Mean Green

North Texas fan and recruiting guru Old Timer made a good point about linebacker A.J. Penson a few days ago that I meant to respond to.

Old Timer is right, Penson is rated as a three-star recruit and No. 40 among middle linebacker prospects. Scout.com gave him that honor. Rivals.com has Penson rated as a two-star recruit.

Recruiting Web sites vary slightly in how they view prospects. Both Rivals.com and Scout.com are highly regarded scouting services. What is of little doubt is that UNT is getting a top-level player in Penson.

At this point, Penson appears to be UNT's top recruit. What recruit excites you the most?

UNT picked up its first tackle prospect in new head coach Todd Dodge's first recruiting class this week when Matt Tomlinson committed to play for the Mean Green.

Tomlinson is a little on the light side for a tackle at 270 pounds but has room to grow at 6-5.

Indiana, UTEP and Rice also offered Tomlinson, who appears as if he could be a key pickup for UNT. The Houston Chronicle has Tomlinson rated among the top 100 recruits in the Houston area. Feel free to weigh in on this blog. What are your thoughts on Tomlinson?

Here is a link to the full Denton Record-Chronicle story, which is part of the weekly all-sports UNT notebook.

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/sports/college/stories/DRC_UNT_notebook_1-31.3747f166.html

After a few hours of trying, I finally got Klein offensive lineman Matt Tomlinson on the phone. He has committed to North Texas.

Tomlinson was an All-District 16-5A selection and is a member of the Houston Chronicle's list of the top 100 players in the Houston area.

Tomlinson was recruited as a tackle. For more on Tomlinson, see tomorrow's edition of the Denton Record-Chronicle or check out our Web site late tonight at www.dentonrc.com

Rumors ran rampant over the weekend that Lake Dallas running back Justin Hill had backed off his commitment to Rice and was about to sign with North Texas.

Hill said that wasn't the case Monday night. He said he enjoyed his visit to UNT over the weekend but is still going to sign with the Owls.

UNT has two running backs in its class at this point in Micah Mosley of Nederland and JUCO transfer Cam Montgomery.

When all was said and done Sunday, UNT had three commitments in football recruiting -- including from two high school players.

Lufkin linebacker A.J. Penson and Plano West offensive lineman J.J. Johnson both said they had orally committed to play for the Mean Green. UNT has also picked up Greg Garden a former Ryan standout who spent a year at the Naval Academy.

UNT recruited Garden to play in its defensive backfield.

What could be interesting is to see if the addition of a player like Garden helps open up the pipeline from Ryan, Denton and Guyer. UNT has seen a long line of Denton and Ryan players leave town and play for other programs. One can understand seeing players like Herman Johnson and Derek Lokey leave for programs like LSU and Texas, but there is little doubt it would help UNT to keep some of the players who are going to places like Houston and Tulsa home.

UNT is currently courting Lake Dallas running back Justin Hill and trying to get him to change his mind and play for the Mean Green instead of Rice.

What are your thoughts? Will Dodge be able to keep more players like Hill and Garden in town in the future?

The North Texas men appeared as if they were finally going to break through at the Mitchell Center in their game against South Alabama on Sunday.

UNT led late and had a chance to put USA away, only to squander the opportunity. The Mean Green has not won at the Mitchell Center since Johnny Jones' first season at UNT.

The Mean Green has lost a couple of close games in conference play and is still hanging around the middle of the pack in the league standings.

UNT needs to make a run soon if it does not want to have to sweat out the last few games of the regular season in order to get a home game in the first round of the conference tournament.

For more on the game, be sure to check out Monday's edition of the Denton Record-Chronicle or our Web site later tonight.

Word spread Sunday among North Texas fans that Lake Dallas running back Justin Hill had switched his commitment from Rice to UNT. A member of Hill's family said Sunday that he might commit to UNT but has yet to make a final decision. Hill would be a great pickup for UNT.

He was among the top running backs in the area last season and is a two-star recruit, according to Rivals.com's rankings system.

Duncanville running back Vernon Frazier was as surprised as most North Texas fans on Sunday morning when he saw UNT next to his name on a list of the top college football recruits in the area.

He confirmed on Sunday night that he is still committed to UTEP. It appears to be just a misprint.

North Texas is warming up in preparation for its game against South Alabama and a shot at breaking the Mitchell Center curse. The UNT men have won just once in Mobile, all the way back in Johnny Jones first year as the Mean Green's head coach in 2002.

Former UNT great Chris Davis scored 29 points to lead the Mean Green to the win.

UNT might need another breakout performance to snap USA's hold on the series in games played at the Mitchell Center. The Jaguars have won seven straight and lead the Sun Belt Conference's East Division.

The following is the list of the award winners at the North Texas football banquet on Saturday. Unfortunately, I was on the way to Mobile for UNT's basketball doubleheader against South Alabama. Look for a report from Todd Jorgenson in tomorrow's Denton Record-Chronicle.

North Texas banquet award winners
Odus Mitchell (Team MVP) -- Johnny Quinn
Steve Ramsey (Outstanding Offensive Player) -- Johnny Quinn
JaQuay Wilburn (Outstanding Offensive Back) -- Johnny Quinn
Phillip Armour (Outstanding Offensive Lineman) -- Dylan Lineberry
Abner Haynes (Outstanding Special Teams Player) -- Zach Muzzy
Shawn Kramer (Most Inspirational Player) -- Denis Hopovac
Joe Greene (Outstanding Defensive Player) -- Aaron Weathers
Byron Gross (Outstanding Linebacker) -- Maurice Holman
Bill Brashier (Outstanding Defensive Back) -- Antoine Bush
Bill Bishop (Outstanding Defensive Lineman) -- Jeremiah Chapman

A few names have emerged from various sources when it comes to what prospects are visiting North Texas this weekend for the annual football banquet.

Lufkin coach John Outlaw said a few weeks ago that his standout linebacker A.J. Penson and defensive back Ralph Thomas would visit UNT this weekend. Nothing has come up that appears to have changed those plans. The father of Plano West center J.J. Johnson said he would be in town this week.

Gilmer linebacker Dominique Buchanan could also visit UNT this weekend.

UNT is already in position to land a good class but could help its cause this weekend.

Rivals.com ranks Buchanan No. 50 among outside linebackers and a three-star recruit. He originally committed to Baylor but is back on the market. UNT could take a flyer on Buchanan, who would make its class ranking shoot through the roof. The question is if he is worth the risk after several other schools backed away.

Penson is a two-star recruit on Rivals.com and was offered scholarships by Houston, Iowa State and UTEP but is now down to UNT and Texas State after other schools filled up their scholarship slots for linebackers.

Johnson, a center, is also a highly regarded player and would fill a void in the Mean Green's class that does not yet include an offensive lineman.

Rivals.com ranks Johnson and Thomas two-star recruits

UNT will have several more players on campus and could pull a rabbit out of the hat late in the process. Momentum pays in recruiting and UNT seems to be on a roll at this point. A few prospects that have yet to commit could be swayed by a chance to join a group that now features several highly regarded players from across the state.

It will be interesting to see if UNT can finish strong.

Feel free to weight in on this blog. Can UNT keep its recruiting momentum going? And what does the Mean Green need to make what appears to be a solid class a special one on the final weekend of the recruiting season?

The North Texas men's basketball team reached a milestone of sorts Thursday by beating Middle Tennessee 66-53 to reach the 14-win mark. UNT has won 14 games in each of the last two seasons and has a chance to make a run at its best season in recent memory with nine games left in the regular season.

This time UNT won with a solid defensive performance while handing MTSU its first loss on the road in Sun Belt Conference play after five straight wins. In one of the oddities of this season in the league, MTSU was unbeaten on the road at 5-0, but had lost all four of its home games.

Five out of the Mean Green's last nine regular season games are at home.

UNT's high-water mark under Jones was a 15-14 record in his first year. UNT is 14-6 at this point.

The Mean Green appears to have a shot at a 20-win season. Feel free to weigh in on this blog. What is a realistic goal for UNT in terms of its final record?

Shirley and Al Goldfield gave North Texas a big boost in its pursuit of building a new football stadium during halftime of the Mean Green's game against Middle Tennessee on Thursday.

The couple gave the UNT athletic department $1.5 million toward construction of a new football stadium to replace Fouts Field.

Since San Antonio Alamo Heights quarterback Giovanni Vizza and his decision to play for North Texas is the talk of the afternoon, we decided to go ahead and put our story up early today.

Vizza said he expects to compete for the starting job right away. Feel free to weigh in. Do you like the fact that the freshman is on the record saying he expects to compete for the starting job? I like confidence in a quarterback.

The following is the link to the Denton Record-Chronicle story:

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/sports/stories/DRC_UNTrecruiting_1-26.1beac04a.html

It took a while, but I finally got San Antonio Alamo Heights quarterback Giovanni Vizza on the phone this afternoon.

As expected, he confirmed that he has backed off his commitment to Nevada and will sign with North Texas.

Rice, Army and Air Force also offer Vizza a scholarship.

Getting a commitment from Vizza is a huge win for UNT in recruiting and fills a void in the Mean Green's class that is shaping up to be a solid one.

Vizza said he hopes to compete for the starting job right away this fall. Feel free to weight in on this blog with your thoughts. Does Vizza have a shot to start as a freshman?

For more on Vizza, be sure to check out tomorrow's edition of the Denton Record-Chronicle or our Web site www.dentonrc.com late tonight. If you need a UNT football fix before then, check out Vizza's Rivals.com page. The following is the link:

http://www.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=55402

Will asked earlier today if there are any offensive line prospects UNT is pursuing. I mentioned in a Denton Record-Chronicle story a few days back that Plano West center J.J. Johnson is visiting this weekend.

Johnson is center and a two-star prospect, according to Rivals.com.

A more complete list of players visiting this weekend should be available later this week.

Travis, one of the Mean Green blog's loyal readers, sent in a question today -- a practice we would like to encourage. He wanted to know just how fast new UNT recruit and future Mean Green safety Bron Hager is.

So Travis, here is the best answer we could come up with.

Hager went to a Rivals.com combine event in College Station on April 22 and posted a 40-yard dash time of 5.02 seconds, which ranked 24th out of the 27 linebackers at the combine.

Brandon Herron of Fort Bend Dulles ran a 4.55 40-yard dash to finish second, but he is also the 20th ranked outside linebacker in the nation and a Michigan recruit. Hager had some tough competition.

What could help Hager are his football instincts. From all accounts, Hager is player. Westlake coach Derek Long said Hager "has good instincts for the position and gets to the ball in a hurry."

Only time will tell if Hager (6-1, 210) will fit in as a safety at UNT, but the Mean Green could see him bulk up and become a linebacker. If I had to guess, I would say that is the likely course for Hager considering his size and speed.

We have yet to confirm it with the only source that matters, but it appears as if San Antonio Alamo Heights quarterback Giovanni Vizza could be about to back off his oral commitment to Nevada and commit to UNT.

A UNT source said late Wednesday night that Vizza has told the Mean Green's coaching staff that he is coming to Denton.

Vizza did not return messages seeking comment, but Sam Dibrell, Vizza's teammate and close friend, said that they would be coming to UNT together.

If it all plays out as it appears it will, UNT will have another huge piece in its recruiting class. Vizza is rated a two-star prospect by Rivals.com and would be the quarterback Todd Dodge is looking for in his first recruiting class.

Of course nothing is solid until Vizza goes on record as saying that he plans to play for UNT.

Keep checking the Denton Record-Chronicle Web site for recruiting updates. A story on defensive lineman Jordan Scoggins is on the way shortly.

Euless Trinity tight end Jordan Scoggins confirmed on Wednesday that he has orally committed to North Texas, which recruited him as a defensive tackle.

Scoggins said UNT's coaches believe he can put on weight in college and develop into an interior lineman while retaining his quickness.

Scoggins is ranked No. 99 on The Dallas Morning News' area top 100 list and is rated as a two-star recruit by Rivals.com. The following is a link to his page on the Web site.

http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=48591

North Texas fans want to see some beef in Todd Dodge's first recruiting class.

That wish could soon be granted.

Plano West coach Mike Hughes confirmed on Tuesday that his star offensive lineman J.J. Johnson is visiting North Texas this weekend. The 6-2, 257-pound center has offers from Utah State and Louisiana-Monroe and is also receiving interest from Tulsa. He was an all-league pick in District 9-5A, one of the toughest high school leagues in the state last season.

The following is a link to Johnson's page on Rivals.com:

http://www.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=57246

Of all the recruits North Texas has received commitments from thus far, Bron Hager is one of the most intriguing. He was a solid player at Austin Westlake and a highly rated recruit as a linebacker.

It will be interesting to see is how Hager fits in with UNT's defense. The Mean Green's coaches told Hager they want to turn him into a safety. Hager does not appear to have the speed necessary for the position, but he will play close to the line of scrimmage in UNT's defensive scheme.

Bron's father Britt had a great career in the NFL as a linebacker.

You certainly can't question his background.

Hager, who was offered by Baylor, appears to be a great pickup for UNT. He is a good enough player that he will find a role with the Mean Green at some point.

Feel free to weigh in on this blog. Where would you like to see Hager play for the Mean Green?

For more on Hager, see the Denton Record-Chronicle Web site. The following is a link to the story.

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/sports/college/stories/DRC_UNTrecruiting_1-24.13244ace.html

Austin Westlake athlete Bron Hager confirmed on Tuesday that he has committed to North Texas, which recruited him as a safety.

Be sure to check the Denton Record-Chronicle's Web site late tonight for details.

The highest rated recruit to commit to North Texas yet made his decision official Monday. Cam Montgomery, a running back who played at The Woodlands before spending two seasons at Northeast Mississippi Junior College told Rivals.com that he is transferring to UNT at the semester break.

He was among the players who visited UNT over the weekend.

Here is the link to the Denton Record-Chronicle story:
http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/sports/stories/DRC_UNT_recruiting_0123.dd9d94d.html

Montgomery is rated a three-star recruit by Rivals.com and received interest from some impressive teams, including Illinois and Boise State.

Nederland running back Micah Mosley has also committed to UNT. He was an Class 4A all-state selection last season.

UNT now has received 13 commitments for Todd Dodge's first recruiting class.

Feel free to comment on this blog. What's your impression of Dodge's first recruiting class thus far?

North Texas men's basketball coach Johnny Jones confirmed on Monday that Roderick Flemings has left the team and is looking to transfer to a junior college.

The talented but troubled former DeSoto standout started out at Oklahoma State before transferring to UNT, where he stayed less than a year.

For the full story, see the Denton Record-Chronicle Web site. Here is the link:
http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/sports/stories/DRC_UNTFlemings_1-23.dd27738.html

Jones took a risk with Flemings, but it was one that was worthwhile. Flemings was one of the top recruits in the country coming out of high school. He had the potential to be a 20-point a game player at UNT.

UNT made a great move when it took Kendrick Davis from Arkansas and Keith Wooden has contributed since transferring from Arizona State. Taking on players from other schools is a risky proposition, but it's one UNT needs to take on a regular basis to be successful.

Feel free to weigh in on this blog. How big a hit is losing Flemings to the program?

While hunting down Euless Trinity wide receiver Marcus King, I had a chance to talk for a minute or two with his teammate and fellow UNT target Jordan Scoggins, a tight end/defensive end prospect.

Scoggins said he was still considering his options. King acknowledged that he will spend the next few days trying to sell Scoggins on UNT. Scoggins is ranked No. 99 among Dallas-area prospects by The Dallas Morning News.

While UNT is still waiting on Scoggins, it did pick up a ranked recruit in Jesse DeSoto. The San Antonio Lee defensive lineman is ranked No. 7 in the San Antonio area and No. 100 in the state by the San Antonio Express-News.

For a recap of Sunday's UNT commitments, see Monday's Denton Record-Chronicle story at :

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/sports/stories/DRC_UNTrecruiting_1-22.87786c6.html

Right after I finished with my blog on UNT's recruits who committed over the weekend another jumped on board.

Wide receiver Jason Martinson of Birdville was planning on weighing his options, but needed just a few hours to decide to play for the Mean Green.

The addition of Martinson gives UNT five six who have committed this weekend with one more thinking about committing tonight.

After a several hours on the phone with recruits who visited North Texas over the weekend, the Denton Record-Chronicle has determined this is where the Mean Green stands: UNT picked up five additional commitments over the weekend, a sixth player is leaning that way as of early this evening, three others are still considering their options and one has committed elsewhere.

The following information was obtained directly from each player.

Players who have committed to the Mean Green after visits this weekend:
Southlake Carroll defensive end Kyle Russo
Atlanta linebacker Marquese Davis
San Antonio Lee defensive lineman Jesse DeSoto
Euless Trinity wide receiver Marcus King
Sommerville wide receiver Sam Roberson

Players who are leaning toward UNT
Brenham cornerback Kevin Ealey

Players who are still considering other options
Austin Westlake LB Bron Hager (still considering UNT and Baylor)
Keller Fossil Ridge OL Ben Leung (visiting the Air Force Academy next weekend)
Birdville wide receiver Jason Martinson

Players who have committed elsewhere:
Brandon Iwuji (Texas State)

For more on UNT's latest commitments, see Monday's editions of the Denton Record-Chronicle or check our Web site at www.dentonrc.com later tonight.

Calvin Watson should be given a hero's welcome the next time he sets foot on UNT's campus -- probably after a well-deserved day off on Sunday.

Watson tied his career high with six 3-pointers -- all in the second half -- to lead the Mean Green to a win over Florida Atlantic in front of a solid crowd at the Super Pit

UNT might not have made it out with a win had it not been for Watson's hot shooting late. The win pushed the Mean Green to 13-6 on the season and evened its record in conference play at 4-4.

After the game Watson said he was feeling good, but was not quite in a zone in the second half. If Watson was not zoned in while going 6-for-7 from beyond the arc after the break, it would be interesting to see how well he could shoot when he gets in one.

It's just too bad the UNT football recruits in the house all left before the show really began in the second half. They were around to see a good crowd and the UNT women finish off FAU to end an extended losing streak, though.

All and all, it was a pretty good night for the Mean Green.

For more on the games, see Sunday's Denton Record-Chronicle sports section.

North Texas picked up a commitment early Saturday from former Rice wide receiver Evan Fentriss. The former Southlake Carroll wide receiver said he has committed to play for the Mean Green beginning in 2008.

For more on Fentriss, see the Denton Record-Chronicle at: http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/sports/stories/DRC_UNTrecruiting_1-21.1ef355e.html

Senior guard Rich Young is expected to return from a trip to Pennsylvania for a family emergency in time to play in the Mean Green's game against Florida Atlantic today.

His return couldn't come soon enough for the Mean Green. Young averages 7.3 points and 5.1 rebounds a game, which might not sound like much, but he also ranks second on the team in both assists (38) and steals (24) and is probably the Mean Green's best overall defender.

UNT's loss to Florida International on Thursday was a disaster, one the Mean Green needs to get over quickly today. That task will be a whole lot easier with Young back. To put it in simple terms, Young is the Mean Green's glue guy.

For more on today's game, be sure to check the Denton Record-Chronicle Web site at www.dentonrc.com.

Louisiana Tech hired longtime North Texas assistant coach Kenny Evans as an assistant coach on its defensive staff on Friday. Evans' exact role has yet to be determined.

Evans was the Mean Green's assistant head coach last season and also served as UNT's defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at different points during his tenure with the Mean Green.

While Evans played several different roles with the Mean Green, he was perhaps at his best as a recruiter. He signed some of UNT's best players through the years and was probably the coach with the best contacts on UNT's staff.

It wouldn't surprise me to see Evans assigned to recruit the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Texas junior colleges for Tech.

For more on Evans, see Tech's press release at:

http://www.latechsports.com/article.php?article_id=2007_01_19_12:36:04