Drc Blog

Evan · August 8, 2008

gmg

SilverEagle · August 8, 2008

And now for our mailbag.

Anthony wanted to know how BJ Lewis looks this year. Lewis is currently running with the second team. He is solidly in UNT's top eight receivers and will play in the slot. He has a nice combination of size and speed. He might be with the No. 1s if Casey Fitzgerald had not moved into the slot midway through last season.

Bill was wondering if Ethan McMillen, an offensive lineman from Aledo ever joined the team. He isn't on the roster and the UNT officials I asked had never heard of McMillen....... <_< I suppose that we all just imagined the channel 8 story in the spring about his plans to walk-on at North Texas. Wasn't there a story in print about his plans to come here and walk-on?

*UPDATE*

OK, I knew that I wasn't crazy (well, not about this anyway) the following is from Oldtimers recruitment section on walk-ons

1. OG Ethan McMillan, Aledo, 6-4, 300, 5.5, Sr. year 2007 1st team all district 8-4A, committed to UH...but suffered leg injury in HS playoff game, UH pulled his ship. Will walk on a preferred walkon at NT this fall.

2. DT Aaron Fortenberry, Era, 6-5, 260, 5.2, 2006 1st Team All District 11-1A at both OL and DL, 2007 1st team all district 11-1A at both OL and and DL, 2007 1st Team AP @ All State, Senior stats: graded 97.3 %, 72 pancake blocks, zero sacks allowed. Will walk-on at NT this fall.

3. RB/CB Tajh Redwing, Farmersville, 5-6, 171, 4.6 Jr. Stats: 284 carries for 1,718 yds and 22 TD's,

2006: District 13-2A 1st Team RB, 2nd Team CB

2007: District 13-2A District MVP, AP 2A All State 2nd Team RB

Invited guest on the sidelines during spring scrimmage at NT 08

4. QB Eric Jeffrey, Caddo Mills, 6-0, 170, 4.6, Jr. Stats: completed 83 passout of 166 tries for 1,136 yds and 10 TD's, with one interception

2006: 1st Team All District 12-2A @QB, as Junior

2007: 2nd Team All District 12-2a @QB, as Senior

Invited guest on the sidelines during spring scrimmage at NT O8

5. WR Chris Brainard, SLC, 5-11, 162, Invited walk-on, Sr. 5-5A 1st Team All District @WR, to play in the 2008 Oil Bowl

Edited August 8, 2008 by SilverEagle

ADLER · August 8, 2008

star-telegram.com: High Schools

Three area players learn the harsh side of recruiting

2/5/2008 8:39:00 AM

By TRAE THOMPSON

Everything worked out for Stephenville quarterback Kody Spano and Richland linebacker Victor Jones.

They have college football scholarships for this fall.

But Aledo offensive lineman Ethan McMillan doesn't.

"Disappointed really doesn't explain it," he said. "I feel like I worked my butt off for football for six years, and the one time I needed it to work for me, it didn't."

Wednesday is National Signing Day, when recruits and colleges alike celebrate the future.

But Spano, Jones and McMillan experienced a not-so-joyful side of recruiting, where college programs pull scholarship offers, often late in the process. Oklahoma State didn't keep offers to Spano and Jones, and Houston snubbed McMillan, months after they had committed.

"I've been brought up as a coach's son myself, and, more than anything, loyalty means something to me," said Kyle Spano, Kody's father and a Stephenville assistant coach. "In the college realm, they've lost somewhat of the focus of what it's still about.

"It's still about kids."

The story of those three players isn't isolated. SMU, Ohio State, Florida and Pittsburgh have pulled offers this year, according to published reports. NCAA rules don't prohibit the practice, which usually occurs when schools change coaches, commit too many scholarships or have concerns about a player's character or academics.

"What the fan doesn't know the answer to is 'Why [is each offer pulled]?'" said Randy Rodgers, a former recruiting coordinator at Texas and Illinois. "... The college coach can't talk about recruits until after signing day, and then only the ones that sign with his school. You never get his side of the story on why they may have pulled a scholarship."

Oklahoma State offered Jones a scholarship and he committed in June. But, before the Rebels' second game, Cowboys coaches told Richland coach Gene Wier they wanted to re-evaluate Jones. They later told Wier it would be best if Jones didn't come to Stillwater.

Wier still has a letter from Oklahoma State coaches that states the only reason the scholarship offer would be voided was if Jones didn't qualify academically.

Last semester, Jones made all A's.

"Recruiting is a harsh thing," said Jones, who committed to SMU. "There's no bad feelings. They did what they had to do. I still get to play ball, so I'm happy.

"I get to be part of a wow factor. I knew it was just business, but I wasn't expecting the business to be like that."

Kody Spano, now enrolled at Nebraska, saw his situation take a turn at the very end.

Two days before Spano's December graduation from Stephenville -- and 10 months to the day since Spano had committed to Oklahoma State -- Cowboys coach Mike Gundy told him that an early scholarship was no longer available but that he could come in June.

Two weeks earlier, Kyle Spano said, then-assistant coach Larry Fedora, now the Southern Miss coach, told him that Oklahoma State quarterback Bobby Reid might be leaving and that spring workouts would give Kody a chance to begin learning the Cowboys' offense.

"Kody did everything right," Kyle said. "He did everything told to him by professional people, and [Oklahoma State] led him astray. He's in a much better place now, but there are kids out there it doesn't work out for."

Like McMillan.

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* I only pasted the whole article because it has already been removed from the star-telegram on-linw archives. Luckily I had it memorized.