University of North Texas Athletics
Green Gang: Mean Green Add SMU Transfer Julian Herron
8/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Return to Play
By Steven Bartolotta, August 9, 2009, 11:18 p.m.
Chalk another up for the Mean Green. SMU linebacker Julian Herron has transferred to North Texas. Herron, a 6-0 205 pound linebacker from Arlington Bowie, is with the Mean Green and will practice on Monday night with the team.
Herron was one of the nine players that SMU coach June Jones let go in the spring for various reasons. He will sit out the 2009 season as a transfer but will be eligible for the 2010 season. Without knowing any of the details as to Herron's release from SMU, on the surface this looks like another great pick-up for the Todd Dodge and company.
Herron was rated by Max Emfinger as a five-star recruit in 2006 and the No. 48 player in Texas. He was a Dallas Morning News Top 100 recruit, checking in at No. 70.
Herron was a highly sought after linebacker with offers from Texas A&M, Baylor, Washington State, Arizona State, Rice, UTEP, and Tulsa. Not bad if you ask me.
This adds another name to the stockpile that Dodge has brought in the last week. Actually, most of these late additions committed and signed with the Mean Green a while back, just no one reported on it.
Herron played in 11 games last season at SMU, with 17 tackles. Below if the Rivals video of Herron, who actually played defensive end in high school.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/video/recruiting-football/Julian-Herron-Arlington-4683
The addition of Herron couldn't be timed out any better. With Tobe Nwigwe graduating this season and Craig Robertson and A.J. Penson set to be senior's next season, Herron's arrival only adds to the linebacking corp.
The 2009 recruiting class was much maligned by a lot of the experts and those who worship at their alter, but the last four guys added, LaChris Anyiam, K. C. Obi, Kennan Flax, and now Herron brought with them a huge list of offers on the table from others.
Let's see, that would be Texas A&M, Baylor, Washington State, Arizona State, Rice, UTEP, Tulsa, Iowa State, Missouri, New Mexico, Kansas, Nebraska, Fresno State, and Washington who all wanted the aforementioned previous four names.
I'd say the perception that North Texas can't compete with BCS schools in recruiting the last few years are just that, perception.
