College Football Team To Watch In 2019: North Texas Mean Green

College Football Team To Watch In 2019:

North Texas Mean Green

UCF has emerged as the model for teams outside of college football’s Power Five that want to grow into a contender. The keys have been taking advantage of a big television market, in state recruiting, and a large student body.  

The next mid-major team I see with the best chance of following UCFs winning formula is North Texas.  

“I think it can be a monster,” said UNT coach Seth Littrell. “I think it’s one of those places that once you get it rolling, I think it’s going to continue if the support and resources continue to stay where it’s at.”

North Texas recently unveiled Light The Tower, a master plan that’s spread across the entire athletics department, cost over $10 million, and will take almost 20 years to complete.  With only a few parts dedicated to the football program, their recent success has been great publicity for the whole athletic department

The plan states, “At the completion of the Light the Tower campaign, almost all of our sports will have doubled the square footage of their facilities, an expansion that will have a tremendous impact on the lives of our coaches, staff and, most importantly, our student-athletes.”

An indoor practice facility is already under construction and there are plans in the works for an expanded football locker room, a larger weight room, and training facilities and new video boards at Apogee Stadium.

The winning, hype, and facility improvements have allowed North Texas to tap into more local talent as well.  UNT added 23 recruits this past week, including 20 3-star prospects. The Mean Green’s 2019 recruiting class climbed to No. 55 according to Rivals.com, compared to a No. 94 ranking in 2017, Littrell’s first real recruiting class.

“North Texas, our football program, got a lot better today,” said Littrell.  “We signed 23 prospects that are not only great football players, but men that fit our culture, and are gonna continue to come in and be great teammates that fit our locker room. There’s no doubt in my mind they’re gonna be a group that is gonna huge reason why we continue having success here, and continuing to build and grow toward winnings championships.”

Littrell is 23-16, having gone 5-8, 9-5 and now 9-3 in his three seasons at North Texas.  With his QB returning next season and recruiting bringing in strong local talent, the program will continue trending up.  

“When you have a really good young coach, and I think the AD, Wren Baker, is a rising star,” said SMU coach Sonny Dykes, “I think that they understand … how much potential that place has.”

By: Chris Czaplinski