The Signing Date Event

[SUMG]

Man...if you could just see the videos that we all got to see....you'd want the season to start next week. Coach TD and his staff have added some really great athletes.

Here's a couple of things I was able to pick up on:

1) Coach TD told me that he would announce tomorrow...who the new (and final) assistant is. Coach Deloach is going to coach linebackers, so the final assistant will coach CBs (with Coach Peterson coaching safeties).

2) To show you how high our staff was on John Shorter: TD and his staff had a 2006 Lake Highlands football program...when they started recruiting last year. (TD's first class). The program said that Shorter was a senior that season....when he was actually a junior. Coach TD said that when thought he was a senior last year....that he was the #1 recruit that they wanted...last year.

3) The o-linemen that we added are behemoths. Coleman Feeley looked great. Nate Jenkins is huge. (His juco team unis are very similar to LSU's---maybe the exact same colors. Anyway, when you see him in that uni....he looks just like a LSU lineman. Gabe Hollivay, Troy Franklin and Nick Leppo all looked great, as well.

4) Alonzo Horton....is such an athlete....that his junior college coaches....had him playing a Demarcus Ware type Linebacker on numerous plays. He's 6'4, 260...playing LB.

5) Jeremi Mathis will be a power running back....Lance Dunbar is more of a scatback type.

6) Small world: Royce Hill's dad is an elementary PE coach in Houston. One of his students years ago: Jeremy Phillips, our signee from Waller.

7) If the schedule holds true....we'll have three home games in October.

There was a great crowd at the event.....I'm guessing 150 or more.

BTW....all the recruits looked good....just because I didn't mention some by name, is not intended as a slight. These are just some of the things I could remember.

Others who were there, can add their thoughts...

[GoMeanGreen1999]

Man...if you could just see the videos that we all got to see....you'd want the season to start next week. Coach TD and his staff have added some really great athletes.

Here's a couple of things I was able to pick up on:

1) Coach TD told me that he would announce tomorrow...who the new (and final) assistant is. Coach Deloach is going to coach linebackers, so the final assistant will coach CBs (with Coach Peterson coaching safeties).

2) To show you how high our staff was on John Shorter: TD and his staff had a 2006 Lake Highlands football program...when they started recruiting last year. (TD's first class). The program said that Shorter was a senior that season....when he was actually a junior. Coach TD said that when thought he was a senior last year....that he was the #1 recruit that they wanted...last year.

3) The o-linemen that we added are behemoths. Coleman Feeley looked great. Nate Jenkins is huge. (His juco team unis are very similar to LSU's---maybe the exact same colors. Anyway, when you see him in that uni....he looks just like a LSU lineman. Gabe Hollivay, Troy Franklin and Nick Leppo all looked great, as well.

4) Alonzo Horton....is such an athlete....that his junior college coaches....had him playing a Demarcus Ware type Linebacker on numerous plays. He's 6'4, 260...playing LB.

5) Jeremi Mathis will be a power running back....Lance Dunbar is more of a scatback type.

6) Small world: Royce Hill's dad is an elementary PE coach in Houston. One of his students years ago: Jeremy Phillips, our signee from Waller.

7) If the schedule holds true....we'll have three home games in October.

There was a great crowd at the event.....I'm guessing 150 or more.

BTW....all the recruits looked good....just because I didn't mention some by name, is not intended as a slight. These are just some of the things I could remember.

Others who were there, can add their thoughts...

As usual, a great recap by yourself. Thanks.

[THOR]

it's amazing how coaches can see an athlete and really get a great feel as to whether they will succeed and make a difference, or not. looking at just the info from rivals, i wasn't too impressed with shorter.....i mean...a grade of 40.........i didn't see anything special. now after the fight for him with tulsa and this little story about him last year has got me all giddy over him!!! TODGE ROCKS MY SOCKS!!!

[EastTexasMG]

He also said that Joe Hawthorne will play DE, not DT.

[GreenAlums]

Another thing we heard was from RV that, a contractor, correction, architect, would be announced tomorrow for the new stadium. He said the new stadium was pivotal in a successful resergence of a quality program. I talked a bit with DallasGreen afterwards and I really believe there are untapped or unannounced options that can generate the kind of money we need for the stadium. So me, MR. Optimistic, is excited all over again!!!

Also, to repeat and add to a little of what SUMG mentioned, Coach Dodge told us in a private conversation (maybe the same one SUMG was in) that his defensive assistant would be announced. He said it would be in the paper tomorrow. With a big smile on my face and a chuckle I asked him which paper?? He laughed and said, "good call", with a big smile on his face. This is the most relaxed and confident I've seen him since he came.

The event tonite was huge as far as a sing of the times. We are going to have a great several years and then only up!!!

Go Mean Green!!

Edited February 7, 2008 by GreenExes

[SUMG]

Another thing we heard was from RV that, a contractor would be announced tomorroe for the new stadium. He said the new stadium was pivotal in a successful resergence of a quality program. I talked a bit with DallasGreen afterwards and I really believe there are untapped or unannounced options that can generate the kind of money we need for the stadium. So me, MR. Optimistic, is excited all over again!!!

Go Mean Green!!

I thought RV said an architecht would be announced tomorrow....not a contractor.

Edited February 7, 2008 by SUMG

[UNTflyer]

7) If the schedule holds true....we'll have three home games in October.

We already know two of them, the only open dates being the 11th and 18th. I know it's wishful thinking, but I'm hoping for 6 home games this season.

[LoveMG]

We already know two of them, the only open dates being the 11th and 18th. I know it's wishful thinking, but I'm hoping for 6 home games this season.

unofficial schedule from event; heard they may try and move ark state game because of thanksgiving

aug. 30 at kansas state

sep. 6 tulsa

sep. 13 at lsu

sep. 20 open

sep. 27 at rice

oct. 4 florida intl

oct. 11 ull, family weekend

oct. 18 at ulm

oct. 25 troy, homecoming

nov. 1 at wku

nov. 8 at fau

nov. 15 open

nov. 22 at mid tenn

nov. 29 ark state

[LAZER]

The highlight videos of Feeley and Cook (I am referring to the special teams clips in particular) were the most impressive in my opinion. On a side note, I wanted to run off with one of the helmets on the table but i thought RV would tackle me and Emmit would arrest me. J/k

[UNTflyer]

So much for the Sun Belt's directive of at least 11 home homes over a 2-year span.

[GreenAlums]

The highlight videos of Feeley and Cook (I am referring to the special teams clips in particular) were the most impressive in my opinion. On a side note, I wanted to run off with one of the helmets on the table but i thought RV would tackle me and Emmit would arrest me. J/k

You and me both brother. I actually picked one up and tried to stuff it in my coat. Ah....what the heck, I wanted to stay around and drink another one so I put it back!

[GreenAlums]

I thought RV said an architecht would be announced tomorrow....not a contractor.

I believe you are right SUMG. Not being a commercial developer kind of guy, those sound the same to me. Distinctly different! Nonetheless, we are on the way!

[Mean Green 93-98]

So much for the Sun Belt's directive of at least 11 home homes over a 2-year span.

We did have 6 home games last year, did we not?

[UNTflyer]

We did have 6 home games last year, did we not?

No. In fact, I went back to see when we last had 6 home games and gave up around 1994.

[UNTflyer]

oct. 25 troy, homecoming

Whose idea was this?

[eulessismore]

QUOTE(LoveMG @ Feb 6 2008, 08:59 PM)

oct. 25 troy, homecoming

Whose idea was this?

They could just switch the "Family Weekend" for "Homecoming Weekend"; everything could be green and good (no guarantee, since ULL beat us last year, but not as bad as Troy).

[Eagle1855]

QUOTE(LoveMG @ Feb 6 2008, 08:59 PM)

oct. 25 troy, homecoming

They could just switch the "Family Weekend" for "Homecoming Weekend"; everything could be green and good (no guarantee, since ULL beat us last year, but not as bad as Troy).

we played MTSU last year, I thought.

Anyways, I say GOOD, bring on Troy and a big crowd. Since when are we nervous about playing ANYONE in the Sunbelt? I think we'll be rolling along nicely by late October, let's take out the "crown jewel" of the conference.

[untlynchka]

How good is Troy expected to be next year? Don't they have to break in a new qb. I think we found out after Scott Hall that, that is no always the easiest thing to do.

[eulessismore]

How good is Troy expected to be next year? Don't they have to break in a new qb. I think we found out after Scott Hall that, that is no always the easiest thing to do.

I suppose that could be a good opportunity to break in our new defensive players!

[GreenAlums]

How good is Troy expected to be next year? Don't they have to break in a new qb. I think we found out after Scott Hall that, that is no always the easiest thing to do.

Troy got 34 recruits. They will have thier hands full managing that group. If that's like over booking a flight then somebody is going tobe unhappy when they get sent home without a scholarship. They may have that many to use. I don't know how all that works.

[untlynchka]

I remember earlier that everyone was talking about troy taking a lot of academic risks. I guess there is the possibility that they do not expect all of their recruits to qualify academically. I think that is one of the risks we are taking with jenkins.

I don't know all the rules on that, but there seems to be ways around the 25 scholarship thing, ie.e greyshirting, b/c there are teams every year that do it. hell look at this years recruiting champ alabama.

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

No. In fact, I went back to see when we last had 6 home games and gave up around 1994.

Until recently we only played 11 game schedules. The only teams that played 12 games had to play Hawaii (other than a bowl).

[SUMG]

A few other things that I remembered from the event last night:

1) Coach says that he tells every recruit to not plan on redshirting. He wants them all working out hard over the summer....and that if they think they're going to redshirt, some might slack off. So he means it, when he says that every recruit (each year)...gets to come in and fight for a job. He says he just let's redshirting play itself out naturally---instead of pre-planning who to redshirt and who not to redshirt.

2) The reason why I think Coleman Feeley stood out on his video highlights: He WANTS to make multiple blocks each play. On play after play, you'd see him mow over someone on the line....then going downfield hunting for LBs and DBs to "take out."

3) Coach said that he always has his centers hanging out with the receivers and QBs---since in the shotgun, that guy starts it all. Anyway, a while back ...Nick Leppo was at a summer 7-on-7 event. He was just snapping the ball all day....when a coach finally let him go out for a pass...which he caught. Anyway, TD says that all the high school kids really keep up with all the Rivals Rankings. So after learning about Leppo's catch....Todd told all the players that Rivals had just ranked Leppo as one of the Top 25 Dual Threat Centers in the country. And from that point on....Leppo's nickname has been Dual Threat.

[Eagle1855]

So after learning about Leppo's catch....Todd told all the players that Rivals had just ranked Leppo as one of the Top 25 Dual Threat Centers in the country. And from that point on....Leppo's nickname has been Dual Threat.

That's a great story!

[Guest 97and03]

A couple additional thoughts...

The signing day blog didn't lie - James Hamilton is going to be a beast on special teams coverage. Fearless, fast, and hard-hitting. Definately has a chance to contribute immediately. After seeing his video, I also think he would make a pretty good RB in the spread.

The staff recruited us some big receivers. One of my favorite video clips was of 6' 5" Forrest Rucker dragging a couple of DBs accross the goal line. "A man among boys," was what I was thinking. Think Limas Sweed from UT in terms of size and the ability to go up and get the ball.

Dodge mentioned that one reason they didn't heavily recruit at the LB position was that they felt they had some help coming from current players, including this year's redshirts.

Edited February 7, 2008 by 97and03