A Look Back!

Cooley · January 16, 2006

North Texas Recruits - 2000

# Player Height Weight Speed Position High School Year

1 Bradshaw, Matt 6/4 250 4.9 TE Spring 2000

2 Brown, Josh 6/4 295 5.1 OT NE Okla JC 2000

3 Claiborne, Justin 6/3 225 4.65 LB Apache, Okla 2000

5 Daigle, Chip 6/3 295 5.0 OG Navarro JC 2000

6 Dominique Mackey 5/10 190 4.5 DB Austin Reagan 2000

7 Eleby, Lajace 5/10 170 4.4 DB Cleveland 2000

8 Gardner, Randy 6/4 235 4.7 TE Midland 2000

9 Hall,Scott 6/1 195 4.6 QB San Antonio Schertz Clemons 2000

10 Harrison, Joey 6/2 245 5.0 DL Sulphur Springs 2000

11 Howard, Kevin 5/10 175 4.4 WR Dallas Carter 2000

12 Johnson, Freddie 6/2 190 4.5 RB Wichita Falls 2000

13 Kadulbar, Brad 5/11 185 4.8 K Ennis 2000

14 Kennedy, Brandon 5/10 285 4.9 DT Terrell 2000

15 Kramer, Shawn 6/5 270 4.8 TE Coffeyville JC 2000

17 Land, Chris 6/4 320 5.3 OT Katy Taylor 2000

18 McBride, Cougar 6/2 190 4.5 LB Alpine 2000

20 Northcutt, Ryan 6/3 290 4.8 DE Keller 2000

21 Priestly, Walter 5/10 180 4.5 CB Alief Elsik 2000

22 Ridgeway, Chris 6/4 225 4.8 DE Friendswood 2000

23 Taylor, Casey 6/3 240 4.7 TE San Antonio Marshall 2000

24 Tei, Aaron 6/1 190 4.5 LB S. Grand Prairie 2000

25 Zuniga, Nick 6/3 308 5.0 OL S. Grand Prairie 2000

1988

Oliphant: NTSU’s surprise prize in fast class

North Texas State coach Corky Nelson recruited this winter looking for speed. Nelson got just that and a few surprises. “I feel real good about our recruiting,” Nelson said Wednesday, the national signing day. “On paper this is definitely the best group we’ve signed since I’ve been here. This group gives us more team speed and that was what we were really looking for.”

Of the 22 players the Eagles signed, three are running backs and four defensive backs, including Roosevelt’s Steve Oliphant. Oliphant, a 6-1, 180 All Metro selection, had committed earlier this week to LSU. “I guess I might have been a little bit surprised he signed with us,” Nelson said. “But he saw us play three times last season, so he knew a lot about us. So it wasn’t really that much of a shock.”

Oliphant’s Roosevelt teammate, Thomas Thompson (6-0, 160), Midland Lee’s Eugene Farmer (6-0, 170) and Longview’s Joe Brookins (6-0, 180) also will join an Eagles secondary that lost only free safety Mike Rhone from 1987’s 7-5 team.

Nelson also loaded up at wide receiver, running back and linebacker, NTSU returns three regular receivers, but “we don’t have a great long-range threat,” Nelson said. Burleson’s Richard Clark (6-1, 180) and South Oak Cliff’s Kenton Paul (5-8, 160) could fill that void. Running backs Charles White (6-0, 201) of Big Spring and Vincent Moten (5-8, 180) of Waco La Vega will also help increase the Eagles’ speed. NTSU also signed Tim Collier a 6-1, 181 pound fullback from Ranger Junior College.

Nelson said he might add two or three receiver-running backs this week. “When you talk about Kenton Paul you’re talking about a lot of speed,” Nelson said. “Or when you talk about a Vincent Moten or a Richard Clark or a Charles White you’re talking about players who all have excellent speed. Our main concern was getting immediate help at linebacker and the receiving and running back positions. All those guys can come in and make an impact. I don’t know if they’ll be starters, but they’ll help our depth.”

Linebackers Willie Hughes (6-0,200) of Ennis, La Grange’s Keith Wilkerson (6-2, 215) and Conroe’s Mark Haynes (6-0, 220) will join starters Robbie Legg and Byron Gross, a second-team All-Southland Conference selection last season as a freshman. “All of them will play,” Nelson said. “We don’t have any real depth there, and they will fill in real well.”

In addition to Oliphant, Nelson’s other surprise Wednesday was losing Garland tight end-defensive end Uzo Okeke. Okeke (6-1, 218) had committed to NTSU last week, but signed with SMU. Both lines, especially the defensive line, had been an area of concern for Nelson. “I feel good about what we got,” Nelson said. “But I would have liked to have got maybe a nose guard and a couple other kids. That might be the area where we fell short.”

North Texas State Signings

Joe Brooking, Longview 6-0, 180 DB

Bobby Burk, San Antonio 6-2, 230 OL

Richard Clark, Burleson 6-1, 180 WR

Tim Collier, Ranger JC 6-1, 181 RB

Noel Crum, Lewisville 6-2, 252 DL

Eugene Farmer, Midland Lee 6-0, 170, DB

Mark Haynes, Confore 6-0, 220 LB

Lynn Heathman, Kilgore JC 6-5, 269 OL

Willie Hughes, Ennis 6-0, 200 LB

Kenton Paul, SOC 5-8, 160 WR

Russell McMillan, Garland 6-4, 190 DL

Darin Montgomery, Gladewater 6-0, 195 DL

Wendal Mosley, Beaumont West Brook 5-10, 180 QB

Vincent Moten, Waco LaVega 5-8, 180, RB

Steve Oliphant, Roosevelt 6-1, 180 DB

Bryan Paxton, Round Rock 6-5, 245 OL

Robert Penn, Navarro JC 6-2 288 OL

Jerry Raymond, Trinity Valley JC 6-3, 238 OT

Steve Robinson, Southlake Carroll 6-4, 240 OT

Thomas Thompson, Roosevelt 6-0 160 DB

Charles White, Big Spring 6-0, 201 DB

Keith Wilkerson, LaGrange 6-2, 215 LB

1976

Mean Green Coach Recruits New Talent

Hayden Fry, athletic director and head football coach, announced Wednesday that 12 high school football players have signed national letters of intent with North Texas. With the first announcement of recruits for the Mean Green, Fry pointed out that a similar number of signing would be completed by the weekend. David Adkisson, a highly sought player from Lake Dallas, is expected to sign with Eagles later today.

Half of Wednesday’s signees come from Carter High School in Dallas, a team that advanced to the state 4A quarterfinals in 1975. “Our success the first day assures us of an outstanding group of freshman football players for next fall,” Fry said. “Its has been one of the most competitive years ever because of the large number of top players and I think we will have done quite well,” he added.

Two of the first day signees are quarterbacks, Dallas Carter’s Marty Morrison and Houston Washington’s Bryant Bryant. Bryant, son of Washington’s Coach James Bryant, was the top punter in Houston with a 43.7 average. The first day recruits for North Texas (linemen include linebackers, backs include receivers)

BACKS: Byron Bryant, 6-3, 195 Houston Washington; Bruce Chambers, 5-10, 165 Dallas Carter; Larry Dixon, 6-0, 185 Dallas South Oak Cliff; Malcolm Jones, 5-8, 165, Dallas Carter; Marty Morrison, 6-2, 200 Dallas Carter; Danny Whitaker, 6-0 185, Decatur.

LINEMEN: Clarence Chase, 6-5, 260, Waco Richfield; Robert Foster, 6-4, 255 Allen; David Hagerman, 6-4, 215 Dallas Carter; Melvin Lark, 6-2, 215, Dallas Carter; Mark McNeeley, 6-3, 235, Dallas White; Tony Palmer, 6-4, 250, Dallas Carter.

Fry Adds Six to Letter of Intent Roster

North Texas added six high school football players to its national letter of intent roster Thursday. The list includes David Adkisson of Lake Dallas, a 6-7 220 pound athlete who has a choice between football and basketball or both.

Adkisson’s brother, Kevin, is a freshman running back at North Texas. His father, Jack Adkisson, is more widely known as pro wrestler Fritz von Erich.

Other line candidates are Greg Davidson, 6-2, 230, of Stafford Dulles; and Brian O’Keefe, 6-4, 240 of Houston Bellaire.

Backs signing with the Mean Green are Gary Dirks, 6-2, 215, Paris North Lamar; Jimmy Lockhart, 6-0,190 Dallas W.T. White; and Walter Sims, 6-1, 200 Waco Richfield. Coach Hayden Fry announced 12 signings Wednesday, the first day for the national honor.

According to Fry, this has been one of the Eagle’s most productive years in recruiting. “Now that we are competing with the “big boys” for talent, things have gotten much tighter, but we have done very well,” Fry said.

FirefightnRick · January 16, 2006

Oliphant, a 6-1, 180 All Metro selection, had committed earlier this week to LSU. “I guess I might have been a little bit surprised he signed with us,” Nelson said. “But he saw us play three times last season, so he knew a lot about us. So it wasn’t really that much of a shock.”
Hayden Fry, athletic director and head football coach, announced Wednesday that 12 high school football players have signed national letters of intent with North Texas.
Half of Wednesday’s signees come from Carter High School in Dallas, a team that advanced to the state 4A quarterfinals in 1975.
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sigh!

Rick

January 16, 2006

The 2000 recruiting should have been our best class ever. Some were great; but as I look, only ten of them were exceptional players. That's considerably less than half.

My list:

1. Justin Claiborne

2. Dominique Mackey

3. Randy Gardner

4. Scott Hall

5. Kevin Howard

6. Brad Kadlubar

7. Brandon Kennedy

8. Walter Priestley

9. Casey Taylor

10. Nick Zuniga

It's almost a stretch to include Mackey and Howard because both had a year's hiatus.

It seemed to be a boom or bust class. Bradshaw is about the only one in the middle that I can recall. McBride would've been in that category, too had he not been kicked off of the team. A number of them didn't even show up...most of the Jucos and Northcutt, a State Top 100. Harrison and Tei didn't want to go to college so I heard. The horrific Kramer injury was a tragedy. But those that were good were really good. Several are among the best position players that we've ever produced.