University of North Texas Athletics
Football Signs Seven High School Prospects for 2026
2/4/2026 10:54:00 AM | Football
All seven signees hail from the state of Texas
DENTON, Texas – The UNT football program and head coach Neal Brown have announced the additions of seven players to the 2026 roster from the high school ranks on National Signing Day Wednesday.
All seven additions played high school football in the state of Texas as UNT joins TCU as one of two FBS programs to have the entirety of the high school class from the state.
Coach Brown will address the media in a formal press conference Wednesday afternoon at 1:00 pm on ESPN+. The press conference can be viewed live here.
The Mean Green added a pair of defensive linemen along with an offensive lineman, a wide receiver, a running back, a tight end and a quarterback.
In addition to being exclusive to the state, five of the seven players played HS football in the DFW metroplex.
The seven signees will join the roster this summer. They will be added to the full roster which was released last week. To view the full list of transfers as well as a spring roster breakdown, click here.
The full class of 2026 high school signees is below.
UNT Spring 2026 High School Signing Class
Cason Applewhite
DL / 6-4 / 230 / Fr.
Palestine, TX / Palestine HS
Prior to UNT: Prepped at Palestine High School in East Texas … earned Second Team All-District 9-4A honors in 2025 … finished his senior season with 46.0 tackles, 8.0 TFLs and 6.0 sacks in eight games on the year … rated as a three-star prospect by 247 Sports, On3 and ESPN … ranked as the No. 166 edge in the country and No. 295 player in Texas by 247 … also competed in basketball and track and field.
KC Ekwu
OL / 6-4 / 305 / Fr.
Sunnyvale, TX / Sunnyvale HS
Prior to UNT: Prepped at Sunnyvale High School … earned Second Team All-Area honors from Star Local Media … selected on the final ballot for the 2025 Whataburger Texas Super Team by Dave Campbell's … helped Sunnyvale win the District 6-4A title with an 11-2 overall record and a perfect 5-0 mark as a senior … rated as a three-star prospect by 247Sports … ranked by 247 as the No. 202 offensive lineman in the country and No. 335 player in Texas … also competed in track and field.
Grady Holmes
DL / 6-2 / 295 / Fr.
Rowlett, TX / Rowlett HS
Prior to UNT: Was a standout at Rowlett High School in Texas … was named the District 9-6A Defensive Player of the Year while also earning First Team All-District honors as a senior … finished the 2025 season with 56 tackles (39 solo), 6.0 sacks, 20.0 TFLs and a pair of PBUs … helped lead Rowlett to the Texas High School State Playoffs for the first time in seven years … also played baseball.
Lathon Latiolais
WR / 5-10 / 175 / Fr.
Prosper, TX / Prosper HS
Prior to UNT: Was a standout WR at Prosper High School in Texas … named the 2025 District MVP for 6-6A his senior season … also earned First Team All-District honors as a sophomore, junior and senior … was selected to participate in the Military Appreciation Bowl … finished his senior season with 65 receptions for 1,547 yards and 22 touchdowns … had 55 catches for 793 yards and 12 TDs as a junior … rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN and 247Sports … ESPN ranked him as the No. 169 WR in the nation and the No. 172 player in Texas … rated as the No. 177 WR and No. 164 player in the state by 247 … also competed in track and field.
Adarion Nettles
RB / 5-8 / 185 / Fr.
Arlington, TX / Mansfield Summit HS
Prior to UNT: Prepped at Summit High School in Mansfield, Texas … was a First Team All-District 3-5A selection in back-to-back season as a senior and a junior … finished his high school career with 2,227 yards and 28 rushing touchdowns across his final two seasons … rushed for 1,224 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2025 … ran for 1,003 yards on 168 carries with 13 touchdowns as a junior.
Jerious Singletary
TE / 6-4 / 210 / Fr.
Huntsville, TX / Huntsville HS
Prior to UNT: Prepped at Huntsville High School in East Texas … earned First Team All-District 8-5A honors as a junior and a senior … played on both sides of the ball for the Hornets … finished his senior season with 10 catches for 110 yards and three touchdowns … rated as a three star prospect by On3, 247Sports and ESPN … ranked as the No. 184 DE in the nation and No. 273 player in Texas by On3 … 247 rated him as the No. 151 DE in the country and the No. 336 player in the state … also rated the No. 84 DE in the nation and No. 294 player in Texas by ESPN … also competed in track and field.
Ziondre Williams
QB / 5-11 / 170 / Fr.
Anna, TX / Anna HS
Prior to UNT: Was a standout at Anna High School in Texas … named the District 4-5A Most Valuable Player as a senior … was a three year starter for the Coyotes at QB … led Anna to a perfect 16-0 record and the program's first Texas High School State Championship as a sophomore … finished his career with 9,340 passing yards, 2,670 rushing yards and accounted for 127 total touchdowns across three seasons … concluded his senior season by going 192 of 305 for 3,168 yards and 39 touchdowns while also rushing 110 times for 760 yards and 10 TDs on the ground … as a junior, passed for 3,203 yards and had a remarkable 37-2 TD to INT ratio while also rushing for 1,107 yards and 14 touchdowns … as a sophomore, threw for 2,930 yards 39 TDs going 245 for 399 through the air and rushed for 844 yards and eight touchdowns … rated as a three star prospect by On3, 247Sports and ESPN … ESPN tabbed him as the No. 30 dual threat QB in the nation and the No. 214 player in Texas … was ranked as the No. 142 QB in the country and No. 302 player in the state by On3 … also ranked as the No. 119 QB in the nation and No. 253 in Texas by 247 … also competed in track and field.
All seven additions played high school football in the state of Texas as UNT joins TCU as one of two FBS programs to have the entirety of the high school class from the state.
Coach Brown will address the media in a formal press conference Wednesday afternoon at 1:00 pm on ESPN+. The press conference can be viewed live here.
The Mean Green added a pair of defensive linemen along with an offensive lineman, a wide receiver, a running back, a tight end and a quarterback.
In addition to being exclusive to the state, five of the seven players played HS football in the DFW metroplex.
The seven signees will join the roster this summer. They will be added to the full roster which was released last week. To view the full list of transfers as well as a spring roster breakdown, click here.
The full class of 2026 high school signees is below.
UNT Spring 2026 High School Signing Class
| Player | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Hometown | Previous School |
| Cason Applewhite | DL | 6-4 | 230 | Fr. | Palestine, TX | Palestine HS |
| KC Ekwu | OL | 6-4 | 305 | Fr. | Sunnyvale, TX | Sunnyvale HS |
| Grady Holmes | DL | 6-2 | 295 | Fr. | Rowlett, TX | Rowlett HS |
| Lathon Latiolais | WR | 5-10 | 175 | Fr. | Prosper, TX | Prosper HS |
| Adarion Nettles | RB | 5-8 | 185 | Fr. | Arlington, TX | Masnfield Summit HS |
| Jerious Singletary | TE | 6-4 | 210 | Fr. | Huntsville, TX | Huntsville HS |
| Ziondre Williams | QB | 5-11 | 170 | Fr. | Anna, TX | Anna HS |
Cason Applewhite
DL / 6-4 / 230 / Fr.
Palestine, TX / Palestine HS
Prior to UNT: Prepped at Palestine High School in East Texas … earned Second Team All-District 9-4A honors in 2025 … finished his senior season with 46.0 tackles, 8.0 TFLs and 6.0 sacks in eight games on the year … rated as a three-star prospect by 247 Sports, On3 and ESPN … ranked as the No. 166 edge in the country and No. 295 player in Texas by 247 … also competed in basketball and track and field.
KC Ekwu
OL / 6-4 / 305 / Fr.
Sunnyvale, TX / Sunnyvale HS
Prior to UNT: Prepped at Sunnyvale High School … earned Second Team All-Area honors from Star Local Media … selected on the final ballot for the 2025 Whataburger Texas Super Team by Dave Campbell's … helped Sunnyvale win the District 6-4A title with an 11-2 overall record and a perfect 5-0 mark as a senior … rated as a three-star prospect by 247Sports … ranked by 247 as the No. 202 offensive lineman in the country and No. 335 player in Texas … also competed in track and field.
Grady Holmes
DL / 6-2 / 295 / Fr.
Rowlett, TX / Rowlett HS
Prior to UNT: Was a standout at Rowlett High School in Texas … was named the District 9-6A Defensive Player of the Year while also earning First Team All-District honors as a senior … finished the 2025 season with 56 tackles (39 solo), 6.0 sacks, 20.0 TFLs and a pair of PBUs … helped lead Rowlett to the Texas High School State Playoffs for the first time in seven years … also played baseball.
Lathon Latiolais
WR / 5-10 / 175 / Fr.
Prosper, TX / Prosper HS
Prior to UNT: Was a standout WR at Prosper High School in Texas … named the 2025 District MVP for 6-6A his senior season … also earned First Team All-District honors as a sophomore, junior and senior … was selected to participate in the Military Appreciation Bowl … finished his senior season with 65 receptions for 1,547 yards and 22 touchdowns … had 55 catches for 793 yards and 12 TDs as a junior … rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN and 247Sports … ESPN ranked him as the No. 169 WR in the nation and the No. 172 player in Texas … rated as the No. 177 WR and No. 164 player in the state by 247 … also competed in track and field.
Adarion Nettles
RB / 5-8 / 185 / Fr.
Arlington, TX / Mansfield Summit HS
Prior to UNT: Prepped at Summit High School in Mansfield, Texas … was a First Team All-District 3-5A selection in back-to-back season as a senior and a junior … finished his high school career with 2,227 yards and 28 rushing touchdowns across his final two seasons … rushed for 1,224 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2025 … ran for 1,003 yards on 168 carries with 13 touchdowns as a junior.
Jerious Singletary
TE / 6-4 / 210 / Fr.
Huntsville, TX / Huntsville HS
Prior to UNT: Prepped at Huntsville High School in East Texas … earned First Team All-District 8-5A honors as a junior and a senior … played on both sides of the ball for the Hornets … finished his senior season with 10 catches for 110 yards and three touchdowns … rated as a three star prospect by On3, 247Sports and ESPN … ranked as the No. 184 DE in the nation and No. 273 player in Texas by On3 … 247 rated him as the No. 151 DE in the country and the No. 336 player in the state … also rated the No. 84 DE in the nation and No. 294 player in Texas by ESPN … also competed in track and field.
Ziondre Williams
QB / 5-11 / 170 / Fr.
Anna, TX / Anna HS
Prior to UNT: Was a standout at Anna High School in Texas … named the District 4-5A Most Valuable Player as a senior … was a three year starter for the Coyotes at QB … led Anna to a perfect 16-0 record and the program's first Texas High School State Championship as a sophomore … finished his career with 9,340 passing yards, 2,670 rushing yards and accounted for 127 total touchdowns across three seasons … concluded his senior season by going 192 of 305 for 3,168 yards and 39 touchdowns while also rushing 110 times for 760 yards and 10 TDs on the ground … as a junior, passed for 3,203 yards and had a remarkable 37-2 TD to INT ratio while also rushing for 1,107 yards and 14 touchdowns … as a sophomore, threw for 2,930 yards 39 TDs going 245 for 399 through the air and rushed for 844 yards and eight touchdowns … rated as a three star prospect by On3, 247Sports and ESPN … ESPN tabbed him as the No. 30 dual threat QB in the nation and the No. 214 player in Texas … was ranked as the No. 142 QB in the country and No. 302 player in the state by On3 … also ranked as the No. 119 QB in the nation and No. 253 in Texas by 247 … also competed in track and field.
-- GMG --
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