Twenty-nine former Texans are returning home albeit for one a night stand against the University of North Texas. This Saturday the University of Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks will be the Homecoming opponent for North Texas at Apogee Stadium with kick-off slated for 4 P.M. Those 29 Texas players are coming home to show North Texas they made a mistake by not signing them.  Several are now starters and others are building experience.

New North Texas Head Football Coach Dan McCarney is worried about some of those players coming home because last week they help beat up preseason Sun Belt Conference frontrunner Troy at Troy 38-10. It basically dropped Troy out of the Sun Belt Conference Title chase. With one conference loss ULM is still in the Sun Belt Conference Title picture, a lost against North Texas would put them out of title contention.

The starting quarterback is Sophomore Kolton Browning whom in six games has a 113.8 efficiency rating with 110 completions in 184 attempts with four interceptions for a 59.8 completion percentage. He has thrown for six touchdowns, 1,043 yards and averages 173.8 passing yards a game.  

The left-hander is from Mabank, Texas and was ranked the #71 quarterback in the nation by Scout.com and according to their site, he received only two offers, ULM and Tulsa with Rice showing interest. North Texas was not in his picture.

Former Keller High School star Wide Receiver Leonard Brent is second on the team with 61.2 yards a game. He has started all six games this year, caught 38 balls for 367 yards for a nice average of 9.7 yards a catch.

Colby Harper has played in six games, starting three with nine catches for 96 yards or 10.7 yards per catch and has one solo tackle. The redshirt freshman starred at Wylie High School.

From Garland’s Naaman Forest High School is Safety Freshman Cordero Smith. Coming in relief in five games he has recorded three solo tackles and three assists.  

DeSoto High School Eddie Vincent has started six games at corner getting 22 solo tackles, eight assists and has one interception.

Monterrell Washington, running back from Bryan, has seen action in six games carrying the ball eight times for twenty yards.

Georgetown High School’s Ian McCoig, QB has seen action in one game. 

Another DeSoto High product, via the University of Arizona is Linebacker R.J. Young. In the six games he has started he has six tackles and eight assists.

Wichita Falls’s Nate Brown has seen action in five games, starting four games, he has twenty solo tackles and eight assists. The safety is from Burkburnett High School.

Junior Lineback DaCorris Ford comes from Longview High School and has gotten into six games and has recorded four solo tackles and five assists.

From Canton High School is Tight End Keavon Milton who has been in three games catching four balls for 24 yards.

Julian Griffin has one catch in one game for seven yards and is from Gladewater High School.

The Unsung heroes are the big guys along the line. Three Texas players anchor two of the positions on offense and one on defense.

On offense are Left Guard Josh Allen from Cedar Hill and South Grand Prairie High product Right Guard Jonathan Gill who nailed down his position the second game of the season.  

Over on defense the Texas starter is Kentarius Caldwell, the Berkner High School prep has started all games at the nose tackle possession.

Other players getting playing time Joey Gautney, DE, from Whitehouse High School; Malcolm Edmond, DE, Liberty-Eylau High School; Darious Lively, DE, Lancaster High School; Justin Roberts, OL, Mt. Pleasant High School; Elliot Hilliard, DE from Killeen’s Shoemaker High School and Patrick Dvoracek, OL Mansville Tiberview High School via Trinity Valley and Fort Riley JC/CC’s.  

This will be an emotional game for ULM. They will be playing for a chance at the conference title and to play against a team that overlooked them. They will be playing lights out football to make a point. 

While North Texas is playing before a Homecoming crowd, it has been years since they won three games at home. The point they have to prove is to McCarney is they are better Texas players than the ones that left home and are making a visit this Saturday.

This should be a fun game for the fans.  There will be a lot of Texas and Denton area people in the stands pulling to see ULM knock off North Texas.