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After announcing his top 4 as the University of Houston, the University of Kansas, Louisiana Tech, and the University of Connecticut on January 19, Nolan Catholic defensive end Vincent Paige took to twitter with a commitment some might not have seen coming:

Paige, who has played part of his high school career at Denton Guyer, chose Louisiana Tech's Conference USA rival North Texas. "North Texas is close to home," Paige explained. "I felt like it would be the best choice for me."

As a three-star recruit, Paige has made his presence in the Dallas-Fort Worth area known for both Nolan Catholic high school and Denton Guyer. In 2019, Paige helped lead Guyer to the Class 6A Division II state title game. In 2020, Paige helped lead Nolan Catholic to the TAPPS Division I state title game. During his first season with the Vikings, the 6'3" 235 pound junior recorded 72 total tackles, 44 solo tackles, and 5 sacks averaging 8 tackles per game. Paige also recovered three fumbles.

Paige is ranked as the No. 31 top weak side defensive ends in the 2022 recruiting class according to 247Sports. His commitment to the Mean Green program marks the first 2022 commit that North Texas has reeled in. Although he still has plenty of time ahead of his senior season, Paige wanted to commit early. "With the pandemic and colleges not knowing what their scholarship numbers are, I felt like I needed to make a decision," Paige said in an interview. "I felt like I could come in early and make an impact… It meant a lot to me to be the first player they took out of the class of 2022."

The second-team all-district selectee was recruited to play as a standup defensive end under North Texas' new defensive coordinator Phil Bennett. "I feel great about what North Texas has going on. The program is on the rise and I want to be a part of that," said Paige.

Paige is choosing to commit to North Texas over nine other schools that have offered him a scholarship to include Baylor, Cincinnati, Louisiana Tech, UCONN, and more.

Nolan Catholic (Vincent Paige) vs. All Saints Episcopal School TAPPS Div. I Semi-final (12/05/2020)

Shana Willeford - VYPE Media

Vincent Paige lines up on defense against All Saints Episcopal School (12/05/2020)