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North Texas defensive tackle Dion Novil was among five UNT players who was named a team captain on Sunday. Running back DeAndre Torrey, linebacker KD Davis, offensive lineman Manase Mose and deep snapper Nate Durham were also named captains. Dion Novil was among a host of North Texas veterans who elected to return for a fifth season with the Mean Green in 2021 in the hope of pushing the team to new heights. "I have a lot more to prove and a lot left in the tank," the defensive tackle said this fall. "I want to leave on a high note." Novil will have a chance to do just that while serving as a team captain along with four other UNT veterans. UNT announced it had selected its captains on Sunday afternoon. Running back DeAndre Torrey is the other fifth-year senior among the group. - Denton Record

(DS#25 DT) rSr/2022

DT Dion Novil, North Texas
News Source: Denton Record
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08/28/21 - Dion Novil, rSr/2022, North Texas, 6-1, 300 (DS#25 DT) + More +

North Texas defensive tackle Dion Novil returned for a fifth season with the Mean Green because he felt like he had unfinished business. Novil wants to win a title and is making the move to defensive tackle in a four-man front in the hope that he can help UNT reach that goal. Dion Novil stopped this fall to think about all he has done over four seasons at North Texas - starting with the positions he's manned on the Mean Green's defensive line. Defensive end? Yep. That was early in his career. Nose tackle? Yeah, he's done that too. Novil hit the carbs hard to push his weight to 330 pounds and get ready for all the double teams he took on last year.

The Abilene native is on the move again this fall, this time to tackle in a four-man front to complete his defensive line tour of duty. "I have played every position on the defensive line, now that you mention it," Novil said. The senior has never hesitated to do what's been asked and certainly won't deviate from that approach now. Not when he's down to his last shot at the one goal he always wanted to reach at UNT but hasn't managed to knock off his bucket list. "I can't say I am too proud of what I have accomplished because we haven't won a championship," Novil said. "That's one of my biggest goals. There's still one thing missing." - Denton Record

(DS#25 DT) rSr/2022

DT Dion Novil, North Texas
News Source: Denton Record
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08/21/21 - Manase Mose, rSr/2023, North Texas, 6-2, 297 (DS#19 C) + More +

Manase Mose stepped into North Texas' starting lineup as a redshirt freshman back in 2018 and hasn't left since. The awards have quickly stacked up for the former Euless Trinity standout along the way. The latest came Thursday when Mose was named to the watchlist for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award. The honor is presented annually to a player of Polynesian ancestry who displays ability and integrity. Mose has started all 35 games he has played for the Mean Green since his redshirt freshman season. He started out at guard before moving to center last season.

Mose is working at both guard and center as UNT prepares for its season opener against Northwestern State on Sept. 4. "It will help me in the long run," Mose said of playing multiple spots. "I feel comfortable doing it and helping the team get better. I feel good about our offensive line. We have a lot of experience coming back." Mose will be among the leaders of the group as he looks to build on his list of accomplishments that have piled up over the last few years. He was named to the All-Conference USA Freshman Team in 2018, when he was also an honorable mention all-league pick. Mose was named honorable mention all-league again last season in his first year at center. - Denton Record

(DS#19 C) rSr/2023

C Manase Mose, North Texas
News Source: Denton Record
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08/17/21 - DeAndre Torrey, rSr/2022, North Texas, 5-07, 201 (DS#71 RB) + More +

One of the big questions at the beginning of fall practice every year for any college football team is if the offseason pronouncements of change show up when things go live. Do the players who change positions stick at their new spots? What about coaches filling new roles? What's transpired over the first couple of days of practice indicate most of those changes are here to stay. One of the interesting tweaks of the offseason was running back DeAndre Torrey seeing time in the slot. It's easy to see why UNT might want to try it out. Torrey is one of the Mean Green's most dynamic players with the ball in his hands. He enters his senior season ranked ninth in program history with 3,324 all-purpose yards. He's scored 27 touchdowns in his time with the Mean Green. Torrey was running drills with UNT's wide receivers today and looked good. The Mississippi native said earlier this fall that he was getting used to his new role. - Denton Record

(DS#71 RB) rSr/2022

RB DeAndre Torrey, North Texas
News Source: Denton Record
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08/07/21 - Dion Novil, rSr/2022, North Texas, 6-1, 300 (DS#25 DT) + More +

North Texas defensive lineman Dion Novil and offensive lineman Manase Mose were named to the watch list for the Lombardi award on Thursday. The honor is presented to the top lineman or linebacker in college football each season. Both offensive and defensive linemen are eligible for the award that takes performance into account as well as how candidates exemplify the charter and discipline of NFL Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi. There were a total of 80 players named to the watch list. Novil has been a force throughout his four seasons at UNT. The Abilene native elected to return for a fifth season with the Mean Green after being named to the All-Conference USA first team in 2020.

Novil finished with 38 tackles, including 8.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in 10 games in 2020 while facing constant double teams as UNT's nose tackle. Novil started out as a defensive end at UNT before moving inside to tackle. He has gradually improved, from being a backup as a freshman to a part-time starter to one of the top linemen in Conference USA. "I owe everything to North Texas," Novil said last season. "I came in here not having a high football IQ, not having good technique to where I am right now. It's actually pretty cool seeing the transformation." Novil enters the 2021 season with 135 tackles, 28 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in his career and will have the chance to quickly add to those totals in a new scheme. - Denton Record

(DS#25 DT) rSr/2022

DT Dion Novil, North Texas
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08/01/21 - DeAndre Torrey, rSr/2022, North Texas, 5-07, 201 (DS#71 RB) + More +

North Texas running back DeAndre Torrey made quite the impression in his debut with the Mean Green back in 2018, when he returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown in a win over SMU. Returning kicks wasn't expected to be the way Torrey made an impact with the Mean Green. Torrey's time on special teams turned out to be just one of several ways he's contributed that also include eclipsing the 2,000-yard mark in career rushing yards and the 3,000-yard mark in all-purpose yards.

Those varied talents landed Torrey on the watch list for the Paul Hornung Award on Thursday. There were 57 players included on the initial list of candidates for the honor that is presented to the most versatile player in college football each season. Torrey has scored 27 touchdowns in his career with the Mean Green, including 23 rushing touchdowns, a total that ranks seventh in program history. He has three receiving touchdowns to go along with his kick return for a score. - Denton Record

(DS#71 RB) rSr/2022

RB DeAndre Torrey, North Texas
News Source: Denton Record
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07/30/21 - Dion Novil, rSr/2022, North Texas, 6-1, 300 (DS#25 DT) + More +

Landing Dion Novil back in 2017 didn't appear like a huge win for North Texas. The Abilene Wylie defensive tackle wasn't highly recruited or regarded. To say Novil's come a long way since would be a huge understatement. The latest indication came Tuesday when he was included on the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. The award is presented to the defensive player of the year in college football each season. Novil is among 90 players who were included on the list. The senior earned first-team All-Conference USA honors last season when he finished with 37 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in 10 games.

Novil elected to return for a second chance at his senior season after the NCAA granted football players an additional season of eligibility in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 campaign will be Novil's fifth with the Mean Green. That decision to return will allow Novil to build on his budding legacy at UNT, a school he credits with helping him develop into an NFL prospect. "I owe everything to North Texas," Novil said last season. "I came in here not having a high football IQ, not having good technique to where I am right now. It's actually pretty cool seeing the transformation." Novil enters the 2021 season with 135 tackles, 28 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in his career. - Denton Record

(DS#25 DT) rSr/2022

DT Dion Novil, North Texas
News Source: Denton Record
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07/14/21 - Jace Ruder, rSr/2025, North Texas, 6-2, 237 (DS#999 ILB) + More +

North Texas made a bit of a splash a few weeks ago when it landed North Carolina transfer quarterback Jace Ruder. The Kansas native is a former four-star prospect and just the type of player who could have an impact on a team's fortunes. He's far from being the only quarterback entering Conference USA this season who fits that profile. Luke McCaffrey went from Louisville to Rice. Austin Kendall joined the fray last week when he jumped from West Virginia to Louisiana Tech. And that's just for starters. There are more than a half dozen high profile quarterback transfers who have landed in C-USA heading into the 2021 season. N'Kosi Perry moved from one beach town to another when he went from Miami to Florida Atlantic. Former Texas A&M quarterback James Foster ended up at Charlotte. - Denton Record

(DS#999 ILB) rSr/2025

ILB Jace Ruder, North Texas
News Source: Denton Record
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07/06/21 - Austin Aune, rJr/2023, North Texas, 6-2, 215 (DS#42 QB) + More +

It wasn't that long ago that quarterback Austin Aune and his teammates were essentially on their own. The COVID-19 pandemic forced UNT to shut down its athletics facilities last summer. The Mean Green's players trained any way they could, running in parks and lifting at home. Aune can see the difference the return to a regular routine has made for the Mean Green over the last few weeks. "Our offseason has been great," Aune said recently. "The biggest difference between this offseason and last year is we couldn't do the offseason program last year. We're in great shape to have a good year. The culture of the team is in a good place. Guys are pushing each other and holding each other accountable." UNT is hoping that change will help it build on a 4-6 season that culminated with a loss to Appalachian State in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. The Mean Green have played in bowl games in four of their five seasons under coach Seth Littrell. UNT will enter the fall looking to break through for its first bowl win since the Heart of Dallas Bowl at the end of the 2013 season. - Denton Record

(DS#42 QB) rJr/2023

QB Austin Aune, North Texas
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06/26/21 - Jaelon Darden, Sr/2021, North Texas, 5-08, 174 (DS#27 WR) + More +

Jaelon Darden and Hope Trautwein dazzled North Texas fans throughout 2020-21 school year. Darden needed just nine games to post 19 receiving touchdowns, while Trautwein became the first known player to strike out all 21 batters in a Division I softball game. Those accomplishments and others landed both on the short list of contenders for Conference USA's Michael L. Slive athlete of the year awards. The league announced its list of contenders for both awards on Friday. Each of the nominees received player of the year honors in their individual sports.

Darden was named C-USA's Most Valuable Player after posting one of the best individual seasons in program history. The Houston native became the first UNT player to be named a consensus All-American since program legend "Mean" Joe Greene in 1968. The 5-foot-9 speedster caught 74 passes for 1,190 yards in his final season with the Mean Green. He became the first UNT player selected in the NFL draft since linebacker Cody Spencer in 2004 when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him in the fourth round on May 1. "It shows how much they trusted me," Darden said. "They loved what I was doing. I am shocked that I was picked by the Super Bowl champs." - FOX 4 TV News, Dallas

(DS#27 WR) Sr/2021

WR Jaelon Darden, North Texas
News Source: FOX 4 TV News, Dallas
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06/25/21 - Austin Aune, rJr/2023, North Texas, 6-2, 215 (DS#42 QB) + More +

North Texas still has a long way to go before opening the 2021 football season. Summer workouts have yet to wrap up. There is still an entire fall camp for UNT to sort out how it will build on its fourth bowl appearance in five years. That didn't prevent UNT coach Seth Littrell from laying out where the Mean Green stand now when it comes to the race for the starting quarterback job on Thursday. "Right now, in June, it's Austin Aune," Littrell said during the first session of UNT's annual coaches' caravan. "Austin had a great spring and is having a great summer. Other guys did as well. We will see how it goes as we move forward as we always do. I feel very good about where we are at. Austin did a lot of great things this past season." The race for the starting quarterback job was just one of a host of topics UNT coaches and officials addressed during a wide-ranging series of interviews during a virtual event. - Denton Record

(DS#42 QB) rJr/2023

QB Austin Aune, North Texas
News Source: Denton Record
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05/27/21 - Greg Francis, rSr/2022, North Texas, 6-2, 195 (DS#999 SS) + More +

North Texas landed UNLV transfer defensive back Greg Francis on Tuesday, when the Mean Green continued to load up on players who could immediately bolster their defense. Francis announced his decision on his Twitter account. The Las Vegas native did not play during what was supposed to be his senior season in 2020. UNLV coach Marcus Arroyo announced in November that Francis had opted out of the remainder of the season. He will have one season of eligibility remaining at UNT. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Bishop Gorman product played as a backup defensive back and on special teams in 2017 and 2018 before emerging as a starter in 2019. - Denton Record

(DS#999 SS) rSr/2022

SS Greg Francis, North Texas
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05/22/21 - Dion Novil, rSr/2022, North Texas, 6-1, 300 (DS#25 DT) + More +

The best news UNT received in the offseason was Novil's decision to return for a second chance at his senior season. Novil was a force in the middle of UNTs three-man defensive front last season when he posted 38 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks while facing constant double teams. One of the intriguing storylines for the Mean Green heading into the 2021 season is how Novil will fare under new coordinator Phil Bennett. The former SMU coach said he would like Novil to slim down from the 330 pounds he played at last season and become more active. UNT will base out of a four-man front under Bennett, which will open opportunities for Novil to see more one-on-one matchups and become an even bigger pass-rushing force. Novil has the type of talent that should make him an elite player in C-USA again this season no matter how UNT uses him. - Denton Record

(DS#25 DT) rSr/2022

DT Dion Novil, North Texas
News Source: Denton Record
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05/22/21 - Manase Mose, rSr/2023, North Texas, 6-2, 297 (DS#19 C) + More +

Mose seems like he has been a staple of UNT's offensive line forever. That's a good thing, as far as the Mean Green are concerned. The former Euless Trinity standout has started 35 straight games since moving into the lineup at right guard as a redshirt freshman in 2018. Mose moved to center last season to replace his brother, Sosaia Mose, after he graduated. Manase Mose was an honorable mention All-C-USA selection last season, when UNT's offensive line was arguably the Mean Green's most improved and effective unit. He should be in for another big season this fall. - Denton Record

(DS#19 C) rSr/2023

C Manase Mose, North Texas
News Source: Denton Record
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05/17/21 - Makyle Sanders, rSr/2022, North Texas, 6-1, 206 (DS#108 SS) + More +

Sanders finished second among UNT players last season with 68 tackles to go along with two interceptions. The senior entered the NCAA transfer portal after the season. He pulled his name out after exploring his options and will return to UNT for another season. Sanders should be among the Mean Green's most productive defensive players again in 2021. - Denton Record

(DS#108 SS) rSr/2022

SS Makyle Sanders, North Texas
News Source: Denton Record
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