Mean Green

The following is the story that will appear in tomorrow's edition of the Denton Record-Chronicle on Riley Dodge's decision to play for his father at North Texas. Needless to say, the news that the quarterback will play for the Mean Green is huge, and not just because Riley is one of the best players in the state.

Having Riley on board, along with Todd Dodge as head coach, is bound to attract some of the top players in the state in terms of recruiting this year and beyond. Recruiting is all about momentum at times. And it certainly does not hurt that Riley is such a high profile figure in the Dallas area. Other top players in the Class of 2008 are bound to follow him to Denton.

Gut feeling led Riley Dodge to UNT

Quarterback says playing for father felt right

07:41 PM CDT on Saturday, June 30, 2007
By Brett Vito/Denton Record-Chronicle
TIm MacMahon/The Dallas Morning News

A few weeks of discussions and second thoughts culminated in a dramatic turn of events for North Texas and the family of head coach Todd Dodge this weekend.

Southlake Carroll quarterback Riley Dodge is going to follow his father to UNT after all.

The reigning Associated Press Class 5A offensive player of the year said Saturday that he has changed his oral commitment from Texas to UNT. Riley , who is entering his senior season, said he broke the news to Texas head coach Mack Brown and also talked to offensive coordinator Greg Davis this week.

Oral commitments are non-binding. The first day recruits can sign national letters of intent is Feb. 6.

"It was probably the hardest phone call I ever made in my life," Riley said. "But they were very cool about it and very nice. I really appreciated that.

"Coach Brown told me, 'You have the opportunity to play for your dad again. You need to hop all over it.'"

Riley (6-0, 183) said he made the decision for the good of his family and because he believes his father will turn around UNT's program. The Mean Green finished 5-18 the last two seasons combined under former head coach Darrell Dickey, who was fired Nov. 8.

Dodge finished on a 79-1 run at Carroll that included three straight Class 5A state titles before taking over as UNT's head coach in December. He went 98-11 with four state titles in his time with the Dragons.

Riley and Todd Dodge finished last season with a 43-29 win over Austin Westlake in the state title game in December, in what appeared at the time to be their final game together as player and coach. Riley's maternal grandfather, Ebbie Neptune, the legendary former Westlake coach and athletic director, suffered a stroke soon after the game.

Neptune is recovering in a McKinney facility only a few miles from Denton, which was a factor in Riley's decision.

"I am very, very close to him and I wanted him to get a chance to see me play college football," Riley said.

Playing for UNT would give the entire family a chance to see Riley and Todd Dodge on the same field on Saturdays. Todd Dodge cannot comment on his son's decision to attend UNT because of NCAA rules.

Riley was recruited by Texas as an athlete and committed to the Longhorns after their junior day in late February. Riley will play quarterback at UNT, where his father is installing the same spread offense he used at Carroll.

"I believe I am a quarterback," Riley said. "I think I can do it on the next level. I just went with my gut."

Rivals.com ranks Riley No. 58 on its list of the state's top 100 recruits. UNT has not landed a player rated in Rivals.com's state top 100 since running back Jamario Thomas signed with the Mean Green in 2004.

UNT now has eight players committed for its 2008 recruiting class.

Riley threw for 4,184 yards and 54 touchdowns in addition to rushing for 1,119 and 13 touchdowns as a junior last season. He will enter what could be a crowded quarterback competition when he arrives at UNT. Daniel Meager, who came out of spring practice as the Mean Green's starter, will be a senior in 2008. UNT also signed Giovanni Vizza, a highly regarded quarterback from San Antonio Alamo Heights who changed his commitment from Nevada, in its 2007 recruiting class.

Riley said he only began thinking about changing his commitment to UNT the last few days, when he told his father that his heart was leading him to UNT. The family had several discussions before Riley changed his mind.

Todd Dodge did not try to convince his son to attend UNT after he committed to Texas and played devil's advocate in discussions about playing for the Mean Green, Riley said.

"It's a great decision for the family," said Elizabeth Dodge, Riley's mother. "But Riley made the decision."

Word spread quickly among Dodge's current and former Carroll teammates late this week that Riley had decided to play for UNT, which has signed two former Dragons in its 2007 class and now has commitments from two others for 2008.

Linebacker Justin Padron and defensive end Kyle Russo are members of UNT's 2007 recruiting class. UNT has also received a commitment from senior linebacker Derek Tomlin. Having three former Carroll teammates will only add to the familiar atmosphere for Riley at UNT.

"I saw Riley [Thursday] and he was wearing a Mean Green shirt," Russo said. "He told me to be ready for a surprise in the next few days."

Russo later found out that Riley was headed to UNT and talked to him about his decision.

"He said it was kind of sudden," Russo said. "His girlfriend is coming here and he feels like we are getting some good commitments. He thought it was time for him to get in on it."

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

North Texas 2008 commitments

The following is a list of players who have orally committed to play for UNT beginning in the 2008 season:

OL Eloy Atkinson Los Fresnos

WR Kenny Barrett Mart

QB Riley Dodge Southlake Carroll

RB Lance Dunbar Haltom

OL Troy Franklin Celina

WR Willie Taylor Dallas Hillcrest

LB Derek Tomlin Southlake Carroll

S Darien Williams Vernon

Southlake Carroll quarterback Riley Dodge might be headed to North Texas along with his father, Todd Dodge, who took over as the Mean Green's head coach in December.

Riley Dodge was recruited by UNT, but orally committed to Texas in late February.

Two of Riley Dodge's former Carroll teammates said Friday night that he had changed his mind and would play for the Mean Green. Riley Dodge did not return a message left on his cell phone. Todd Dodge could not be reached for comment.

A former Carroll player said that Riley Dodge told him Thursday to expect a surprise in the next few days and later heard that Dodge had committed to UNT. The player said he had not talked to Riley Dodge since.

A second former Carroll player said that Riley Dodge told him that he had changed his commitment and would play for the Mean Green.

If Riley Dodge does commit to UNT, he would be the best recruit Todd Dodge has landed in his short tenure with the Mean Green. Riley accounted for 5,303 yards and 67 touchdowns as a junior last season when he led Carroll to its third consecutive Class 5A state title. Missouri, Tulsa, SMU and Rice were among the teams other than Texas and UNT to offer Riley a scholarship.

Todd Dodge has been on vacation the last several days and accompanied Riley to the Elite 11 passing camp in Las Vegas last week. A UNT official said the Dodge family is leaving on an extended vacation beginning Saturday morning.

Lanear Sampson, a wide receiver from North Mesquite who is a member of Rivals.com's list of the top 100 prospects in the state, orally committed to Baylor on Tuesday night. Sampson had offers from several Division I schools, including North Texas.

UNT has loaded up on wide receivers since Todd Dodge took over as the Mean Green's head coach in December. Dodge signed six wide receivers in his 2007 recruiting class and has already landed a soft oral commitment from Mart wide receiver Kenny Barrett for his 2008 class.

Barrett committed to UNT, but said he will still listen to other coaches and another scholarship offer could change his mind.

UNT already has seven solid players in the fold for 2008, but there is little doubt Sampson would have been the best of the bunch. Rivals.com has Sampson rated No. 59 among wide receivers nationally and No. 61 among all players in Texas.

I spoke with College of San Mateo (California) defensive back Evyn Roman earlier today about his decision to sign with North Texas.

I won't spoil all of what will be in tomorrow's paper, but I will answer what seems to be the most common question I have received today. Roman sat out one season at San Mateo because of some personal issues off the field between his freshman and sophomore seasons.

Roman said he caught a couple of colds and became rundown while trying to commute a sizable distance to San Mateo after his parents moved out of the Bay Area following his freshman season. He decided in conjunction with his coach and parents to take a year off.

The decision paid for Roman, who was only contacted by UNT's coaches in the last few weeks. Roman's coach Larry Owens said UNT's coaches appeared to be searching far and wide for a cornerback who could make an immediate impact this summer.

For more on Roman, including what other schools offered him a scholarship and his reasons for signing with UNT, see tomorrow's edition of the Denton Record-Chronicle or check our Web site tomorrow morning.

The Football Writers Association of America recently put out its 2007 All-American Checklist, which included seven players from the Sun Belt Conference among 347 total selections.

None of the players are from North Texas.

Defensive back Damon Nickson and offensive lineman Franklin Dunbar of Middle Tennessee made the list and were joined by running back Calvin Dawson and offensive lineman Kyle Cunningham of Louisiana-Monroe, Troy quarterback Omar Haugabook, Arkansas State defensive back Tyrell Johnson and Louisiana-Lafayette running back Tyrell Fenroy.

The list is just one of several that has come out in the last few months naming the top players in the Sun Belt that is short on UNT players.

The lists will be long forgotten in a few months, but they do illustrate just what a tough road Todd Dodge could face in his first season with the Mean Green. When Sun Belt play begins, UNT will be a decided underdog in the race for the league title.

Benny Valentine, a guard who is at Texas Tech and appears as if he is about to transfer, is not headed to North Texas, UNT head coach Johnny Jones said Wednesday.

Speculation has run rampant in the last few days that Valentine could end up at UNT. A few Web sites even have Valentine listed as a UNT commitment, but there is no truth to the rumor.

Valentine coming to UNT never made much sense anyway. Jones likes big guards and Valentine is only 5-7, plus UNT is already set at the point guard spot. UNT has signed JUCO transfer Ryan McCoy, who would will still have a year left 2008-09 when Valentine would be eligible at another Division I school after leaving Tech. UNT also has Josh White coming in next year as a freshman. White is expected to be the Mean Green's point guard of the future. At 5-10, he is a smaller guard. UNT does not need a carbon copy of a high school recruit it is very excited about landing.

UNT will need a second point guard after McCoy graduates, but Valentine wouldn't be the best fit. The Mean Green would be much better off with another high school or junior college player.

Valentine has a well-chronicled history of personal problems. Jones has excelled in helping players take advantage of second chances and UNT had some involvement with Valentine several months ago. Those factors probably helped spur the rumor that he is headed to UNT.

UNT does have one scholarship left to give, but if Jones uses it, expect him to take on a post player who would sit out next season.

While we are on the topic of basketball, UNT received its championship rings today. There are photos of the rings in Thursday's edition of the Denton Record-Chronicle along with a story. The following is a link:

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/sports/stories/DRC_UNT_Rings_0621.2315a528.html

After more than six months of debate, North Texas made a decision on the name of its football practice fields. They will be named the Darrell R. Dickey Football Practice Facility.

The name was added to the sign next to the fields today.

UNT officials were set to name the fields after booster Jim McIngvale, who donated $1 million toward construction of the Mean Green Athletic Center. McIngvale later came back and asked that they be named after Dickey shortly after UNT's head football coach was fired last season. Dickey and McIngvale later requested they be named after Andrew Smith, a former UNT quarterback who died in a car accident.

In the end, UNT named the fields after Dickey, a move the school's Board of Regents approved.

I will be in the minority on this one, but naming the fields after Dickey was the right move. Dickey led UNT to four straight Sun Belt Conference titles and the Mean Green Athletic Center was built largely because of McIngvale's donation, one he gave the university partly because of his friendship with Dickey.

Dickey's teams hit the skids his last two seasons, but what he accomplished in his four-year run in the Sun Belt moved the program forward. Dickey's tenure is worth honoring, and naming the practice fields named after him is the best way to do just that.

For more on the new Darrell R. Dickey Football Practice Facility, see tomorrow's edition of the Denton Record-Chronicle.

DeSoto running back Cyrus Gray and Dallas Skyline linebacker Alfred Dupree confirmed late Sunday night that they did not attend North Texas junior day camp earlier in the day.

Gray said he had a conflict with his work schedule that prevented him from making the trip.

UNT, which has already picked up six early commitments, had several players in to work out and visit the campus.

Dupree has committed to Oklahoma State, while Gray is one of the top running back recruits in the country.

Rivals.com recently came out with a list of the top 20 basketball recruiting classes among mid-major programs.

North Texas picked up one of its best classes in recent memory, but didn't make the cut. Middle Tennessee, one of the Mean Green's rivals in the Sun Belt, came in at No. 13 with a six-player group. Junior college center Uriah Hethington appears to be the Blue Raiders' top recruit. He was ranked No. 9 among players from Georgia in 2005.

There is no way to tell how close UNT came to making the list, but the Mean Green appears to have been on the cusp. UNT has commitments from two three-star players in guards Tristan Thompson (Brewster Academy) and Ryan McCoy (Midland College), a two-star player in point guard Josh White (Baton Rouge Christian Life) and an unranked player in Mesa (Ariz.) Community College guard Adam McCoy.

Temple ranked No. 20 on the list and had two three-star players, a two-star player and two unranked players.

Only time will tell where UNT's class ranks, but lists are always interesting fodder for discussion. The following is a link to the list:

http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=682458

Rivals.com released its list of the top 100 college football recruits in Texas today.

None of the players who have committed to North Texas thus far are on the list. There is no way to tell for sure which players came the closest, but Haltom running back Lance Dunbar and Celina lineman Troy Franklin are clearly the recruits held in the highest regard by the Web site that is considered an authority on college football recruiting. Both players are listed as two-star prospects with a 5.4 ranking, making each just a step below the three-star level.

While UNT does not have a player from the top 100, it is still in the running to land North Mesquite wide receiver Lanear Sampson, who is ranked No. 61.

Head coach Todd Dodge's son Riley is ranked No. 58. The Southlake Carroll athlete has committed to Texas.

It is also interesting to see a couple of players on the list from Denton, which turns out top-rated players on a regular basis. Liberty Christian offensive lineman Ben Habern, who has committed to Oklahoma, is ranked No. 24, while Ryan defensive end Josh Williams is ranked No. 55. Williams is not considering UNT and appears likely to commit to Nebraska.

The following is a link to the list:

http://rivals100.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1843&Year=2008

Mart wide receiver Kenny Barrett and Haltom running back Lance Dunbar became the latest players to orally commit to become members of North Texas' 2008 recruiting class over the weekend.

Both confirmed their decisions on Monday.

Each player is coming off a standout junior season and was receiving interest from other Division I-A teams.

Barrett was a two-way all-district pick as a wide receiver and defensive back last season and caught three touchdown passes in a win over Cisco in the Class 2A Division II state title game. Dunbar was a 1,000-yard rusher in a tough District 5-5A.

Both named a chance to play in Todd Dodge's spread offense as a reason to commit to UNT.

Barrett said recently that he would still listen to what other coaches had to say, even though he planned to commit to UNT. He stuck by that pledge on Monday, although his head coach Rusty Nail said he expected Barrett to end up at UNT no matter what program comes calling later on.

Dunbar played for new UNT wide receivers coach Clayton George at Haltom.

For more on both players, see tomorrow's edition of the Denton Record-Chronicle or check our Web site late tonight.

One of the best moments of the summer for any football fan in Texas is upon us. Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine will be officially released on Monday.

There are a number of preseason publications, but for fans in Texas, Dave Campbell's has it all from high school coverage to stories on the college and pro teams. I have had the honor of writing the North Texas and Sun Belt previews for the last few years.

For a while I also wrote the UNT recruiting review and season predictions as well, but these days the editors of the magazine handle both of those chores.

And when it comes to the season prediction part, I differ on my expectations. The magazine picked UNT to finish 7-5, which is pretty optimistic.

UNT will have a tough time beating Navy, even if the game is at home and a win at Louisiana-Lafayette will be a tough task with Tyrell Fenroy back. ULL's running back might be one of the two or three best players in the league.

Beating Middle Tennessee is a lot to expect for UNT after the Blue Raiders hammered the Mean Green 35-0 in Denton last season.

And don't forget that Florida Atlantic has never lost to UNT. The Mean Green should break through against the Owls this season, but that seems to be the case every year.

UNT could be better this season than in the final year of the Dickey era, but 4-5 wins might be a more realistic prediction of what is to come for the Mean Green.

North Texas picked up its fifth early commitment for its 2008 recruiting class this week when Southlake Carroll linebacker Derek Tomlin decided to play for his former head coach Todd Dodge at UNT.

Tomlin is undersized for a linebacker at 6-0 and 200 pounds, but was a first-team All-District 5-5A selection.

For more on Tomlin, see tomorrow's edition of the Denton Record-Chronicle.

North Texas head women's basketball coach Tina Slinker is about to fill the last open spot on her staff, according to a source close to the situation.

Noel Johnson, the associate head coach at Texas State, has interviewed in Denton and is expected to fill the last of Slinker's two open spots. Longtime assistants Angela Ortega and Janice Dziuk both left the staff after last season.

Johnson has spent 10 seasons at Texas State and is a former player at Texas Tech. She is also a Texas native.

UNT is hoping the fresh blood on its coaching staff will help the Mean Green get back to the level it attained two years ago. UNT won the Sun Belt West Division title in 2005-06 before suffering through a down year last season.

The following is a link to Johnson's bio on the Texas State Web site:

http://txstatebobcats.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/johnson_noel00.html

North Texas continued to add to its 2008 recruiting class over the weekend when Eloy Atkinson, a 6-4, 270-pound tackle from Los Fresnos High School in South Texas gave the Mean Green an oral commitment.

Atkinson's only offer was from UNT, but a host of other schools were recruiting him, including Utah, Kansas, Houston, Arizona and Iowa State. Atkinson plays for former UNT player Scott Ford.

Atkinson projects to be a tackle on the college level.

The addition of Atkinson gives UNT four early commitments, but the Mean Green might not be done for the week just yet. Former Plano West quarterback Eric Johnson said Monday he is planning to transfer to UNT.

Johnson spent two seasons at SMU before leaving at the semester break. He spent the spring at Texas State, but now appears to be a lock to either receive a scholarship or walk on at UNT. He would have three years of eligibility remaining with the Mean Green after sitting out a season.

Johnson is the older brother of UNT 2007 recruit J.J. Johnson, an offensive lineman from Plano West.

For more on Eric Johnson and Atkinson, see tomorrow's edition of the Denton Record-Chronicle or check our Web site www.dentonrc.com late tonight.