Green Gang Blog

By Steven Bartolotta, August 7, 2009, 8:43 a.m.

Okay we've already told you about K.C. Obi joining North Texas, it's now time to unveil his new linemate.

The second name please......defensive end LaChris Anyiam of Allen, Texas.

Do a quick search on Anyiam and your head will turn with glee because this is a gift from the football gods.

Anyiam checked in at 6-4, 287 on Wednesday and you couldn't ask for a better built player at the defensive end position. Anyiam's story is a little interesting how he ended up at North Texas. Recruited by the big boys, he was set with offers from Nebraska, Kansas State, Kansas, Arkansas, Arizona, and Iowa State during the regular recruiting process.

"I had a lot of different offers out there but because I hadn't qualified yet it was a little overwhelming what all the coaches were telling me I had to do," Anyiam said. "I decided that I would go to Trinity Valley and hopefully in a few years get everything back on track."

 North Texas was in the hunt for Anyiam from the start.

"He was the first defensive lineman that we offered way back in the spring of 2008," said coach Todd Dodge.  "He came to our junior day, played on Allen's state title team in 2008, but never took the test and didn't have a score. He was going to go to junior college at Trinity Valley."

So when February came around he didn't have a home. Anyiam was resigned to going to Trinity Valley and then seeing what happened in two years.  North Texas, along with Kansas, kept in touch with Anyiam but it was a chance encounter that sealed the deal.

"It's a funny story because one day I went out to the practice fields (at Allen HS) and saw Coach Dodge and Coach Peterson," said Anyiam. "At the same time Coach Gamble came running out saying that I'd passed my tests. Later on Coach Peterson said they still had a spot open and then I committed."

Luckily for the Mean Green he took the qualifying test, passed it, and the rest as they say is history.

The lesson here fellas, never burn bridges because you never know what can happen and for North Texas they just stole one that probably belongs in the Big 12.

Since the last game of the year against Arkansas State, here is a list of names being brought in to bolster the defensive line.

LaChris Anyiam
Shavod  Atkinson
Tevinn Cantly (redshirted last year)
Joe Hawthorne (redshirted last year)
Kelvin Jackson
K.C. Obi
John Weber
Kyle White