Tomlin Southlake Carroll

S Darien Williams Vernon

Edited June 12, 2007 by MeanGreen61

greenminer · June 12, 2007

This is fun. Can we keep'm coming, say, at 2 - 3 per week until the season starts? That should help the summer roll by much quicker.

NTPhiKap99 · June 12, 2007

The blog to go along with the article.

June 11, 2007

<H3 class=entry-header>UNT lands two more</H3>Mart wide receiver Kenny Barrett and Haltom running back Lance Dunbar became the latest players to orally commit to become members of North Texas' 2008 recruiting class over the weekend.

Both confirmed their decisions on Monday.

Each player is coming off a standout junior season and was receiving interest from other Division I-A teams.

Barrett was a two-way all-district pick as a wide receiver and defensive back last season and caught three touchdown passes in a win over Cisco in the Class 2A Division II state title game. Dunbar was a 1,000-yard rusher in a tough District 5-5A.

Both named a chance to play in Todd Dodge's spread offense as a reason to commit to UNT.

Barrett said recently that he would still listen to what other coaches had to say, even though he planned to commit to UNT. He stuck by that pledge on Monday, although his head coach Rusty Nail said he expected Barrett to end up at UNT no matter what program comes calling later on.

Dunbar played for new UNT wide receivers coach Clayton George at Haltom.

For more on both players, see tomorrow's edition of the Denton Record-Chronicle or check our Web site late tonight.

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