McCarney
Dan McCarney made a couple of key points at his press conference yesterday, including one we haven’t gotten around to yet regarding recruiting.
We made the argument in Monday’s paper that UNT’s three-game losing streak and current 2-5 record raises the question as to why the Mean Green doesn’t seem to be capitalizing on an improved situation.
A part of the argument was that it just doesn’t seem like the top-end recruits are flocking to Denton.
McCarney talked a little bit about his approach in his press conference and in a sense addressed some of the questions we raised.
Rick Villarreal attended for the first time all season that I can recall, which I thought was pretty interesting considering we got some candid comments the previous week. We got more of the standard party line this time.
“We are in the state of Texas,” McCarney said. “If each coach will bring in two to three guys who can play winning football for us based on our schedule and our competition, then we are going to have a hell of a program and we can do that each year. I am not concerned with who brings in the most. Bring in guys we can win with. Then bring in some walk-ons and transfers then you can have a chance to succeed every year.”
McCarney makes a good point. And I completely agree with him.
If each guy on the staff brings in a few good players, a team is in good shape.
I just wonder at times if UNT isn’t missing that ace-in-the-hole kind of guy who brings home the bacon — or in this case, the beef and speed. You hear about those top guys at the top national programs. Alabama has Kirby Smart. Texas A&M has David Beaty.
UNT has had a few of those guys in the past, notably Kenny Evans, the architect of a big portion of the bowl era teams.
Noah Joseph was that guy for UNT for a while. Ryan Walters certainly looked like he was on the way to being that type of guy before Memphis smartly snared him off UNT’s staff.
Mike Grant is doing a good job running the show and UNT does have a couple of potential staff aces in Perry Carter, LaMarcus Hicks and Kevin Patrick.
Those guys are just getting settled at UNT and are names I hear a lot when I talk to guys who are considering playing for the Mean Green.
247 Sports puts out a list of the nation’s top recruiters every year and ranks them by conference as well. It’s a pretty incomplete list at the Conference USA level, but it is interesting because it shows some of the guys Marshall and Southern Miss lean on.
And while we are on the topic of recruiting …
Jarvis Baxter with another TD! #TVCCNavarro https://t.co/r5csA3fWWB
— Henderson County Now (@hctxnow) September 7, 2014
I swapped messages with UNT wide receiver target Jarvis Baxter today. The Trinity Valley College standout is having a monster year. The Vine above is of one of his recent touchdown catches.
Teams are noticing. Lamar and Southern Illinois have offered. Middle Tennessee, UTSA and Southern Miss are showing a lot of interest.
Baxter said UNT remains his top team.
At this point, I would be shocked if he doesn’t end up at UNT.
And finally, I mentioned yesterday that Iowa is making a push for Jerminic Smith, the younger brother of former UNT wide receiver Darnell Smith. The Hawkeyes are talking to Smith every other day according to the Voice of the Hawkeyes, one of the websites that covers the team.