MeanGreenZen

Even schools like Texas and Alabama have kids choose to go elsewhere. Atleast it wasn't Houston. X has a chance to be good, but he is not the reincarnation of Booger Kennedy. I still love this class.

Let's be honest, if X was the second coming of Jadeveon Clowney he wouldn't be choosing between Northwestern, UNT and UH. Best case scenario X is Aaron Bellazin, a pretty dang good college football player. Everyone here just knows who X is because he played on TV and won a state title. If X wants to come here: fantastic. I would love to cheer for him. If not, I hope he has a great experience somewhere else. But it won't be the end of the world for UNT. I trust Mac to develop whoever takes our last scholarship.

Whether or not DT plays pro football has no impact on how good he was at UNT. Does it make Brandon Kennedy any less of a college player because he never made it in the NFL?

This kid has never been on a football field where he wasn't the biggest, strongest and fastest kid out there. BIG jump up in level of competition for this kid. I have watched a lot of Class 2A football and it can be a joke. I like that we are looking under rocks for these kind of athletes. Don't expect to see this kid on the field soon and wouldn't be surprised if he ended up at LB or safety.

The quarterback doesn't have to be Ivan Drago in the weight room, but he does have to give good effort. It does not seem like DW is doing that (and the other freshmen in the program seem to be doing just fine.). If this kid isn't giving effort in the weight room it would be likely he isn't giving effort somewhere else... on the practice field, the film room, the classroom? Doesn't sound like he is working like a Mac or Coach C QB. And I love these offseason public workout evaluations. It holds the players accountable, motivates them and puts pressure on them to perform.

You can find a starting fullback at any walk-on tryout. Or move a linebacker who is too slow to fullback. Our fullback is rarely utilized. I would rather see us award a scholarship to another position.

Has about as much experience playing QB in high school as Andrew McNulty did...

All I care about is how many other offers did the kid have and from who. Who cares how many stars some goofy Internet journalist who probably didn't even play junior high football gives a recruit? And unlike any coach we have had here in my 20 years following UNT, I trust Mac to identify and develop talent. This is a freaking fantastic high school recruiting class.

So reading about a recruit coming to UNT in The Dallas Morning News is perfectly legit, but reading about the same recruit coming to UNT on Twitter is creepy? That is not logical. Come join us in 2014. I saved a seat for you.

I disagree.

In that spirit, isn't it also creepy that we pay and spend so much time watching these same young men run around and bump into each other? And isn't it kind of odd and weird to take the time to post and read messages on a college football message board? I like football. I probably should be spending my free time studying the Bible or learning a foreign language, but instead I spend a lot of time watching football, reading about football, following recruiting, etc. And if I can get an insight into a stud recruit's college decision by following his Twitter, I will do that. And since I do that, I know that while Xavier Washington spent his evening at Dave & Busters on a recruiting trip to Houston, Tee Goree spent part of his UNT recruiting trip at a party at The Forums (Apartment 7102). Which school's recruits probably had a better time?

Ummmmm.... Our back-up QB just announced he was transferring too. Does that mean Mac isn't a "cool" guy either? Kliff didn't recruit Brewer. And Kliff didn't try to keep Mayfield. Kliff set several NCAA passing records as a QB then coached another QB to the Heisman Trophy. I bet he knows what he is doing with his QB situation.

Seems Tech was pretty clear they did not want him and I can't blame Mayfield for leaving. If Kliff thought he had a future there he would have found him a 'ship. I hope NCAA grants Mayfield's appeal. Tech has no right to limit this kids options if they wouldn't give him a scholarship. Now I don't agree he should go to OU with 5 scholarship QBs already there, but this kid just started at Tech as a walk-on true freshman. I am sure he believes everything will always work out for him like that. And maybe it will.

The Dez White ship has sailed with us. As has been said, White's scholarship was given to Ivery. I bet we would make room for Orr though. And just because a recruiting service lists an offer from a certain school it does not mean that offer is still good. It just means that at one time that school offered a scholarship. Many scholarship offers (including ours) have expiration dates on them (the better the recruit the longer the expiration date) They also can have stipulations that if you visit another school the offer is void, etc. There is a lot of value to coaches getting those firm commitments from kids so they can spend time and resources on other recruits or tasks. Dez is not good enough to spurn us and then get his 'ship back although he could be offered greyshirt preferred walk-on. But I don't see that happening.

Jonas Buckles was State Top 100. We basically got him because he was a late qualifier.

Oregon State? Berglund had an offer from UCLA. Oregon State is not Oregon. I would not call them high profile.

I still like the Dodge hire. It was a swing for the fences at a time when the only way to win would be to hit a home run. It didn't work. I wonder how Dodge would do if given the resources McCarney has? Don't forget how many close games Dodge lost. If the ball bounced just a little differently he could still be here,

Amen.

Mean Green Santa, sporting a perfectly manicured mustache, wearing a sweater vest and piloting a sleigh that doubles as a Dominos Pizza delivery vehicle, climbed down your chimney and left you presents under your Christmas tree. Here is what he left you (Except you, FireFightn Rick, all you get is a lump of coal in your stocking and a donation being made in your name to the Aledo football booster club)… A BOWL GAME: It might not be the BCS, but it is probably the next best thing for North Texas. Playing in a local bowl game that won’t cost our school too much money to participate in and allows our fans to attend without having to make a large financial or time commitment on national television against an opponent (UNLV) we are favored to defeat is just a win all the way around. Also, the American college football contest between the University of Missouri and Oklahoma State University on Jan. 3 at Jerry World is not the Cotton Bowl. The Cotton Bowl is played on New Year’s Day at the Cotton Bowl. A GOOD OLD FASHIONED QUARTERBACK CONTROVERSY: Nothing makes for better message boarding than a quarterback controversy and we got a good one that is about to be stirred up. I don’t know if any of our returning quarterbacks are any good, but I do know there are A LOT of them. FIVE scholarship quarterbacks will fight it out in the spring and summer to win the honor of becoming the most scrutinized person on GoMeanGreen.com. The quarterback competition will have more characters and storylines than an episode of Game of Thrones as Andrew McNulty (don’t call him a career backup, he will only be a junior), Brock Berglund (has underachieved at three colleges now, can he finally get it together?), Dajon Williams (he allegedly almost won the job this fall), Josh Greer (JUCO transfer who has been led to believe he has a legit chance at the job) and Connor Means (one of two quarterbacks to be named 2nd team All-District 21-5A!) compete to take over the crown from Joffery, I mean Derek Thompson (I kid, I kid.). Everyone will choose their favorite. Opinions will be required. Enemies will be sworn. Good times ahead. A NFL DRAFT PICK: Now that the bowl drought has been broken, Zac Orr can be the rainmaker who ends the Mean Green’s other dry spell. North Texas hasn’t had a player drafted since Cody Spencer was taken in the 6th round of the 2004 draft by the Oakland Raiders. Orr is no lock to be chosen (NFLdraftscout.com currently ranks him as the No. 51 draft-eligible inside linebacker), but a good showing at a college all-star game, the UNT pro day or NFL Combine (really hope he gets an invite) could boost him into the late rounds. Orr does not have prototypical size at 6-0, 240 but his college production (114 tackles, including 11 tackles for loss this season) and pedigree (his dad played in the NFL for eight seasons) could intrigue NFL teams. Brelan Chancellor and Richard Abbe also have an outside chance of being drafted and will definitely be in a NFL mini-camp this spring. North Texas coach Dan McCarney knows how to develop players into NFL picks and getting players drafted should be the beginning of a trend as McCarney’s own recruits progress through the program. TALENTED REDSHIRTS: While several true freshmen are already contributing in minor roles (Sed Ellis, Fred Scott, Chad Davis, Darvin Kidsey), good programs redshirt good players, too. In recent years North Texas has not had the depth or discipline to redshirt a lot of kids. DL Sid Moore (Two-time All-State with a combined 72 tackles for loss as a junior and senior. And don’t say he is too small because he already weighs more than Ryan Boutwell) and DB Andrew Tucker (Rated three stars on Rivals and started both ways on a undefeated state champion) are two redshirts who could make an impact in 2014. GOOD RECRUITS: This Mean Green recruiting class reminds me of Mack Brown’s 2000 class at Texas when he signed receivers Roy Williams, B.J. Johnson and Sloan Thomas. McCarney has gone heavy at receiver with commitments from four. Touchdown Tee Goree is getting the most hype and he deserves it. But Fonzale Davis was DFW Class 4A’s leader in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. O'Keeron Rutherford is 6-5 and averaged a touchdown reception a game for Class 3A state champion Carthage. Jalen Adams had a down year statistically (maybe because his team was breaking in a freshman quarterback) but also held offers from Tulsa and San Diego State. North Texas is losing its top two receivers and leading rusher so it needs a couple of these guys to be playmakers immediately. Signing day cannot come fast enough. THE OFFENSIVE LINE WILL BE BACK: All of the starters will be returning next season from a unit that allowed the fewest sacks in the country over the last two years (16) and cleared the way for a 1,000-yard rusher in 2013. What else did Mean Green Santa leave under your tree?

Dude does not look undersized for a DE at all. UNT is a good hour away from Cedar Hill. Far enough to get away, but close enough to come back when you want and an easy trip to see you play for all your family and friends. Would take our facilities and coaches over Nevada and Houston, too. If McCarney lands this kid it takes our class to a whole new level. Think this kid can play all three downs and start four years.

Derek Thompson exploded onto the Mean Green football scene like a cannonball fired by the Talons. With the Mean Green trailing 30-20 at Arkansas State with two minutes left in the 2009 season finale, backup quarterback Nathan Tune separated his shoulder and could not re-enter the game. Starter Riley Dodge had been lost earlier in the contest to a broken arm and the third-string quarterback hadn’t even made the trip because of the flu. This wasn’t a bowl game. No championship was on the line. It wasn’t against a hated rival. It wasn’t even a chance to get the team to a winning record. But North Texas was staring at a 10-loss season and head coach Todd Dodge needed a win to build job security and carry positive momentum into the offseason. The Mean Green had a chance to pull off a victory and Thompson was sitting there like an unopened present on Christmas morning. Thompson was being redshirted and would lose an entire season of eligibility if he played those final seconds. Knowing the full consequence of his actions, Thompson tore off that redshirt like it was Hulk Hogan’s tank top and charged into the huddle. The next possession was absolute magic. Thompson completed all three passes he attempted while driving the offense down the field and capped it off with a 19-yard touchdown pass. North Texas never got the ball back and lost the game. But the Derek Thompson era of North Texas football was underway. Since the glory days of Scott Hall, the Mean Green quarterback position had been a black hole of tragedy (Andrew Smith), ineffectiveness (Daniel Meager), quitters (Giovanni Vizza) and injury (Riley Dodge). North Texas was the Anti-USC. Not Quarterback U but Quarterback Who. The next Scott Hall was always coming but never arrived. In the early months after Thompson’s debut, an angry posse was hanging a rope over a tree and waiting outside the office of Todd Dodge. This would be the part of the hero’s journey where the helper appears. In one story he is Yoda. In another he is Gandolf. In this story he is Mike Canales, the new offensive coordinator from South Florida Canales had transformed Matt Grothe, a lightly-recruited quarterback, into the Big East’s all-time leader in total offense and had tutored Philip Rivers into a 1st round pick. Around this time it was announced that Riley Dodge, a high school legend who had chosen to play for North Texas over the most powerful institution in college football, was being moved from quarterback to receiver because of injuries. But nobody was freaking out because we knew we had Derek Thompson. For that one drive he had been on the field, he had been perfect and the Mean Green had been invincible. Mean Green fans started fantasizing about what this quarterback coach/Jedi Master could do with Thompson. We only had one drive of evidence, but we believed. In the Spring game, Thompson completed his first seven passes for 113 yards and a touchdown and the anticipation grew like the commercialization of Fry Street. “Derek Thompson was an all-district point guard in high school.” “Derek Thompson’s online bio says he runs a 4.7 40.” “Derek Thompson grew up in Glen Rose next to the nuclear power plant and has some kind of X-Men mutation in his right arm.” But the 2010 season fell apart quicker than a Tony Benford game plan. Thompson never really separated himself from Tune, a walk-on from a small high school, and only played in three games before breaking his leg and being granted a medical redshirt. North Texas finished 3-9. By the start of 2011, Thompson was the toy you opened on Christmas morning and never really wanted to play with again. Todd Dodge was fired and replaced with Dan McCarney. The ex-Iowa State coach retained Canales on his staff but brought in his own recruits to battle for the quarterback position, junior college transfer Brent Osborn and a high schooler from Iowa, Andrew McNulty. After a heated three-man battle for the spot, McCarney, in a surprise move, named Thompson the starter one day before the season opener. Thompson’s job was just to hand the ball to future Dallas Cowboy Lance Dunbar, but he had moments that season that made you believe he was a guy UNT could build an offense around. Three touchdown passes in a win over Indiana. Two touchdowns, 331 yards passing and a UNT single-game record for completion percentage in a win over Troy. Three touchdowns and 332 yards passing in a victory over Louisiana-Monroe. Thompson finished his sophomore season with 14 touchdowns and six interceptions while the Mean Green closed out McCarney’s first year with wins in five of the final nine games. There was finally stability at the quarterback position for the Mean Green. With Dunbar off to the NFL, 2012 was going to be the year Thompson really took off. Except he never really did. McCarney had won at Iowa State with a mobile quarterback. And the Canales offense was supposed to be predicated on having a quarterback who was a threat to run. Thompson just wasn’t that type of quarterback. Instead of becoming Obi Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker, Canales and Thompson seemed to have the chemistry of Queen Amidala and Anakin Skywalker. Natalie Portman and Hayden Christiansen were fine actors, there just wasn’t a spark when you put them together. North Texas started the 2012 season with a 1-2 record then Thompson completed just 12 of 28 passes in a 14-7 conference-opening loss to Troy. He had three interceptions in a loss to Middle Tennessee. He tossed two interceptions as Western Kentucky came back from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Mean Green, 25-24, in the season finale. Thompson finished his junior year with 2,629 yards passing with 14 touchdown and 14 interceptions as UNT went 4-8. It was the eighth straight season North Texas had a losing record. Though he still had his senior season in front of him, the Thompson era seemed over. Kansas-transfer Brock Berglund, who the recruiting services had once rated higher than Johnny Manziel, would be eligible and it was assumed the starting job was his. Then a funny thing happened. Spring practice rolled around and we kept hearing about Thompson. Where was Berglund? Limited by an injury. Supposedly. Summer practice got going and Berglund was quieter than Willis Library the night after final exams. But a new challenger had emerged: Dajon Williams, a raw freshman who was tempting the coaching staff and exciting the fan base with the promise of his strong arm and quick feet. Yet here comes Thompson on the season opening drive against Idaho. And he proceeded to have another Derek Thompson season. Sometimes he was great. Other times bad. Most of the time he was ok. Only this season, NORTH TEXAS WAS WINNING. Now it is almost Christmas and we have certain rules at my family gatherings, which includes a weirdly disproportionate number of North Texas alums: Talk all you want about politics or religion. Everyone in my family both hates Obama and loves Jesus. And yes, I see the irony. But no talking about Derek Thompson. That is too controversial. Even the Devil can find a Scripture to quote to support his argument. And there is plenty of Scripture to argue when discussing Thompson. “Thompson’s completion percentage is tied for second-best in school history!” “He killed our comebacks against Tulane and UTSA with game-ending picks!” “He led us back from 18 points down against Ball State!” “He’s tied for 10th in the country in interceptions!” “He’s leading us to our first bowl game in a decade! “He’s never even been all-conference!” “He’s never had an all-conference receiver either!” “That proves my point!” “I am going to capture you and hold you hostage in my sex dungeon!” Well, maybe it doesn’t get quite that weird. Or maybe I am holding a family member who disagrees with me about Derek Thompson hostage in my sex dungeon? You’re just going to have to wonder. We are all wondering how the last game Derek Thompson ever quarterbacks for North Texas is going to go. He went from being “the unknown redshirt” to “the next big thing” to “the guy who still might be good” to “the guy who is definitely not good” to “the guy who can win games but we would like to upgrade” to “the guy with one more opportunity to define his legacy”. January 1, 2014 vs. UNLV in the Heart of Dallas Bowl at the legendary Cotton Bowl. I hope Thompson finds as much success when he runs on the field for the final time as he did the first time.

Hahahaha Harry! Darrell Dickey retired from recruiting after the Brandon Kennedy class. If he hadn't done that, he would still be here.

Fantastic point, and also why I am cautious any time we sign a kid from a program like Southlake or Allen. Those kids have already been in a college-level weight training program for 4+ years and have played for coaches good enough to squeeze every drop of production out of them. They are ready to plug and play, but they might not ever get any better than they are on the first day of freshman orientation.

That is also a "C" for Carthage.

Based on our lack of emphasis on the DL in this recruiting class, I believe McCarney thinks we already have the horses on the team to play DL for us next season. Say what you want about McCarney, but the dude knows how to coach and squeeze production out of the DL.