University of North Texas Athletics
Green Gang: New Signees A Boost To The Defense
12/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Return to Play
By Steven Bartolotta, December 17, 2009, 4:45 p.m.
So the Mean Green has five newly minted junior college signees who will be here in January and participate in spring ball. Time to take a look at who they are and where they will help.
First off thank goodness they are all on defense. Still one of the biggest areas of concern for North Texas, the defense suffered through some ill timed injuries last season, but also some production problems that need to be addressed in recruiting.
These five guys all have the potential to do that. All five guys, two safeties, two linebackers, and a cornerback will have a chance to play likewise.
The Mean Green has holes to fill at outside linebacker with Kylie Hill and at in the middle with Tobe Nwigwe gone. Jeremy Phillips and A.J. Penson are starters as of now, but with little or nothing behind them, linebacker was a must for North Texas to address.
Brad Graham and Forlando Johnson fill that void just by showing up. Graham appears to be the crown jewel of the bunch being a first-team All-American guy.
Penson should be the starter going into the 2010 season and he might get some backup help from Daniel Prior who is very highly regarded despite being used sparingly this year.
The other three will get their shot in the secondary at safety and cornerback.
Jamison Hughes (thank you Shelton Gandy) is another in what is becoming quite a pipeline from Mississippi to Denton players who's got great size for a secondary player.
Ryan Downing, another kid with great size and pretty good accolades and CB Leon McCord will have a chance to come in and replace Adryan Adams at the open cornerback spot.
Good thing Todd Dodge decided to get rid of David Rausch, oh wait, he didn't and never intended to. Rausch was the guy who was hard on the trail of the three kids to sign with NT from Butler.
Will any of these five players start? Impossible to tell in December. Having them enroll in January and compete in the spring though gives them a leg up on the recruits who will sign in February going into two-a-days.
