North Texas has improved its performance in recruiting over the last few years.
The Mean Green have brought in more highly regarded players in its last three classes than in recent memory. The good news is that several of those players are contributing at a high level early in their careers.
Five of those players appear in the second segment of our annual countdown of the top players on UNT’s roster heading into the 2021 season.
Wide receivers Loronzo Thompson, Deonte Simpson and Jyaire Shorter have all made significant contributions already and are underclassmen. Defensive ends Gabriel and Grayson Murphy are also redshirt freshmen and contributed in a significant way last season.
Here’s where they land as we continue our countdown with Nos. 10-6:
10. Gabriel Murphy / redshirt freshman / defensive end and Grayson Murphy / redshirt freshman / defensive end
The Murphy brothers have been a package deal dating back to their days at Dallas Bishop Lynch and come in at No. 10 on this year’s countdown.
They came to UNT as linebackers and started out last season as backups. UNT coach Seth Littrell was impressed with what they showed in practice and decided to get them on the field as defensive ends. The pair saw their roles grow after playing sparingly in the first four games of the season.
Gabriel Murphy went on to finish with 5.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and two quarterback pressures. Grayson Murphy posted 4.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and four quarterback pressures.
The pair’s role should continue to grow this fall.
9. KD Davis / junior / linebacker
Davis led UNT with 70 tackles last season, when he also posted 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks.
The former Ennis standout was an honorable mention All-Conference USA selection in each of the last two seasons and has 158 tackles in that span.
Davis will be a key part of UNT’s plans to revamp a defense that struggled while allowing 42.8 points per game last season.
8. Loronzo Thompson / freshman / wide receiver
Thompson tackled the rare challenge of playing both offense and defense last season and contributed on both sides of the ball.
The former Friendswood Clear Brook standout began the 2020 season as a wide receiver before moving to cornerback. Thompson rose to the top of the depth chart by the end of the year and started UNT’s final two regular season games at cornerback. He moved back to wide receiver for the Myrtle Beach Bowl and caught five passes for 44 yards and two touchdowns.
Thompson posted 14 tackles on defense on the season.
UNT plans to move Thompson to offense on a permanent basis this fall. He should be in for a big season.
7. Jyaire Shorter / sophomore / wide receiver
Shorter emerged as one of UNT’s top offensive playmakers in 2019 when he caught 24 passes for 473 yards and nine touchdowns.
The hope heading into the 2020 campaign was that Shorter would continue to capitalize on his considerable potential. The Killeen native is one of the fastest players on UNT’s roster and is a matchup nightmare due to his size at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds.
Those hopes went unfulfilled after Shorter suffered a leg injury in the third week of the season that kept him out the remainder of the year.
Shorter will have the chance to return to form this fall and will be key to UNT’s reload at wide receiver after losing Jaelon Darden to the NFL.
6. Deonte Simpson / sophomore / wide receiver
Simpson caught 25 passes for 517 yards and four touchdowns last season, when he ranked second among UNT players in all three major receiving categories.
Simpson was a key weapon for UNT and will take on an even larger role in 2021 after the Mean Green lost their other two top wide receivers in Darden and Austin Ogunmakin, who transferred to Liberty.
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May 19, 2021 at 09:00PM
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North Texas roster countdown Nos. 10-6: Young stars enter list of Mean Green's top players - Denton Record Chronicle
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