'15 WR Furquan Shorts (Humble Atoscocita)

[BillySee58]

6'1" 195 lb receiver, currently committed to UTSA. Plays a lot in the slot for his school, but we may want his size on the outside. One of 9 current UTSA commits, including his teammate (WR Trey Hamilton). Been committed since February, but his recruitment may be picking up soon.

Highlights:

http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3351348/quan-shorts

http://247sports.com/Player/Quan-Shorts-45481

http://sports.yahoo.com/utsa/football/recruiting/player-Furquan-Shorts-160308

[Ben Gooding]

One of NINE utsa commits!!!!! We have ZERO! What's going on

[Green Crazy]

get off the ledge, man. we'll get our recruits.

Edited May 9, 2014 by Green Crazy

[BillySee58]

get off the ledge, man. we'll get our recruits.

We will. But his alarm is not completely unwarranted. They are doing a great job selling their program. And with less to sell than us IMO.

So many of our targets in Vito's recruiting series are talking about waiting the process out. That's not uncommon, but UTSA is doing what we have not, as of yet. Selling their program enough to convince the kids that there is no reason to wait.

[GrayEagle]

Ihttp://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/i/itsnotwhereyoustart.shtmI

It's Not Where You Start It's Where You Finish

Edited May 9, 2014 by GrayEagle

[Mean Green 93-98]

We didn't have our first commit last year until July, and not until June the year before. I think we've figured out by now that the strength of this staff is not light-the-world-on-fire recruiting. Hopefully they can find enough to make something of.

[BillySee58]

We didn't have our first commit last year until July, and not until June the year before. I think we've figured out by now that the strength of this staff is not light-the-world-on-fire recruiting. Hopefully they can find enough to make something of.

The DeSoto kids committed in late May last year. But still, compared to what these other teams are doing that's not that early. Especially considering they didn't have any other offers.

We had a breakthrough year, but it's still not enough where our name alone recruits for itself. We need the coaches to be able to sell the program and convince these kids that we are a great destination, and not just an offer that they'll take if they don't get anything better by the time their senior season is over.

[Mean Green 93-98]

The DeSoto kids committed in late May last year.

I was going by Rivals. They have the DeSoto recruits as verbally committing on July 12th and July 23rd: http://sports.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/commitments/2014/northtexas-182

But yeah, it looks like you're right: http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2013/05/shaq-jackson-talks-about-commitment-to-unt.html/

My point was that we don't really need to be alarmed or expect a worse-than-usual recruiting year.

Edited May 9, 2014 by Mean Green 93-98

[Ben Gooding]

We didn't have our first commit last year until July, and not until June the year before. I think we've figured out by now that the strength of this staff is not light-the-world-on-fire recruiting. Hopefully they can find enough to make something of.

This is what is wrong with this program. This right here. The administration and the AD has the EXACT same attitude. If we don't increase expectations collectively as a fan base we will be right back where we were 5 years ago right when McCarney leaves. He is here to build a culture and then probably retire. The culture of winning must be created before he leaves. No one is asking them to light the world on fire with recruiting. utsa should not have 9 recruits and we have 0. It just should not be happening.

[Mean Green 93-98]

This is what is wrong with this program. This right here. The administration and the AD has the EXACT same attitude. If we don't increase expectations collectively as a fan base we will be right back where we were 5 years ago right when McCarney leaves. He is here to build a culture and then probably retire. The culture of winning must be created before he leaves. No one is asking them to light the world on fire with recruiting. utsa should not have 9 recruits and we have 0. It just should not be happening.

If you want to increase recruiting expectations significantly, you're going to have to find a new staff. Simple as that.

[Ben Gooding]

Well, I hate to be the one to break the news, but recruiting wins football games. If this staff can't recruit then brace yourself for mediocrity at best. Recruiting has to get and stay better.

Edited May 9, 2014 by Ben Gooding

[Charlie NT 73]

I agree with Gray Eagle, it is not where you start but where you finish.

Why are many people publicly stating our coaching staff does not know how to recruit just

because utSA has 9 commitments listed and UNT has no recruits publicly committed. WTH?

Why the heck are these people measuring our recruiting success as compared to the road chickens?

These people need to stop constantly publicly comparing our coaches recruiting efforts against other schools coaches recruiting efforts.

Cry-- cry-- cry-- we have no commitments! Oh no, the sky is falling! It is the coaches fault we have no commitments to show off!

These people need to trust in coach Mac, and trust in his staff!

Since these recruiting experts know more about recruiting, then by all means go talk

to the coaches yourself and complain we have no commitments. Instruct the coaches on the in's and out's

of successful recruiting. Tell'em how to do it! Your the experts on recruiting.

Apparently, the staff will recruit previously committed players to flip over to NT! This shows me the staff

has no fear when recruiting the people they want!

I will say this now. The 2015 class will be the best Coach Mac class since Coach Mac arrived.

The classes just keep getting better and better each year!

Remember NT already has 7-8, D1 transfers on the team that will count against the 2015 class.

Plus several gray shirts too! I would say these players count as commitments for the 2015 class.

I will say NT is in very good shape for the 2015 class now, and will become much better as

this recruiting year progresses through to February 2015.

[Mean Green 93-98]

Well, I hate to be the one to break the news, but recruiting wins football games. If this staff can't recruit then brace yourself for mediocrity at best. Recruiting has to get and stay better.

They haven't had tremendous recruiting yet, but won 9 games last year. And I fully expect the 2015 class to be their best to this point.

[Mean Green 93-98]

I agree with Gray Eagle, it is not where you start but where you finish.

Why are many people publicly stating our coaching staff does not know how to recruit just

because utSA has 9 commitments listed and UNT has no recruits publicly committed. WTH?

Why the heck are these people measuring our recruiting success as compared to the road chickens?

These people need to stop constantly publicly comparing our coaches recruiting efforts against other schools coaches recruiting efforts.

Cry-- cry-- cry-- we have no commitments! Oh no, the sky is falling! It is the coaches fault we have no commitments to show off!

These people need to trust in coach Mac, and trust in his staff!

Since these recruiting experts know more about recruiting, then by all means go talk

to the coaches yourself and complain we have no commitments. Instruct the coaches on the in's and out's

of successful recruiting. Tell'em how to do it! Your the experts on recruiting.

Apparently, the staff will recruit previously committed players to flip over to NT! This shows me the staff

has no fear when recruiting the people they want!

I will say this now. The 2015 class will be the best Coach Mac class since Coach Mac arrived.

The classes just keep getting better and better each year!

Remember NT already has 7-8, D1 transfers on the team that will count against the 2015 class.

Plus several gray shirts too! I would say these players count as commitments for the 2015 class.

I will say NT is in very good shape for the 2015 class now, and will become much better as

this recruiting year progresses through to February 2015.

That's an interesting ramble. I don't have to be a recruiting expert. But I welcome you to look at what the recruiting experts have to say about our recruiting classes since Coach Mac arrived, and you will see that they have all been ranked toward the bottom of the conference.

I think they've done a pretty good job at recruiting according to need and at finding some diamonds in the rough. But as far as going mono-a-mono with peer schools for recruits, we have not done well.

[Ben Gooding]

I agree with Gray Eagle, it is not where you start but where you finish.

Why are many people publicly stating our coaching staff does not know how to recruit just

because utSA has 9 commitments listed and UNT has no recruits publicly committed. WTH?

Why the heck are these people measuring our recruiting success as compared to the road chickens?

These people need to stop constantly publicly comparing our coaches recruiting efforts against other schools coaches recruiting efforts.

Cry-- cry-- cry-- we have no commitments! Oh no, the sky is falling! It is the coaches fault we have no commitments to show off!

These people need to trust in coach Mac, and trust in his staff!

Since these recruiting experts know more about recruiting, then by all means go talk

to the coaches yourself and complain we have no commitments. Instruct the coaches on the in's and out's

of successful recruiting. Tell'em how to do it! Your the experts on recruiting.

Apparently, the staff will recruit previously committed players to flip over to NT! This shows me the staff

has no fear when recruiting the people they want!

I will say this now. The 2015 class will be the best Coach Mac class since Coach Mac arrived.

The classes just keep getting better and better each year!

Remember NT already has 7-8, D1 transfers on the team that will count against the 2015 class.

Plus several gray shirts too! I would say these players count as commitments for the 2015 class.

I will say NT is in very good shape for the 2015 class now, and will become much better as

this recruiting year progresses through to February 2015.

Yeah, we have not done well. We snagged a couple good recruits in 2014 class, a couple. As far as showing off the recruits...show off a class littered with 2 stars and NR's? No, I don't do that, ever. I just think that at this point in time, even in May, we should have landed a couple solid D linemen. That is our need and that is where we need commits. La Tech has 5 3 star recruits in May, 10 total. They are ranked 30th in the country in recruiting right now. At this rate they will have a legitimate top25 recruiting class. Kudos to them, that puts CUSA kind of on the map in terms of recruiting, but its not North Texas so at the end of the day I don't care about that. The DFW area alone is entrenched in D1 talent and the state of Texas is the most fertile recruiting grounds in the country. Whoever is going to talk to these guys, apparently aren't talking to them right. It's not a knock on whoever he or they may be. But sitting down talking to a kid about going 9-4, program aspirations, HoD bowl win, new Union being built, new stadium, TV contract with CUSA, the rise of North Texas in general etc. etc. etc. Yet, 0 commits. It's frustrating for me as a fan as I am sure it is frustrating for the coaching staff right now.

[Mean Green 93-98]

As a sidenote, this side discussion should probably moved to a separate thread apart from what should be a discussion about Furquan Shorts.

I like Furquan's name. Furquan Shorts.

[UNT90]

Well, I hate to be the one to break the news, but recruiting wins football games. If this staff can't recruit then brace yourself for mediocrity at best. Recruiting has to get and stay better.

Your best post in a long time.

[greenminer]

Not going to read too much into this until I see signatures.

[Green Crazy]

Not going to read too much into this until I see signatures.

I agree. Also, their commits aren't highly rated and most of them either only have one offer or the other offer is texas state. When we start losing regularly to them in head to head battles, then I'll jump onto y'all's worry wagon. We've only had one year of success in the last 10, so I don't know why some are expecting a big difference between this year and the past.

[UNTLifer]

Well, I hate to be the one to break the news, but recruiting wins football games. If this staff can't recruit then brace yourself for mediocrity at best. Recruiting has to get and stay better.

Who says our recruiting has been bad under Mac? I throw away the first year because it is usually a rush job although Lemon has performed above his 2 star rating coming out of high school which leads to my main point. Why rate the class now when they have never played a down of college ball? The real rating should occur when they wrap up their eligibility. Some 2 star/low 2 star recruits have turned out to be some of our best players like Hall, Cobbs, Dunbar, Fitzgerald, Quinn, Byrd, Chancellor, Akunne, etc... Let these young men develop before we rate them and criticize our coaches. Their high school stats are out the window now.

[greenminer]

Who says our recruiting has been bad under Mac? I throw away the first year because it is usually a rush job although Lemon has performed above his 2 star rating coming out of high school which leads to my main point. Why rate the class now when they have never played a down of college ball? The real rating should occur when they wrap up their eligibility. Some 2 star/low 2 star recruits have turned out to be some of our best players like Hall, Cobbs, Dunbar, Fitzgerald, Quinn, Byrd, Chancellor, Akunne, etc... Let these young men develop before we rate them and criticize our coaches. Their high school stats are out the window now.

I agree with sparing the players any criticism, but isn't the point of the rating system to project a player's potential at the college level?

[Ben Gooding]

Who says our recruiting has been bad under Mac? I throw away the first year because it is usually a rush job although Lemon has performed above his 2 star rating coming out of high school which leads to my main point. Why rate the class now when they have never played a down of college ball? The real rating should occur when they wrap up their eligibility. Some 2 star/low 2 star recruits have turned out to be some of our best players like Hall, Cobbs, Dunbar, Fitzgerald, Quinn, Byrd, Chancellor, Akunne, etc... Let these young men develop before we rate them and criticize our coaches. Their high school stats are out the window now.

I literally can't disagree with you more. Rating systems and outlets know what they are doing. Alabama is a P5 school so it doesn't necessarily compare to us, but Bama has had the best recruiting class 4 out of the last 5 years. Their success speaks for itself. UNT can't get the 15 ESPN300 recruits that Bama annually lands. But with as many 3 stars that are in Texas alone let alone the country, there isn't a reason UNT can't consistently bag 8-10 each year. If a CUSA team can annually bring in 10 3 stars a year then they will be highly competitive and more than likely conference champs. Bring in a bunch of NR's and 2's then expect a long string of NR (not ranked) years. Recruiting matters and recruiting stars matter. Most people here and understandably will say stars don't matter. That's only bc we can't consistently get guys in here. So we rely on "development" bc we have to, not bc we choose to. I don't care to do the research, but look at the draft. Probably pushing 7 or 800 stars collectively, if not more. Edited May 11, 2014 by Ben Gooding

[GrayEagle]

Remember the recruiting of the Great Darrell Dickey. We didn't know who was signing until signing day. Darrell didn't want his commitments known lest the big boys come and take them away. It still happened.

I feel much better about recruiting now because this is a seasoned staff who knows what they are doing. Who cares if your weakest offers accept immediately? That won't make your recruiting class any stronger. Accept only the higher rated commitments early. They might influence others. But, if you accept early from those who you could probably get anytime then you can box yourself in if a strong 3-star should get denied by a P5 and decide that you're the best alternative.

I only noticed one UTSA commitment that we offered. Maybe it's degree of talent or maybe it's just position. At my last count we had offered 12 offensive linemen, 11 defensive linemen and 10 wide receivers. The linemen are our greatest needs since we lost all four starters on the defensive line last year and will lose four starters from the offensive line after this year. So who cares if someone in our conference beats us to a quarterback, running back or tight end. Plus, look at the ratings of the commitments. Are they considered highly-rated? Who will have the stronger class when the signed LOIs are in? Until proven otherwise, my money's on this coaching staff.

[UNTLifer]

Considering I emailed Rivals 2 years ago, and they admitted to raising and lowering stars ratings based on who a player signed with or who was recruiting them and not on an evaluation or a projection of their potential, I disreguard their ratings as BS below the 4 star level. I would rather wait and see how a player performs over his career.

I could put together a long list of players that were highly rated and never did much on the college level.

[TheWestie]

BTW it's spelled Atascocita, but pronounced "A-trashcocita". And aka the high school that ruined a powerhouse 5A school.




Signed, The Westie, who should have been named "HumbleTxGreen".