Lots Of Early Verbals For 2010 Class

The Fake Lonnie Finch · April 27, 2009

Here's a good link you may want to put in your favorites. It's shows the 2010 verbals so far. Many of this area's best are already committed...again:

http://www.texasfootball.com/index.php?s=&..._well_id=2#post

It's not unexpected that OU, LSU, and Michigan already have area players aboard, but middle-of-the-road teams like Tulsa, Kansas, and Missouri also already have area players verballed as well. Texas, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M each have a players from the Denton schools already committed. Arkansas has an offensive lineman from Pilot Point committed.

Baylor's got 3 early; Rice 2, SMU 4; TCU and Houston already have 5 each. Of the bigger Texas schools, the Longhorns are almost done with 21 verbals - all from Texas. A&M has 16, 13 from Texas and 3 from Louisiana. Texas Tech has 7, including a DE from Southlake.

I trust we have offers on the table, but are just being bypassed before we go into stealth mode in December?

In all, 84 commitments from Texas preps have already been made. My guess is that most of them are on the state's Top 100 list, otherwise they wouldn't be sought after so soon.

Edited April 27, 2009 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

oldguystudent · April 27, 2009

Student athletes indeed. Next thing you know, you're gonna' start seeing verbal commitments out of Pop Warner. When are people going to acknowledge BCS football for what it is, minor league pro football?

The Fake Lonnie Finch · April 27, 2009

Student athletes indeed. Next thing you know, you're gonna' start seeing verbal commitments out of Pop Warner. When are people going to acknowledge BCS football for what it is, minor league pro football?

Many schools with Texas prep verbals aren't BCS - Tulsa, Rice, Houston, TCU...Utah even has one in the books.

The point is, the best are already choosing and they're not choosing us. I'd agree if these were sophomore verballing. But, these guys are going to be seniors and everyone is after their signature. This is Todd Dodge's third spring with us, and the recruiting effort doesn't appear to be any different than before.

forevereagle · April 27, 2009

Many schools with Texas prep verbals aren't BCS - Tulsa, Rice, Houston, TCU...Utah even has one in the books.
The point is, the best are already choosing and they're not choosing us. I'd agree if these were sophomore verballing. But, these guys are going to be seniors and everyone is after their signature. This is Todd Dodge's third spring with us, and the recruiting effort doesn't appear to be any different than before.

And how many other schools are not being chosen? I think it may be a little early to declare this class over.

risinggreen · April 27, 2009

Many schools with Texas prep verbals aren't BCS - Tulsa, Rice, Houston, TCU...Utah even has one in the books.
The point is, the best are already choosing and they're not choosing us. I'd agree if these were sophomore verballing. But, these guys are going to be seniors and everyone is after their signature. This is Todd Dodge's third spring with us, and the recruiting effort doesn't appear to be any different than before.

How could it be better than before? Barely three little wins and plenty of scandal over two seasons is a pretty telling stat. Dodge has got to prove something (ANYTHING) very quickly. I hate to admit it, but I think I would be looking elsewhere if I were a major recruit. Hope this changes SOON!

emmitt01 · April 27, 2009

Many schools with Texas prep verbals aren't BCS - Tulsa, Rice, Houston, TCU...Utah even has one in the books.
The point is, the best are already choosing and they're not choosing us. I'd agree if these were sophomore verballing. But, these guys are going to be seniors and everyone is after their signature. This is Todd Dodge's third spring with us, and the recruiting effort doesn't appear to be any different than before.

You've got it all wrong. None of these kids are any good and the cream of the crop are actually holding out to sign with Todd Dodge at the last possible moment. Then, and only then, will their many accolades be known to the public...most of them will probably go all-school, all-city or all-county.

H-towngreen · April 27, 2009

Really?!?! This thread has already started? These kids are Jr's and most are just now going thru or starting their spring practices. Let's give it a few months before we start the sky is falling cause it's April and we don't have verbals yet thread.

gangrene · April 27, 2009

Here's a good link you may want to put in your favorites. It's shows the 2010 verbals so far. Many of this area's best are already committed...again:
http://www.texasfootball.com/index.php?s=&..._well_id=2#post
It's not unexpected that OU, LSU, and Michigan already have area players aboard, but middle-of-the-road teams like Tulsa, Kansas, and Missouri also already have area players verballed as well. Texas, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M each have a players from the Denton schools already committed. Arkansas has an offensive lineman from Pilot Point committed.
Baylor's got 3 early; Rice 2, SMU 4; TCU and Houston already have 5 each. Of the bigger Texas schools, the Longhorns are almost done with 21 verbals - all from Texas. A&M has 16, 13 from Texas and 3 from Louisiana. Texas Tech has 7, including a DE from Southlake.
I trust we have offers on the table, but are just being bypassed before we go into stealth mode in December?
In all, 84 commitments from Texas preps have already been made. My guess is that most of them are on the state's Top 100 list, otherwise they wouldn't be sought after so soon.

I actually consider the bolded statement a good thing for UNT. If UT and A & M have already fulfilled their respective allotments of scholarships, that leaves fewer options for those "dreamers" (kids that love UT but don't quite have the talent to play football there) to face reality, which is the fact they may have to consider other schools if they choose to continue their football careers. It also leaves those schools with few ships left to offer lesser known HS senior athletes who excel on the field this fall (due to injury to starters or just less playing time thus far).

The fact that we have zero 2010 commitments on April 27, 2009, should really come as a surprise to no one that has followed this program the last two years. We've won THREE games...not exactly the kind of success that elite athletes want to associate themselves with for the next four years. Now you might say SMU is in the same position we are, yet they already have four commits? SMU's coach has just a bit more credibility on the collegiate level than does our coach, at this point.

The news of a new stadium is great for recruits, but it's still just that right now....news. When ground is actually broken and the construction progresses into the shape of a real stadium, I suspect we'll get a few more recruits from that angle. Still, some kids will have to wonder if it's going to be that much better getting your arse kicked in a new stadium than it will be riding the pine for a successful program.

Winning cures all ailments. If we win, we will see more early commitments, and the quality of those commitments will most definitely improve. But, we can't (or shouldn't) expect to go out and have a stellar early commitment class when we've only won three games in two years. We should appreciate the fact that our coaching staff is still recruiting top caliber talent and not keeping it a secret from us.

Harry · April 28, 2009

Many schools with Texas prep verbals aren't BCS - Tulsa, Rice, Houston, TCU...Utah even has one in the books.
The point is, the best are already choosing and they're not choosing us. I'd agree if these were sophomore verballing. But, these guys are going to be seniors and everyone is after their signature. This is Todd Dodge's third spring with us, and the recruiting effort doesn't appear to be any different than before.

All winning programs from more prestigious conferences. Look we all know that we need a winning program in the Sun Belt to raise our recruiting sights...it is just reality. We had these moments back in Dickey's hey day, when we were literally turning down players who would end up at Baylor and SMU. Our problem was we were so unaccustomed to being in a winning way we didn't know how to take advantage of it and let the sand run through our fingers. Here we are today and yes we aren't the prettiest girl at the dance. There is a reason that Dodge signed so many jucos in this last class and it is to build some momentum and get this ship turned around. Pointing out that Dodge isn't winning the recruiting wars after two dismal seasons is just beating a dead horse for the sake of an agenda.

The Fake Lonnie Finch · April 28, 2009

Harry,

You're post is 100% correct. Especially as you point out Baylor and SMU. Throw in Rice. During our N.O. Bowl years, those guys weren't getting sniffs early. Tulsa almost went I-AA.

Our similarity to them all is that we've all had coaching changes within the past two to three years. However, no matter what the records, it appears that we are the only ones not gaining any traction in recruiting. And, that was one of the big selling points used on us when they asked us to go down this road of experimenting with a high school coach again.

It may be beating a dead horse. But, you know what? Why get complacent? You say there's an agena? Yes, there is - demanding better. And, looking around and seeing programs who were worse off than us just a short time ago, but who are getting into the early recruiting game like the UTs and OUs of the world? It shows that better isn't here, off the field or on it.

Guys, we've got to win and win this year.

Baylor

2001 (Steele): 3-8

2002 (Steele): 3-9

2003 (Morriss): 3-9

2004 (Morriss): 3-8

2005 (Morriss): 5-6

2006 (Morriss): 4-8

2007 (Morriss): 3-9

2008 (Briles): 4-8

SMU

2001 (Cavan): 4-7

2002 (Bennett): 3-9

2003 (Bennett): 0-12

2004 (Bennett): 3-8

2005 (Bennett): 5-6

2006 (Bennett): 6-6

2007 (Bennett): 1-11

2008 (Jones): 1-11

Tulsa

2001 (Burns): 1-10

2002 (Burns): 1-11

2003 (Kragthorpe): 8-5

2004 (Kragthorpe): 4-8

2005 (Kragthorpe): 9-4

2006 (Kragthorpe): 8-5

2007 (Graham): 10-4

2008 (Graham): 11-3

Rice

2001 (Hatfield): 8-4

2002 (Hatfield): 4-7

2003 (Hatfield): 5-7

2004 (Hatfield): 3-8

2005 (Hatfield): 1-10

2006 (Graham): 7-6

2007 (Bailiff): 3-9

2008 (Bailiff): 10-3

Houston

2001 (Dimel): 0-11

2002 (Dimel): 5-7

2003 (Briles): 7-6

2004 (Briles): 3-8

2005 (Briles): 6-6

2006 (Briles): 10-4

2007 (Briles/Thurmond): 8-5

2008 (Sumlin): 8-5

TCU

2001 (Patterson): 6-6

2002 (Patterson): 10-2

2003 (Patterson): 11-2

2004 (Patterson): 5-6

2005 (Patterson): 11-1

2006 (Patterson): 11-2

2007 (Patterson): 8-5

2008 (Patterson): 11-2

UNT

2001 (Dickey): 5-7

2002 (Dickey): 8-5

2003 (Dickey): 9-4

2004 (Dickey): 7-5

2005 (Dickey): 2-9

2006 (Dickey): 3-9

2007 (Dodge): 2-10

2008 (Dodge): 1-11

Edited April 28, 2009 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

NT03 · April 28, 2009

All we need to do in order to get early verbals is build a new stadium. Once that's here all of our problems will be solved and high school kids will be knocking on our doors.

We are getting a new stadium , right ?? A new stadium , a new stadium , we are getting a new stadium , right ????

GrandGreen · April 28, 2009

Yes, it is amazing that the worst club in NCAA fb division has not got recruits fighting to get in. I am sure that TD could early sign his whole class but I think there might be a quality issue. This is flogging a dead horse. Anyone who thinks that NT is going to have early success in recruiting is delusional at best. There is very little to sell to recruits at this time. We have a coach fighting to keep his job and a horrible recent record.

Yes, NT has a lot to offer but prime recruits are not going to be easily swayed in early recruiting to take a chance on a program in a downward spiral and a head coach that has not proved he belongs in college football. I think TD and staff are better off not signing long shots at this time and waiting to later in the year when hopefully there is more to sell. If TD can turn it around NT should be able with a new stadium on the horizon to substantially upgrade the level of recruits from what can be committed now. If TD does not turn it around and remains the head coach than NT will be basically in the same place they were in late recruiting last year, fighting for borderline players against other poor programs.

OldTimer · April 28, 2009

Tulsa has 1 and Kansas has 1... ( player not players )I don't consider Kansas and Missouri middle of the road schools...last year NT didn't have commits until June (can't find when Flax OL commited) and we still had what I consider a very good recruiting season. NT has 4 known offers at this time, 2 of which have not committed yet. Have patience folks. I added 3 new prospects in the last couple of days, OL, LB, QB so NT is out there recruiting and should have around 30 offers in the next couple of weeks according to last years schedule.

Here's a good link you may want to put in your favorites. It's shows the 2010 verbals so far. Many of this area's best are already committed...again:
http://www.texasfootball.com/index.php?s=&..._well_id=2#post
It's not unexpected that OU, LSU, and Michigan already have area players aboard, but middle-of-the-road teams like Tulsa, Kansas, and Missouri also already have area players verballed as well. Texas, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M each have a players from the Denton schools already committed. Arkansas has an offensive lineman from Pilot Point committed.
Baylor's got 3 early; Rice 2, SMU 4; TCU and Houston already have 5 each. Of the bigger Texas schools, the Longhorns are almost done with 21 verbals - all from Texas. A&M has 16, 13 from Texas and 3 from Louisiana. Texas Tech has 7, including a DE from Southlake.
I trust we have offers on the table, but are just being bypassed before we go into stealth mode in December?
In all, 84 commitments from Texas preps have already been made. My guess is that most of them are on the state's Top 100 list, otherwise they wouldn't be sought after so soon.

untjim1995 · April 28, 2009

Here's a good link you may want to put in your favorites. It's shows the 2010 verbals so far. Many of this area's best are already committed...again:
http://www.texasfootball.com/index.php?s=&..._well_id=2#post
It's not unexpected that OU, LSU, and Michigan already have area players aboard, but middle-of-the-road teams like Tulsa, Kansas, and Missouri also already have area players verballed as well. Texas, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M each have a players from the Denton schools already committed. Arkansas has an offensive lineman from Pilot Point committed.
Baylor's got 3 early; Rice 2, SMU 4; TCU and Houston already have 5 each. Of the bigger Texas schools, the Longhorns are almost done with 21 verbals - all from Texas. A&M has 16, 13 from Texas and 3 from Louisiana. Texas Tech has 7, including a DE from Southlake.
I trust we have offers on the table, but are just being bypassed before we go into stealth mode in December?
In all, 84 commitments from Texas preps have already been made. My guess is that most of them are on the state's Top 100 list, otherwise they wouldn't be sought after so soon.

I enjoy reading your posts--but after I read them, more often than not, I really do believe that UNT will never give you what you expect as a fan. Look, you talk about raising expectations, but in the last 14 years of the program, we have had exactly 3 winning seasons as a D-1 school. We can't even get a stadium built without jumping through about 10 rings of fire. We cannot afford to hire a really good coach--we always have to take a flier (i.e. Parker, Simon, Dickey, and Dodge). None of those coaches had any college head-coaching experience. I realize college coordinators make the leap often, but often they don't work out as head coaches. So we get what we can afford. Rice gets Bailiff, SMU gets Jones, Tulsa gets Graham, and UTEP got Price. Places like Tulsa, SMU, Rice, and UTEP want to have their football programs succeed--we want music and arts to succeed (See Phillip Young types). I understand your frustration, but I just wonder why you keep banging your head so hard against the wall on the subject of TDodge and the program's flaws. Until we get that new stadium built and can get financial support to pay for a good coaching staff, we will be a program that will be stuck in SBC land. With Fouts getting worse every day, with a putrid record of late, and with the coach having a few more years on the contract, as well as the previous one, too, the only hope is that Dodge finds success with his new QB. Recruits and their families aren't stupid. Its the whole thing that stinks--and until someone up at the top decides that we need to support and fund a better athletic program than fine arts and music, then our fortunes could change. But since that has never happened, I wouldn't hold my breath.

Charlie NT 73 · April 28, 2009

I attended the LOI 2009 Signing Day event at the Pour House.

Coach Dodge announced several players from the 2009 class

had already commited to North Texas at the end of their

junior year of HS. One early commitment, QB Derek Thompson,

actually commited to NT as a sophmore during one of Coach

Dodge's summer football camps. Thompson did not make his

commitment public. Many major programs did approach

Thompson, but he said not interested to each school.

The point is, the staff may have commitments now that will remain

unannounced. The recruit must release his commitment to the media

not the coaching staff.

Just because some prospects announce their commitment to where ever,

does not mean that Coach Dodge and his staff are missing out on the

advertised top recruits. The staff knows which players they want and they

are recruiting these players. North Texas is not missing out on football

talent or the opportunity to offer scholarships.

Do not worry, the 2010 class will be a great class!

Edited April 28, 2009 by charlie nt73

gangrene · April 28, 2009

Just because some prospects announce their commitment to where ever,
does not mean that Coach Dodge and his staff are missing out on the
advertised top recruits. The staff knows which players they want and they
are recruiting these players. North Texas is not missing out on football
talent or the opportunity to offer scholarships.
Do not worry, the 2010 class will be a great class!

Charlie, I have always loved your enthusiasm and optimism for the program but, if you believe we're "not missing out the advertised top recruits" (I assume you are speaking Rivals and/or Scout rankings), then you truly are living in a green-colored fantasy land.

As has been stated numerous times, on this thread alone, we won't attract top talent until we start winning. Our best hope for a good 2010 recruiting class is a successful 2009 football season. Each of us has our own expectations of what constitutes a success in 2009, but I think the consensus is a vast improvement in margin of victory (loss) and 4-5 wins. Anything more than 5 wins in 2009 will, IMHO, net us the best recruiting class of Todd Dodge's collegiate head coaching career. Anything less than 3-4 wins translates to uncertainty in Todd Dodge's future at UNT, not to mention, his ability to succeed at the FBS level.

The Fake Lonnie Finch · April 28, 2009

Charlie, I have always loved your enthusiasm and optimism for the program but, if you believe we're "not missing out the advertised top recruits" (I assume you are speaking Rivals and/or Scout rankings), then you truly are living in a green-colored fantasy land.
As has been stated numerous times, on this thread alone, we won't attract top talent until we start winning. Our best hope for a good 2010 recruiting class is a successful 2009 football season. Each of us has our own expectations of what constitutes a success in 2009, but I think the consensus is a vast improvement in margin of victory (loss) and 4-5 wins. Anything more than 5 wins in 2009 will, IMHO, net us the best recruiting class of Todd Dodge's collegiate head coaching career. Anything less than 3-4 wins translates to uncertainty in Todd Dodge's future at UNT, not to mention, his ability to succeed at the FBS level.

I wouldn't necessarily say that. I think if his 2009 team is another utter failuer and he's replaced, someone would still pick him up as a co-offensive coordinator or full offensive coordinator. The one thing Dodge lacked that guys like Art Briles and Todd Graham didn't was experience at this level. Those guy went from high school to position coaches at I-As. They were able to spend some seasons seeing how it was done and begin to understand the athletic ability at this level on both sides of the ball. They were able to see what does and doesn't work without leanring on the fly - at the expense of some school's fans and alumni base.

Dodge didn't have that. He came in having minimal I-AA experience well over a decade before on two losing teams. The game had changed night and day since 1992/93. Back then, every school in Texas was still looking for their Greg Hill or Byron Hanspard. Then came Steve Spurrier and Hal Mumme. By the time Dodge was hired here, every conference had already been exposed to the spread and almost every team a practitioner of it to some degree. I certainly wasn't innovative in 2007 the way it was when Spurrier and Hal Mumme/Mike Leach sprung it on the ACC and SEC in the 1990s.

There's a place for Todd Dodge, but it's going to be working his way up the ladder...if he wants to. It could be that another disasterous season at UNT burns him out on the college game and he goes back to high school. I think that would be a shame.

I'd like to say Dodge was thrown to the wolves, so to speak. But, he wasn't. He and RV never looked at it that way. They told us football was football and he'd have a football plan, not a college football plan or a high school football plan, but a football plan. Well, it's not working out because there is a difference. And, an NFL plan takes a considerably different plan than a college football plan - just ask Spurrier, Pete Carroll, Bobby Petrino, etc.

Dodge has something. Right now, though, it's not as a head coach. He's got two major impediments to success - (1) he's been too loyal to his original coaching staff, even as it failed in many phases, and (2) he's too slow to change or unwilling to change what doesn't work. If he were to spend some time in a position where he was not "the man" it would do him a world of good. But, I wouldn't say he'll never coach again at the FBS-level just because he failed the first time out.

NT03 · April 28, 2009

a bit off topic , but I didn't want to make a whole thread : Did anyone notice that TCU had the most players drafted of all the Texas schools ??

The Fake Lonnie Finch · April 28, 2009

I think Gary Patterson has ended up being ahead of the curve. As NFL teams look for speedier linebackers and safeties, TCU can deliver them. They don't have huge guys, but they are athletic. The days of the bulky, white, Big Ten-type linebacker is going by the wayside. Teams needs speed and TCU's defenses are very fast.

Same with Cincinnati. They had six players taken - four on defense, an offensive lineman, and a punter. Three of the Bearkat defenders drafted were defensive backs.

The pendulum swings back and forth. The needs for speed will end as soon as someone starts winning with a power running game again. Pittsburgh already bucks the mold of most NFL teams. But, not every NFL team is rushing to copy the Steelers' offense. It ain't flashy right now - even though it's delivering championships.

My surprise wasn't just that TCU and Cincy had more go than the UTs, OUs, and Miamis of the world, but that little Abilene Christian had two go. And, Baylor somehow produced the number two players in the entire draft!

GOOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING FOR SMALLER SCHOOLS!

UNT90 · April 28, 2009

I don't think it is too troubling that we don't have an announced early commitment. I don't know that we have ever had one this early.

I don't think we should base our expectations on the way things have been done/happened in the past. Do we really want to repeat the last 60 years of football history? I expect to see some early commitments and am disappointed when I don't. Until alums, students, faculty, and ADs Office start expecting more, we are going nowhere. I really wish we could raise expectations just a little around here.

UNTLifer · April 29, 2009

Oh I am all on board with raising expectations! Please don't get me wrong. It is just not that big of a deal not have have one right now. 2008 was arguably the best UNT recruiting class, right? Certainly Dodge's best. May 29 were the earliest verbals as far as I can tell (Taylor and Franklin). Even Riley didn't commit until July. We had a nice summer signing season, but several of our top guys didn't sign until during their senior season.
How many early verbals would make us happy? One? Six? Twenty-one? Ball State was a top 15 team and they have one. Buffalo went to a bowl game and they have zero. Iowa St is in the Big 12 and has none. Neither does one loss Boise St. Neither does Indiana in the Big 10. Wisconson and Wake Forest have a couple. Colorado has one (really good one). Arizona has one. Az St has 2. None for UAB, any of the directional Michigans, Purdue, Hawaii, Bowling Green, and Ohio.
Now Texas has 21. Florida 12. 10 for Bama. 9 for Michigan. But we aren't quite on that stage.
We are in the Belt, which has 3 commitments total, all from JUCOs. And one of those was a 2008 signee for Troy.
So while I would love to have some early 4 star commits, it isn't likely any time soon. And the guys that we would offer this early are still dreaming of the Big 12 and SEC. I long for the day when we can snag 4 star prospects in April. But we aren't realistically there yet. I don't think we are really that much worse off than others in our condition (Belt, MAC, WAC) so I am not going to worry that much about it.

But, but, but what are we going to bitch about during the off season when you throw facts around like that?

forevereagle · April 29, 2009

But, but, but what are we going to bitch about during the off season when you throw facts around like that?

This?

Cr1028 · April 1, 2016

On 4/28/2009 at 10:59 AM, Charlie NT 73 said:

I attended the LOI 2009 Signing Day event at the Pour House.

Coach Dodge announced several players from the 2009 class

had already commited to North Texas at the end of their

junior year of HS. One early commitment, QB Derek Thompson,

actually commited to NT as a sophmore during one of Coach

Dodge's summer football camps. Thompson did not make his

commitment public. Many major programs did approach

Thompson, but he said not interested to each school.

The point is, the staff may have commitments now that will remain

unannounced. The recruit must release his commitment to the media

not the coaching staff.

Just because some prospects announce their commitment to where ever,

does not mean that Coach Dodge and his staff are missing out on the

advertised top recruits. The staff knows which players they want and they

are recruiting these players. North Texas is not missing out on football

talent or the opportunity to offer scholarships.

Do not worry, the 2010 class will be a great class!

Wow, that was certainly prophetic. Maybe the best class we had in nearly a decade.

UNT90 · April 1, 2016

On April 28, 2009 at 7:33 PM, UNT90 said:

I don't think we should base our expectations on the way things have been done/happened in the past. Do we really want to repeat the last 60 years of football history? I expect to see some early commitments and am disappointed when I don't. Until alums, students, faculty, and ADs Office start expecting more, we are going nowhere. I really wish we could raise expectations just a little around here.

True in 2009, true today.

UNT has done very little in between.