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Rachel Nichols breaks down the chances that the Dolphins use their first-round pick, No. 8 overall, on Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

SMU's visit to Baylor, which opens the college football season for both, will happen a day later than scheduled to accommodate national TV.

The non-conference game will instead take place at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 2 and will be aired on FSN.

In addition, Baylor's road opener at Louisiana-Monroe switches to 7 p.m. Sept. 21 and will be carried by either ESPN or ESPN2. The game was originally scheduled for Sept. 22.

SMU ended last season with a 28-6 victory over Pitt in the BBVA Compass Bowl. Baylor won a barnburner over Washington in the Valero Alamo Bowl, 67-56.

Coppell's Nick Jordan might not have any time to watch and learn during his freshman year at Texas.

With the kickers the Longhorns have on campus struggling this spring, the job could be Jordan's for the taking.

HornsNation's Carter Strickland took a look at the Texas kicking situation Wednesday. Here's an excerpt about Jordan.

Jordan has the credentials. He was considered one of the top five kickers in the country, played in the U.S. Army All-American game and missed only five field goals in high school.

“We saw him kick out on a 60-plus-yard field goal, and he pulled it a little bit left,” Brown said. “But so we have seen him with a very strong leg.”

Read the full post here.

Josina Anderson recaps Oklahoma State's pro day, where Justin Blackmon and Brandon Weeden practiced in front of NFL scouts.

North Texas's football team will appear either on ESPN or ESPN2 for a midweek contest against Louisiana-Lafeyette on Oct. 16 at Apogee Stadium.

UNT, which released its 2012 football schedule Thursday, opens the season Sept. 1 at national runner-up LSU. The Mean Green's home opener comes a week later against Texas Southern. Road games against Kansas State and Houston round out the schedule.

Troy's visit Sept. 22 marks the start of UNT's Sun Belt slate. With the addition of South Alabama to the conference schedule, the Mean Green will not play Florida International in 2012.

Five of UNT's 12 opponents played in bowl games last season.

The ESPN date against ULL gives UNT an opportunity to feature Apogee Stadium on a national stage. The facility opened last September, replacing Fouts Field.

Robert Griffin III stops ESPN Radio and calls out Todd McShay for being scouted as a wide receiver last year instead of a quarterback.

Jake Raulerson's voyage from Celina to Austin included 5,200 miles on the road, routine meals at Cracker Barrel and nights at Motel 6 and plenty of country music.

The junior Celina offensive tackle, perhaps the state's top recruit in the class of 2013, put plenty of time and money into his college research before committing to Texas last week.

William Wilkerson takes a closer look at Raulerson's recruiting trail over at HornsNation. Here's an excerpt:

Because Jake isn't a senior, all of the trips he took had to be paid for by him and his family. Prospects aren't allowed to take official visits (when schools pay your way) until their senior season.But the Raulersons thought it would be beneficial if they took the time, and spent the money, to let Jake experience these programs first-hand so he could make a commitment with a clear conscience, having left no stone unturned.

"I believe that it gave me an edge," Jake said. "It helps. Some families don't have the opportunity to go to all of these places (on unofficial visits). It helps. If you are from Texas and one of your favorite schools is Florida, Alabama or Tennessee, it's a long way from home. If you never get the chance to be able to see it, then you lose your advantage if you go there and commit and don't like it. It's because you never got the chance to look at it."

Jake was well aware of the monetary sacrifice that his family made for those trips, so he made sure to get his money's worth.

"I made sure I looked at every detail of everywhere I went," he said. "The coaches, the campus, the atmosphere. You could ask me one little thing about the schools, and I could tell you what I liked, didn't like. It gives me the upper hand in knowing what is right for me."

And for that, Jake is forever grateful.

Read the full story here.

ESPN Midlands Regional Recruiting Coordinator Damon Sayles interviews Mesquite Horn cornerback De’Vante Harris, one of Texas A&M’s newest recruits.

DeSOTO, Texas -- After signing a letter of intent with Texas, Bryson Echols said the feeling was one of relief.

“I worked hard since I was a freshman for this day and now I’m glad it is over,’’ said the DeSoto cornerback, who is No. 79 in the ESPNU 150.

Echols (5-foot-10, 175 pounds) was a four-year varsity player for the Eagles, competing at one of the most difficult of positions. He made an early oral commitment to Mack Brown and the Longhorns.

Claude Mathis, DeSoto’s head coach throughout Echols' career, could not be a part of signing day. Mathis recently accepted a job as an assistant coach at the University of Houston.

“Even though Coach Mathis wasn’t here in person, I know his heart was here,’’ Echols said.

Keller Central's Zach Sanchez was one of the few athletes not playing quarterback or running back who could take over a game by himself.

Now Sanchez will try to do the same in the Big 12.

The receiver/defensive back signed a national letter of intent to play for Oklahoma on Wednesday, finishing a career that may leave him as the best player in Central's short history.

Sanchez caught 45 balls for 994 yards and 13 touchdowns in addition to his work on the defensive side of the ball, where he was one of the most feared DBs in the area.

The senior's defining performance came against Denton Guyer. He caught two touchdown passes and returned an interception 85 yards for a touchdown in Central's 21-14 win.

That win went a long way toward solidifying Central's first playoff berth in school history. Central beat Coppell in Week 10 in what amounted to a playoff play-in game, and the Chargers put a scare into top-ranked Allen in bi-district before losing 30-17 at Cowboys Stadium.

Sanchez was originally committed to Baylor but switched late in the process.

Central offensive lineman Simon Goines also signed on Wednesday. He joins Jim Mora's first class at UCLA.

DeSOTO, Texas -- DeSoto offensive lineman Curtis Riser put pen to paper on Wednesday and became a Texas Longhorn.

“It was always between Texas and LSU in my mind,’’ said the 6-foot-3, 283-pounder who committed to the Horns on Junior Day. “Austin was more of a place I could see myself living.‘’

At DeSoto’s signing ceremony, coaches lauded Riser for playing his senior season six months after his second knee surgery, even though he had a commitment to Texas already in his pocket. Coaches said that showed Riser’s dedication to his teammates.

“The knee feels great now,’’ Riser said. “I looking forward to getting down to Austin and show people what I’ve got.’’

DeSOTO, Texas -- The tradition of DeSoto sending a top-flight defensive lineman to Texas A&M continued when Michael Richardson signed a letter of intent Wednesday in a massive ceremony at the school gym.

The Aggies had three former DeSoto players on last year's team, including defensive lineman Tony Jerod-Eddie.

“It's like a pipeline and I’m keeping the tradition going,’’ said Richardson, an end who is following the same trail that Von Miller blazed with great results five years ago. “Hopefully some other DeSoto guys will follow me next year.’’

Richardson was an early Aggie commitment, but A&M’s head coaching change caused him concern. That concern ended when he met the new staff and new head coach Kevin Sumlin.

“Coach Sumlin reminded me a lot of my high school coach, Coach [Claude] Mathis,’’ said Richardson, one of 22 DeSoto players to sign on Wednesday.

“What really makes me proud is that we had seven defensive linemen last season and six of them signed today,’’ Richardson said.

For the occasion, Richardson wore an Aggies hat that featured the University of Texas mascot, Bevo, with sawed horns.

He said he wore the cap to annoy offensive lineman and good buddy Curtis Riser, seated at the table nearest Richardson. Riser signed with the Longhorns.

Local recruits are flocking to Baylor on national signing day.

As of 9:30 Wednesday morning, the Bears had announced the signing of 20 recruits, eight of them from the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The Bears have received signed letters of intent from two Wylie players, DB Terrell Burt and OL Kyle Fuller.

Also headed down I-35 to Waco are Denton Ryan DL Dominique Banks, Richardson Pearce WR Corey Coleman, Hebron WR Kiante' Griffin, Euless Trinity LB Brian Nance, McKinney Boyd DE Jamal Palmer and Garland QB Seth Russell.

MARBLE FALLS, Texas -- Todd Dodge is returning to Texas high school coaching five years after a dominant run of four state championships in five seasons.

Dodge was hired Monday night at Marble Falls, ending a college stint that started when the University of North Texas hired Dodge after he went 79-1 in a five-season stretch at Southlake Carroll.

The rare move from high school to a Division I program didn't work out for Dodge. He was 6-37 before getting fired in the middle of his fourth season at UNT. He was the quarterbacks coach at Pittsburgh last year.

Dodge's overall high school record is 124-46 at four schools.

Marble Falls is a Class 4A school 50 miles northwest of Austin, where Dodge has family ties and was a starting quarterback for Texas in the 1980s.

According to The River Cities Daily Tribune, Marble Falls High School is hoping to hire former Southlake Carroll and University of North Texas football coach Todd Dodge.

The report said Dodge visited the school Wednesday and was introduced to the booster club.

"The primary purpose of this evaluation is to allow [Dodge and his family] to see if this is the place they want to be," Marble Falls school district spokesman Bruce Peckover told The Daily Tribune.

Marble Falls, which is about 45 miles northwest of Austin, went 4-6 last season, including 1-5 in District 25-4A.

Dodge coached for seven seasons at Southlake Carroll, leading the Dragons to state championships in 2002, '04, '05 and '06. He left for the North Texas job starting in 2007 but went 6-37 before being fired during the 2010 season. He was quarterbacks coach at the University of Pittsburgh last season.