Similarly to all athletic programs around the nation, the North Texas Athletic department had a signing frenzy on National Signing Day. Here’s a compiled list of all the recruits who were inked yesterday. The North Texas Daily will be providing updates on any new recruitment signings in the future.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
On Wednesday, North Texas women’s basketball inked three recruits for their 2021 class including guards Chloe Callahan and Kendall McGruder, and forward Aniya Johnson.
Chloe Callahan | 5-foot-9 | Guard — Canyon High School (Canyon, Texas)
Callahan is a 5-foot-9 shooting guard coming from Canyon High School which is north of Lubbock in Canyon, Texas. She was named Co-Offensive Player of her district after the 2019-20 season and was also named to the UIL 4A All-State Team last season.
In coming to North Texas, Chloe joins her sister, Candain, who is a sophomore player for the softball team.
“We are ecstatic for Chloe to join our team, as she brings some intangibles along with her talent,” head coach Jalie Mitchell said. “She is a true shooting guard with length, rare passing ability, active hands-on defense and most importantly she loves to compete with her teammates.”
Kendall McGruder | 5-foot-9 | Guard — South Grand Prairie High School (Grand Prairie, Texas)
McGruder is another 5-foot-9 guard in North Texas’ 2021 class. McGruder attended South Grand Prairie High School in Grand Prairie, Texas, and was named to the District 7-6A All-District first team and 6A Region 1 Girls All-Region team last season.
McGruder is known for her 3-point shooting and defense and has acquired nicknames accordingly — “Sniper,” for her shooting ability, and “Swiper,” for her defensive prowess.
“[McGruder] comes to us from incredible high school and summer programs where she’s been taught the value of hard work, the importance of teamwork and certainly how to win,” Mitchell said. “She is an all-around exceptional young lady who will wear No. 1 here at UNT and hope to take that spot in your hearts as well.”
Aniyah Johnson | 6-foot-2 | Forward — Red Oak High School (Red Oak, Texas)
At 6-foot-2, Johnson is a tall forward who will instantly be one of the tallest players for North Texas.
The Red Oak High School product was selected to the 5A Region 2 All-Region Team and UIL Girls 5A All-State Team last season. She was also last season’s Defensive MVP for District 14-5A. Mitchell says Johnson is an efficient scorer and energetic rebounder who brings high motor and leadership skills to the team.
“[Johnson] brings a natural passion for the game and shows up to outwork everybody on a daily basis,” Mitchell said. “She is never content, instead always working to improve. My favorite thing about her is that she is a true team player — selfless, giving and willing to do whatever it takes!”
WOMEN’S GOLF
North Texas women’s golf filled its one slot in the 2021 recruiting class on Wednesday by signing Prosper High School product Chandler Browning.
Chandler Browning | Prosper High School (Prosper, Texas)
In not playing competitive golf until her freshman year of high school, Browning got a later start in the sport compared to most high-level golfers.
She is the daughter of former North Texas golfer Matt Browning, who earned All-Southland Conference honors in his time with the Mean Green.
Chandler won five tournaments playing on the junior circuit over the summer and carded her personal-best round of 67 this July at the Tierra Verde Golf Club in Arlington, Texas.
“Chandler is improving fast and has the fire and determination I like,” head coach Michael Akers said. “I have learned a lot from watching the huge improvement of Lauren Cox over the past four and a half years. At the end of the day, we need the golfers who will put in the extra time and have the desire to be great. I believe Chandler has those traits.”
VOLLEYBALL
The North Texas volleyball team signed its first two players to the 2021 recruiting class on Wednesday, both players outsiders to Texas.
Andrea Owens | 6-foot-2 | Outside hitter — Salpointe Catholic High School (Tucson, Arizona)
As a four-year letter winner at Salpointe, Owens set a school record for most career kills (865). She was named to the Southern Arizona All-Decade team and earned First-Team All-State honors all four years.
“I’ve known [Owens] since she was six-years-old,” head coach Andrew Palileo said. “Not only will she bring a high volleyball IQ to our team but a game that is very versatile.”
Along with 865-plus career kills, she has tallied 115 aces and 87 blocks in her career with the Lancers.
Currently in her senior season, she’s led the team to a 14-2 record and leads the team with 185 kills and a .359 hitting percentage.
Owens played for the Arizona High Performance Team in 2018, recently joining the Southern Arizona Volleyball Academy under Michael and Natalia Owens.
Katie Butler | 5-foot-11 | Setter — Old Tappan High School (Rockleigh, New Jersey)
According to Prep Dig, Butler was the No. 2 overall player and the No. 1 setter in New Jersey.
“Katie is a very athletic setter that’s played at a high level,” Palileo said. “She will give us the option of running several offensive systems because of her size and leadership.”
In 2019, Butler was named the top U.S. setter at Global Challenge 2019 in Pula, Croatia.
In her freshman season at Old Tappan, Butler led her team to a state championship and later to multiple city district titles and a county title within the last two seasons.
Butler played club volleyball with USANY, where she is the captain of the team. She was also placed on the academic honor roll during her freshman and sophomore years.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Chrisdon Morgan | 6-foot-8 | Foward — Desoto High School (Desoto, Texas)
Morgan is a 6-foot-8 forward who averaged 12 points and 11.5 rebounds per game in 2019, earning second-team All-District for Texas 7-6A. He’s led the Eagles to back-to-back postseason berths at the 6A level. DeSoto has also been ranked in the Top 25 nationally five times with a winning percentage of 83 percent during that time period, according to MaxPreps computer rankings.
Morgan is the son of Ronnie Morgan who was a Southland All-Conference men’s basketball player for the Mean Green in the late 1980s.
Morgan played for the Urban DFW Elite AAU team. Recently passed, Urban head coach Jazzy Hartwell coached current player Zachary Simmons.
Matthew Stone | 6-foot-4 | Guard — Kingfisher High School (Kingfisher, Oklahoma)
Stone led Kingfisher High School’s team to a 4A Oklahoma state title in 2019, averaging 17.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-4 shooter is rated as a 3-star prospect by 247 Sports, Rivals and other recruiting outlets. He was named to the The Oklahoman’s Little All-City Second Team last season
“I’m excited to sign with UNT and I’m ready to get to work with everybody and ready to join the family,” Stone said.
Stone led the Yellowjackets to a 26-1 record in 2019 and surpassed 1,000 career points.
Stone chose North Texas over other offers including Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Tulsa, among others.
TENNIS
Jasmine Adams
North Texas tennis signed the second-highest ranked Australian U-18 women’s tennis player in Jasmine Adams Wednesday morning.
Adams has a Universal Tennis Rating of 10.31 and reached the round of 16 of the Australian Open juniors doubles twice in 2020.
“We are delighted to have Jasmine join the Mean Green family,” head coach Sujay Lama said. “She is a great competitor with tremendous character. Her work ethic is impeccable and she is the kind of player you want to play a deciding match for a championship.”
In 2017, Adams was selected to the All-Australian Team and later won the U-14 Australian National Doubles Title. Adams has participated with the Australian National Tennis Academy since 2017 and chose North Texas over Arizona, Texas A&M, Utah, UC Santa Barbara and St. Mary’s.
SOFTBALL
Rylan Dooner | IF | Tuttle High School (Tuttle, Oklahoma)
Carson Iltis | P/1B | North Lamar High School (Paris, Texas)
Emma Grahmann | Utility | Hallettsville High School (Hallettsville, Texas)
This article will be updated with the latest North Texas recruitment signings and news.
Featured Image: Located next to the Waranch Tennis Complex is the Soccer and Track & Field Complex on Nov. 11, 2020. Image by Zachary Thomas
Article Originally Published by Preston Rios on North Texas Daily
Source: North Texas Daily