Mean Green 93-98
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Posts posted by Mean Green 93-98
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Might as well--I'm not getting anything done this morning anyway.
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Gabe Hollivay has now been rated by Rivals as a 5.3 2-star. This brings our Rivals average star rating up to 2.31, whereas we were around 2.23 yesterday.
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10:55 a.m.
Not ten minutes after receiving a question concerning depth at the defensive line position, we just received a commitment from a high school DL that could help add depth for years to come.
Tevinn Cantly – DT – 6-4 – 292 lbs. – Arlington Lamar HS
Started the 2007 season for Arlington Lamar as an offensive lineman ... Moved to defensive tackle for the final five games of the season due to team injuries ... Recorded 29 tackles, including 12 for loss ... Also tallied two fumble recoveries and forced one fumble.
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how could it not be? Plain and simple, Riley would not have come to UNT without his dad. I don't see why that's a bad thing, or why people feel like he needs to come to UNT for some other reason. All of the recruits we are getting are coming because of Riley's dad. That's how it works. He's the coach.
I think you missed Lifer's point. Riley is going to see the field, not because he is the coach's son, but upon his own merit.
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Wow... we snagged him... or the rumor he was to sign with Tulsa was bogus.
I don't believe it was a bogus rumor. From Rivals:
From Vito's blog:John Shorter, a 5-foot-11 and 180-pound safety from Lake Highlands High School in Richardson, Texas, switched his commitment from North Texas to Tulsa this afternoon, and told InsideTulsaSports.com that he plans on signing with the Golden Hurricane on Wednesday morning.The head coach at Lake Highlands has confirmed that John Shorter has switched his commitment from UNT to Tulsa.Apparently the kid just had a last minute change of heart--back in the right direction.
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As mentioned in another thread:
10:20 a.m.Once again MeanGreenSports.com is your source for dispelling the rumor mongers. Like the old cliché says, you shouldn’t always believe everything you read... especially if it is on a web site other than MeanGreenSports.com. Our fax machine has just received the NLI for Lake Highlands defensive back John Shorter.
John Shorter – DB – 5-11 – 177 lbs. – Lake Highlands HS
Three-year starter for Lake Highlands High School and coach Scott Smith ... First-team all-district recipient as the safety position ... Top area 100 prospect by Dallas Morning News ... In 2007, named to the Super List by 5ATexasFootball.com ... In 2006, was an all-District 9-5A selection as a junior ... Recorded three interceptions on the season in 2006 ... Top return man for Lake Highlands High School ... Returned two punts for a touchdown during the spring game in 2006.
I sure didn't see this coming!! John, you made the right choice!!!
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I will feel much better when I see LOI's from:
Troy Franklin, Alonzo Horton, Nate Jenkins, and Royce Hill.
Ask and ye shall receive:
10:10 a.m.I mentioned earlier the signing of a BIG wide out, Kenny Barrett, but I think this next signee will take the award for the biggest recruit. Coach Dodge and offensive line coach Spencer Leftwich have focused on recruiting bigger athletes to add depth to the offensive line. Nate Jenkins will help do that with his two years of eligibility remaining.
Nate Jenkins – OL – 6-4 – 335 lbs. – Pearl River CC
Junior College: Four-star recruit by Scout.com ... Rated nation’s fourth best JUCO offensive tackle by Scout.com ... Top 50 JUCO prospect by the Sun Herald ... Earned second-team all-state honors as both a freshman and sophomore at Pearl River ... Team played for a National Championship during his freshman year at PRCC.
I will be holding my breath until I see Troy Franklin's LOI.
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A couple more, bringing our total to 14, including the previous JC commits:
10:00 a.m.Now with Riley Dodge on board and Giovanni Vizza returning for his sophomore campaign in 2008, Coach Dodge and his staff seem to be set at the quarterback position. However, they are not shy signing former high school QBs in hopes of finding athletes that could help fill voids at other positions. Such is the case for the next two NT signees.
James Hamilton – DB – 5-10 – 180 lbs. – Cedar Hill HS
A quarterback in high school, Hamilton will switch to defensive back for the Mean Green ... Saw most of his production come with his feet instead of his arm as he led Cedar Hill Longhorns with a team best 1,778 yards rushing yards and 20 touchdowns ... Led an offense that averaged 392.6 yards and 38 points per game in 2007 ... Named to 2007 Super List for HS quarterbacks by 5ATexasFootball.com ... Earned all-District 8-5A first team in 2007 ... Rated No. 53 on the Dallas Morning News area top 100 list ... Playing against an Irving MacArthur defense that only allowed 110 yards rushing per game, Hamilton ran for 196 yards on 20 carries and three touchdowns.
Willie Taylor – WR – 6-0 – 160 lbs. – Hillcrest HS
Top 100 Dallas-area prospect by the Dallas Morning News ... Passed for more than 1,000 yards in both his sophomore and junior season ... Led Hillcrest to the area playoffs as a junior throwing for 1,634 yards and 19 touchdowns ... Also rushed for 739 yards and seven touchdowns in 2006 ... ... Was a first-team all-district selection as a sophomore and junior ... Named the District 10-4A Newcomer of the Year in 2005 as a sophomore.
Mean Green fans will also recall that current wide out Korey Washington was a quarterback in high school.
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That must be a typo. Vito just talked with his coach yesterday, and meangreensports.com has not reported his fax coming in.
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I believe this is #9:
SIGNING DAY CENTRAL9:50 a.m.
After a slow couple of minutes there, things are beginning to pick up again. The Mean Green has already received one Letter of Intent from a Arlington Martin product; make that two Warriors who have now committed to North Texas.
Jeremi Mathis – RB – 6-1 – 205 lbs. – Arlington Martin HS
In 2007, rushed for 1,462 yards on 231 carries and tallied 17 touchdowns ... Was a 2007 first-team All-District 8-5A selection ... Recorded best rushing output against Justin-Northwest High School during week two when he rushed for 237 yards on 26 carries and three touchdowns ... Recorded two or more TDs in six of the Warriors’ 11 games in 2007 ... Top-100 overall area prospect by Dallas Morning News ... Received honorable mention THSCA academic all-state honors ... Honorable mention 5A all-state selection by Texas Sports Writers Association ... Named Dallas Morning News Offensive Player of the Week following his performance against DeSoto when he carried the ball 30 times for 210 yards and two scores.
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A couple more:
9:25 a.m.In Dodge's first recruiting class last year, he signed six wide receivers to National Letter of Intent. The Mean Green just landed its second wide out of the 2008 class.
Desmond Brigham – WR – 6-0 – 169 lbs. – Caddo Mills HS
Caught 65 passes for 1,119 yards and 14 touchdowns in his senior year ... 2007 third-team 2A all-state selection by TSWA ... Received honorable mention recognition for the Associated Press all-state team ... Shared the District 12-2A Offensive Player of the Year Award as a senior ... Also earned first-team honors as cornerback ... Was named to the first-team offense of the 2007 Football Dream Team by the Herald-Banner ... Lettered in football, basketball and track at Caddo Mills High School.
9:15 a.m.
Nick Leppo, an offensive lineman from Southlake Carroll High School becomes the first o-lineman to sign on the dotted line.
Nick Leppo – OL – 6-2 – 285 lbs. – Southlake Carroll HS
Was a member of the 2006 and 2007 5A state championship team at Southlake Carroll High School ... Earned first-team all-District 5-5A honors at the center position as a junior ... Was the offensive line MVP at the 2007 Nike Camp.
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Where do you find this signing information as they come in?
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Dunbar, Phillips, cook and Barrett just sighned
Glad to hear Barrett signed. From a quote or two he made, it sounded like he might have wandering eyes.
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Figured he would be. Hawthorne is #2:
8:43 a.m.Like many new signees, a new North Texas football player has found a new home only 40 miles to the North.
Joe Hawthorne – DT – 6-4 – 250 lbs. – Arlington Martin HS
Recorded 56 tackles on the year in 2007 while playing nose tackle ... Tallied six sacks among 12 tackles for loss in 2007 ... Earned second-team All-District 8-5A honors ... Was the first defensive lineman to join the Mean Green’s 2008 class.... Ranks a 5.1 on Rivals.com 6.1 scale ceiling scale.
Edit: I guess he's not #2, but #6--they did not previously have Barrett, Cook, Dunbar, and Phillips on the blog for some reason.
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I was really looking forward to Eloy Atkinson. Losing Tomlin was a disappointment too, but I'm not sure exactly where he was going to fit in. Overall though, Santa has brought me more than I hoped for.
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Football: North Texas Adds Pair of JC Linemen to Recruit List
2008
By Brett Vito / Staff Writer
An opportunity for immediate playing time proved to be an important asset for North Texas this week, when it added a pair of junior college offensive linemen in the hours leading up to national signing day.
Gabe Hollivay, a 6-3, 320-pound guard from Itawamba Community College in Fulton, Miss., and Nathaniel Jenkins, a 6-4, 340-pound tackle from Pearl River Community College in Poplarville, Miss., both said they loved UNT’s campus and the Mean Green’s coaching staff.
The fact that both could play right away for the Mean Green only made their decisions easier. Both said Monday that they had orally committed to UNT.
Oral commitments are non-binding. Wednesday is the first day 2008 recruits can sign national letters of intent.
“I loved it when I went out there,” Hollivay said. “The coaches were nice, I got along with all of the players and the school was great. I loved the campus. I felt like I could come in and help right away.”
The Clarion (Miss.) Ledger rated the top 10 junior college prospects in the state and the second 15. Hollivay, who played at Hamilton, Miss., High, was a member of the second 15.
Hollivay chose UNT over Memphis, Southern Miss, Arkansas State and UAB.
Hollivay said he can play all three spots along the offensive line, but was recruited as a guard by UNT.
Jenkins, 6-4, 340, also said he was lured by the opportunity to play right away at UNT, which was the only Division I school to offer him a scholarship.
“North Texas has a nice campus and a good architectural program,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins, who played at Forest County (Miss.) High, said UNT’s coaches want to work him at both tackle and guard in practice before determining where he will play for the Mean Green.
Both Hollivay and Jenkins will arrive at UNT in the fall. Jenkins is still taking classes at Pearl River and must complete 19 credit hours by the end of the summer to qualifying for a Division I school.
“He’s a big, strong kid and a monster of an offensive lineman,” Pearl River head coach Tim Hatten said. “He has to get 19 hours to qualify, but he will gut it out.”
Right tackle Adam Venegas was the only senior on UNT’s offensive line last season, although backup tackle Robert Peachey elected not to return to the team.
UNT finished last in the Sun Belt Conference last season with 39 sacks allowed for 283 yards in losses and fourth in scoring with an average of 24.8 points a game.
UNT finished 2-10 on the season.
The addition of Hollivay and Jenkins gives UNT 26 commitments, one over the NCAA limit for a signing class.
BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com .
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Thanks for the update. I'm curious to know what positions might be potentially available for these walk-ons.
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Where's Plummer? Anyone seen Plummer?????
Rick
Negotiating for a new stadium and joining the WAC?
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College coaching legend Knight resigns from Texas Tech
Associated Press
LUBBOCK, Texas -- Texas Tech coach Bob Knight resigned Monday and his son Pat will take over the program.
Chris Cook, a spokesman for athletic director Gerald Myers confirmed the resignation, which was first reported by the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
Bob Knight has 902 career wins, more than any coach in the history of Division I men's basketball. Win No. 900 came last month against Texas A&M. The Red Raiders are 12-8 this season.
The 67-year-old Knight has been a head coach for 42 years at three Division I schools. He got his 100th victory at Army, then moved to Indiana, where his Hoosiers went 662-239 and won three national championships from 1971-2000.
His first NCAA title came in 1976 when Indiana went undefeated, a feat no team has done since. In 1984, he coached the U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal in Los Angeles.
Knight, known as much for his fiery temper as his coaching brilliance, came to Texas Tech in March 2001, six months after being fired by Indiana for what school officials there called a "pattern of unacceptable behavior."
He began his coaching career in 1965 at Army, where at 24 he was the youngest-ever Division I coach.
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Yes, it has been discussed before. And you're right, Rivals team point rankings are a mess.
http://www.gomeangreen.com/forums/index.ph...;hl=Rivals+team
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Gabe Hallivay is rated higher than Edward Prince- a prospect that we all
thought was coming to North Texas. Prince signed with Miss St.
I believe that's Kansas State.
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Not that I get into this, but how many stars is this guy listed at?
He is unranked.
We needed beef up front and now we have it.Yes we did, and yes we do.
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This one seems to be somewhat more of an unknown quantity--but we needed beef on the line, and it looks like that's what we're getting!
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This article made me think of the advantages of having such a well-connected coach in Texas as Todd Dodge.
Recruiting relationships pay off on signing day
By Heather Dinich
ESPN.com
Most people enter Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C., through the front door. Not Illinois offensive coordinator Mike Locksley. He saves about 20 minutes, skips a few steps (including the metal detectors) and goes in through the lower entrance closer to the football coach's office.
"He knows when I'm coming," Locksley said of Dunbar coach Craig Jefferies.
The principal, guidance counselors, security guards, athletic director -- they all know Locksley.
Illinois' Mike Locksley has walked away with a few D.C. recruits.
"When Illinois goes in there," he said, "it's kind of a household name now."
Once inside, Locksley doesn't hesitate to make himself comfortable.
"He comes in, sits back and he is almost falling asleep, he's relieved, like he's at home there," Jefferies said. "It's not a disrespectful thing, but he'll put his feet up and flop down, look around. If I'm eating lunch, he'll ask for some of my lunch. He's sincere about me being a friend to him, and he's being a friend to me. Some coaches come in, they want to try to get to know you so they can use what they know about you to recruit, but he lets you in on him, so you feel a little more connected to him.
"He's played in our league, he's from D.C. He knows what these kids go through. We don't have a state school. Maryland claims us when they want to, Virginia claims us when they want to. By us not having a state university, you have to connect to individuals from different programs."
Those connections are the foundation of recruiting, and coaches like Locksley who have been going to the same area for years naturally have an edge over an unfamiliar face. Some even consider their high school counterparts close friends. The most successful recruiting pipelines seem to develop because of a coach's prior ties there, or simply the length of time he has been coming back to the same schools. Regardless of how the relationships were forged, it's on signing day when they pay off.
Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley has been recruiting at Gateway High School just east of Pittsburgh for about 20 years (so long that he knows the secret code to get into the securely locked building).
"He's a hometown regular here," coach Terry Smith said. "He walks into a comfortable environment when he walks into here."
Unlike first-year Maryland assistant Kasey Dunn, who was hired last week from Baylor and met Smith for the first time on Wednesday.
"He walks into my office yesterday and you've got to go through that whole new process of relationship building -- I don't really know him, he doesn't really know me," Smith said. "He doesn't know anything about our school and our traditions. You've got to start from Square 1 to get to Square 22. And he's a West Coast guy, so he really knows nothing about us.
"And it makes a difference because when a coach walks in the door and they ask me, 'Do I have a player for them?' the ones you have a relationship with, they trust when you recommend a player that he is a player. This coach from Maryland, he's got to go through that trust factor to make sure I'm not just giving him an average player."
It's an initiation process almost every college coach must go through at some point in his career, but it's paying dividends now to be a veteran.
"Recruiting is all about relationships and all about trust," said West Virginia associate head coach and director of recruiting Doc Holliday, who has embedded himself in many of the 130-140 high schools in the Dade, Broward and Palm Beach areas of South Florida since the early 1980s. "They know that when you come in and recruit a kid, you're going to take care of them and do the right thing.
"When you've been in an area as long as I have, it helps you because of the contacts you've made and just getting to know the coaches. They trust you and know what you're going to say is going to happen."
Giff Smith has had success bringing Hawkinsville High players to Georgia Tech.
In talent-drenched Florida, where it's not uncommon for one coach to be walking out of a recruit's home as another is walking in, the longtime relationships are particularly beneficial.
Miami coaches are plugged in with Miami Northwestern and Booker T. Washington high schools -- neither of which is more than 18 miles away from campus.
"The high school coaches at those programs, they're not just people we follow up with, but they're actually very close friends of people on our staff," said Miami recruiting coordinator Clint Hurtt.
It also helps that Miami coach Randy Shannon was born and raised in Dade County, and played two seasons at Miami with Roland Smith, the former coach at Miami Northwestern who is still involved with the program.
"Their relationship has gone on for years, for quite a long time," Hurtt said, "so obviously you don't have the issues of trust, or not knowing the person, and obviously that coach can vouch to his kids that he knows who the young man is playing for."
At Cobblestone Golf Club in Kennesaw, Ga., it's not unusual to see Georgia Tech recruiting coordinator Giff Smith and Hawkinsville High coach Lee Campbell on the back nine together. The two of them have developed a friendship beyond their recruiting relationship, and it's paid off for both schools. (And it doesn't hurt that the wife of Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Dave Wommack is a school counselor at Hawkinsville).
"Giff has been so good to us," Campbell said. "He's not one of these guys that comes in and says hi and bye. We've really gotten to be good friends the last several years."
Georgia Tech has nudged Georgia out of the Hawkinsville High hallways. After this signing class, the Yellow Jackets will have four players from there.
"It's been very much a University of Georgia town," Smith said. "We've kind of converted that area down there to be more Yellow Jackets. It's a combination of the success they've had here and also spending a lot of time down there with the high school coach, principal and people of the community.
"It takes a while. … It's not something that happens overnight. Your track record needs to be proven. Once they know they can trust you and that you really do have the best interest out for these young men, they're a lot more open to their kids going to your school. That doesn't mean they're going to push them to your school, but they're going to give you a fair shake."
The high school athletes aren't the only ones Giff has started to convert. Campbell's son Witt, who is in the fifth grade, "was a big Georgia fan," according to his dad.
"He likes Georgia, but he loves Tech," Campbell said. "He's been up there in the locker rooms and all that stuff. It was pretty neat, too, the relationship not only with Giff but other coaches, they remember your kids' names, and Giff, shoot, he knows my wife's name, and my kid's name. When we talk he'll ask how they're doing."
Similar conversations occur at Dunbar. When his visit is over, Locksley leaves the same way he came in. Eventually, a player or two will follow.
Heather Dinich is a college football writer for ESPN.com. Send your questions and comments to Heather at espn.hd@hotmail.com.
Riley First To Sign
in Mean Green Football
Posted
Overall signee #18: