College football is back, baby! Wait, what? Didn't we just leave that party? Well, yes, we did just finish off another rousing season of collegiate gameplay, but the real fun is just now starting: National Signing Day! Oh, thank you Lord, I don't think I could have made it another day without football back in my life (yes, I know there's one more little game this weekend, but let's not argue over semantics here).
The college football offseason has started off with a bang, and while the major news may be blaring from Austin, Tuscaloosa, Ann Arbor and Baton Rouge, there has been plenty to get excited about here in our very own Denton.
A new coach, his own new staff, and a plethora of brand-spanking new recruits and transfers has the North Texas fanbase salivating at the mouth already for next fall. Coach Seth Littrell, who has just finished up an offensive coordinator gig at the University of North Carolina, has passed his first real test as a collegiate head coach with flying colors. Together with a new staff, which will feature former Texas Tech star quarterback Graham Harrell as offensive coordinator, Coach Littrell has assembled one of the best recruiting classes that North Texas has seen in years.
Leading the freshman recruits are wide receiver Rico Bussey, Jr. from Eisenhower HS in Lawton, Okla., and linebacker Ladarius Hamilton from Corrigan-Camden HS in Moscow, Texas. Both young men were three-star recruits according to Rivals.com ranks, and each will, along with their fellow freshman, look to make an immediate impact on their respective sides of the ball. The class of transfers is headlined by Bryce English from Kansas State, who was ranked as one of the top 30 defensive tackles in the nation by Rivals.com, and quarterback Alec Morris, a fifth-year senior transferring from Alabama, who will look to make his mark in his first year as a starter.
Here is the full class, from MeanGreenSports.com:
Coach Littrell could be found at UNT's annual meet and greet at Apogee Stadium on Wednesday, where he introduced his new staff and support team to the school's many alumni and fans. After a speech where he laid out his view for the football team and the players who will hope to make it special, Coach Littrell spoke to yours truly about preparing for the upcoming season. When asked about what fans could expect from the new Mean Green offense, Littrell was quick to simmer expectations.
"There aren't any expectations until we get to spring ball, but the whole team, offense, defense and special teams, we're all going to prepare like champions," Littrell said.
It definitely seems like an exciting time to be a fan of North Texas football and, now that Coach Littrell has the first hurdle cleared, let's all hope for several more come next season. Let's go Mean Green!
