University of North Texas Athletics
North Texas Signs Five Junior College Players
12/16/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
DENTON, Texas (12/15/09) - North Texas head football coach Todd Dodge has announced that five junior college players have signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Mean Green in 2010. All five mid-year signees are defensive players, which was the immediate focus of the North Texas coaching staff during the off season.
Safety Ryan Downing from Butler County Community College, linebacker Brad Graham from Navarro Junior College, safety Jamison Hughes from Pearl River Community College, linebacker Forlando Johnson from Butler County and DeLeon McCord from Butler County will enroll at North Texas in January and be available for spring practice in March.
"These five guys fill the pressing need we have to build depth and competition at some defensive positions where we needed it most going into next year," Dodge said. "We targeted junior college players for these positions and each of these guys fit the bill. We are excited to think about how these five guys will help our defense improve immediately."
Graham was recently named first-team All-American by the National Junior College Athletic Association after leading his team and finishing 18th in the nation in tackles with 96. He helped his team to an 11-1 record in 2009 and a win in the CHAMPS Heart of Texas Bowl. His team finished the season ranked No. 3 in the NJCAA poll.
The three transfers from Butler County were members of a defensive unit that ranked eighth nationally in total defense in the National Junior College Athletic Association. Downing was fifth on the team in total tackles with 62 and finished second on the team in interceptions with three. Johnson had 57 tackles in eight games and was a first-team all-conference selection in the Jayhawk Community College Conference. McCord was a third-team all-conference selection after finishing with 30 tackles in nine games.
Hughes helped Pearl River to a 9-2 season, which ended with a loss in the conference championship game to fourth-ranked East Mississippi Community College. He finished sixth on the team in total tackles with 37 and added two interceptions.
North Texas returns nine of the 11 defensive players who finished the season in the starting lineup, with defensive end Eddrick Gilmore and cornerback Adryan Adams being the only exceptions. The Mean Green also lost senior linebackers Tobe Nwigwe and Kylee Hill who began the season in the starting lineup but suffered injuries that kept them out in the second half of the year.
