Coach Andy Mac

Christian Moore | Jacksonville | 6-0 point guard One of the more overlooked players on this this list, Moore is currently unsigned but has all the tools to make it at the college level. He had a great 2021 summer with the Old School Wings and is the floor general for the Titans. https://www.hudl.com/profile/12164178/Christian-Moore

(This is the second in a series previewing the Group of 5 conferences based on their O/U win totals, as provided by Draftkings. For the AAC Preview, click here.) With all the talk of realignment, college football is going to look at lot different in the future. But in Conference USA, the future is now. Gone are Marshall and Old Dominion, choosing to take their talents to the Sun Belt. Leaving for the AAC after this year are UTSA, UAB, Charlotte, North Texas, Rice, FAU. Arriving after this year are Liberty, New Mexico St., Jacksonville St. and Sam Houston St. Got all that? There are a lot of questions that can be asked that will make this last season of C-USA as we know it interesting? What will UTSA do for an encore? What will UAB look like without Bill Clark at the helm? Can Western Kentucky’s offense come close to producing at the level they did last year? Will there be any bad blood between the teams leaving and the teams left behind? The answers will reveal themselves over time, but as for now, here’s how I would bet these teams (based on lines provided by DraftKings as of July 10). North Texas (O/U 6.5) – On October 23, 2021, the Mean Green were 1-6, with only a season opening win against Northwestern St. on their resume. Seth Littrell was possibly coaching for his life heading into a game against Rice. But to quote Michael Scott, my how the turntables have turned. North Texas beat the Owls in overtime, and at that point, everything clicked. They won the rest of their regular season games, including crushing the dreams of Roadrunner Nation by ending UTSA’s undefeated season. That was enough to make the AAC, a conference they will be joining in 2023, take notice. They did all this behind the #5 rushing attack in the nation and steady if not unspectacular quarterback play by Austin Aune. Whether it was a timely hot streak or the start of something sustainable could be answered Week Zero, when they open the season with a conference game at UTEP. Honestly, I tend to think it was the former. Taking a closer look at the Mean Green, while they will still have a formidable rushing attack, they do lose 1,200-yard rusher DeAndre Torrey, their entire front four and every safety who started last year. And while Aune was the man to right the ship behind center, he still finished with 9 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in 9 games. He has to cut down on turnovers. The schedule is more than tricky. The first five games contains only one gimme (against Texas Southern) and four games that could swing either way (at UTEP, SMU, at UNLV, at Memphis). In fact, the Mean Green also plays UTSA, UAB and Western Kentucky all on the road. Expecting a 7-5 record with that schedule is asking a lot. Take the Under. read more: https://thewalkonredshirts.com/2022/07/11/predicting-the-futures-conference-usa/

After a tough 1-6 start to the season, the Mean Green won their last 5 regular season games and earned a bowl bid in 2021. Head coach Seth Littrell has posted a 37-38 record in his 6 seasons in Denton, with 4 bowl appearances (and 4 bowl losses). Things have taken a downturn in the 2 seasons following star Quarterback Mason Fine’s graduation in 2019. However, a new season brings new hope, and some new faces on the North Texas campus are hoping to provide some stable success for a fan base that has waited a long time for it. Here are some new additions to keep an eye on in 2022 and beyond. 2022 Recruits Grant Gunnell, Quarterback North Texas will be the third team Gunnell will suit up for, but he’s hoping it will be the first team to give him a chance to shine. Coming out of high school, he received offers from top tier programs such as Georgia, Ohio State, and Alabama. He signed to play for Arizona, and during his first two years as a Wildcat he saw only a little playing time, albeit with big results. In 20 appearances, he threw 1864 yards and 15 touchdowns, with only 3 interceptions going against him. However, he could not lock down a starting job going into his third season, so he transferred to the Memphis Tigers where he spent two seasons without seeing a single snap. He again entered the transfer portal, and will be calling Denton home for the final two years of his eligibility. The talent is obviously there, as is the pedigree. All he needs is a chance to show he can put it together as the man in charge. This may be difficult however, as he will need to usurp returning starter Austin Aune as QB1. Aune, himself a former transfer from Arkansas, seemed to have the job all but locked up going into 2022. However, the addition of Gunnell has made this less certain. At the very least, it will be interesting to see if the addition of Gunnell pushes Aune to a new level of production as the starter. Alternatively, it is a possibility that Gunnell takes the reigns at some point and is finally able to show why he received offers from those top tier programs coming out of high school. Either way, it’ll be fun to see how this QB controversy shakes itself out. Cam Robertson, EDGE Robertson is one of the highest rated recruits to ever commit to North TexasCam Robertson is a player that North Texas recruited heavily throughout his Senior year. As Robertson told Brett Vito of the Denton Record-Chronicle, “They contact me two or three each week and were always checking up on me”. Robertson, who is 6’4″ and 230 lbs, finished his senior season at Plano High with 11.5 sacks, and more than 30 TFLs. As it stands, Robertson is the 7th highest rated recruit ever signed by UNT according to 247 Sports. With the loss of star defensive lineman Grayson and Gabriel Murphy to UCLA, the front seven is needing some new blood. Robertson certainly shows he has the pedigree to take the unit to another level as he grows in Denton. Read more: https://gridironheroics.com/north-texas-mean-green-newcomers-to-watch-in-2022/

DENTON - The UNT swimming and diving program welcomed eight new additions in the 2022 class, all of whom will help the program transition into The American this upcoming season. Emily Ally, Greensboro, North Carolina Ally was a member of Greensboro Community YMCA swimming and swam for Page High School in Greensboro, where she was a fourth-place finisher at the 2020 North Carolina state championship in the 50 freestyle and was a Scholastic All-American in 2020-21. She still holds many of the relay records for the program. She was a YMCA Nationals Winter Juniors qualifier and a Futures qualifier. She plans to major in either mechanical or biomedical engineering and was a member of the Honor Roll, National Honors Society and graduated Cum Laude. On why she chose UNT, "I chose UNT because after my first steps on campus I knew that this is where I wanted to make an impact in the community. I felt so welcomed by everyone and knew that everyone at UNT only wants the best for me and my future endeavors." Daciana Colon, Denver, Colorado Colon was a member of the Denver Swim Academy and swam for Valor Christian High School, where she was a four-year academic all-league selection, a team captain and two-time league record holder in the 200 medley relay, winning the league championship as a junior. Won the league championship in the 100 backstroke as a senior and qualified for the state championship all four years. She will pursue a business degree after graduating Cum Laude. On why she chose UNT, "Because it felt like a home when I went on the official visit and the girls on the team made me feel very welcomed." Kennedy Eichler, Litchfield Park, Arizona Eichler was a member of the Phoenix Swim Club and swam for Verrado High School. She was the team MVP as a freshman and was four-time state qualifier in Arizona. She is transferring from Northern Colorado. On why she chose UNT, "I chose to transfer to UNT after my first visit to the school. I was very impressed with the swim and dive program and all they have to offer. The best part of the visit was when I got to meet the girls I will be swimming with, and I felt right at home. I knew UNT was right for me." Morgan Maronie, Saint Petersburg, Florida Maronie was a member of Saint Petersburg Diving Club and dove for Northeast High School where she qualified for the finals at the Florida state championship as a sophomore and finished fifth as a junior. She plans to major in accounting and was a member of the Honor Roll, National Honors Society, Mu Alpha Theta and Future Business Leaders of America. On why she chose UNT, "I like the program for business and the location of the school. For diving, I knew the coach before coming on my visit and already had an idea of her coaching style, and I loved the environment when I came for my visit." Noelle Marsh, Magnolia, Texas Marsh was a member of Magnolia Aquatic Club and was a three-year Texas high school state finalist. Her Magnolia High School team finished runner-up in Class 5A in 2019 and 2021 and third in 2020. She was high school and club teammates with fellow newcomer Kailey Turner and is planning to pursue a degree in Fashion Merchandising. On why she chose UNT, "I chose UNT because of the team atmosphere and the strong academics." Izangely Ruiz, Hillsboro, Tennessee Ruiz was a member of the Middle Tennessee Swim Club and was a Tennessee high school state championship qualifier, as well as a futures qualifier in club swimming. She plans to pursue a computer science degree and compiled a 4.0 GPA in high school as a member of the National Tech Honors Society. On why she chose UNT, "I saw a great opportunity to become better as a student-athlete with great coaches and teammates. The school, overall, is a great environment to be in for the next four years." Kailey Turner, Magnolia, Texas Turner was a member of Magnolia Aquatic Club and was a three-year Texas high school state finalist. Her Magnolia High School team finished runner-up in Class 5A in 2019 and 2021 and third in 2020. She was high school and club teammates with fellow newcomer Noelle Marsh. She was named first-team All-State in the 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle relay, 400 freestyle relay, 100 butterfly and 200 freestyle. In 2021, she also garnered Girls Athlete of the Week honors from the Houston Chronicle. In club, she was a futures qualifier and her 800 freestyle relay team finished third at Futures in 2021. She was also a four-time sectionals qualifier and a 2020 Winter Juniors qualifier in four events. She plans to major in communications and was a member of National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta and Spanish Honor Society. On why she chose UNT, "When I came on the visit, the coaches were so welcoming and they made me feel like I was going to be more than just a number on the team. I also chose UNT because of the amazing post-graduate opportunities that were offered." Gabi Somoza, Atlanta, Georgia As a member of the Atlanta Diving Association and the Forsyth Central High School diving team, Somoza broke two school records, was the team MVP, Captain's Award winner and the Rookie of the Year. She plans to major in Kinesiology and was an Honor Roll student in high school while earning a Scholar Athlete Award and the Georgia Positive Athlete Award. On why she chose UNT, "The environment seemed really good, and coach [O'Callaghan] seems like a great coach. I think UNT will help me grow and be able to achieve more in life."

Daktronics of Brookings, South Dakota, has partnered with the University of North Texas to design, manufacture and install a new LED video display and audio system at Lovelace Stadium in Denton, Texas. The system was installed early in 2022 and is currently enhancing the game-day experience for the Mean Green. “We are always pleased to work with Daktronics on projects like this, and the new video board at Lovelace Stadium surpassed our expectations in its first season,” UNT Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker said. “The addition of the video board added tremendously to our fan and student-athlete experience this year, and we look forward to continuing to invest in our softball facilities in the future.” read more: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2022/07/10/improved-audiovisual-experience-delivered-to-north-texas-softball-from-daktronics/

Many young up-and-coming coaches are joining the Big 12 conference this season. With Jim Knowles departing for Ohio State, the overall schematic edge in the league may have shifted to the offensive side of the ball. This offseason, TCU poached their rival’s head coach and offensive coordinator. At SMU, Sonny Dykes and Garrett Riley built an offensive juggernaut. Riley, the brother of former Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley, could be in line to become a head coach soon. At Texas, Steve Sarkisian brings in the architect of the go-go offense, Brennan Marion. His transcendent offensive mind paired with his recruiting and development track record make him one of the best head coaching candidates in the conference. Elsewhere are coaches with experience that have been passed up far too often. Jeff Grimes and Graham Harrell have some of the strongest resumes in the conference. Here’s where I would rank the most likely coaches to receive a head coaching offer. read more: https://longhornswire.usatoday.com/lists/texas-football-longhorns-big-12-assistant-coaches-hire-head-brennan-marion/

https://meangreensports.com/honors/north-texas-athletics-hall-of-fame

An industry source indicated to Dodd that the feeling among industry insiders is that the new-look Big 12 would be a more desirable conference than a Pac-12 without USC and UCLA. Link: https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/usc-and-ucla-to-big-ten-pac-12-faces-tough-questions-uncertain-future-amid-conference-realignment-raid/amp/