Ever since national signing day a few months ago, North Texas head coach Todd Dodge has been touting a class of six linemen and a new assistant coach who are expected to help the Mean Green become a whole lot better along its defensive front.

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North Texas defensive line coach Mike Nelson, center, shouts out commands to linemen Troy Franklin, left, and Jesse DeSoto during spring practice on Thursday at Fouts Field.

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That doesn’t mean Dodge has forgotten a few veterans who are trying to show that they will be tough to displace. Those players, including tackle Draylen Ross and defensive end Brandon Apunku, will have an opportunity to set themselves up for what could be a heated competition in the fall during the Mean Green’s second scrimmage of spring practice today.

UNT’s first-team offense and defense are expected to face off for approximately 40 plays during a scrimmage that will run in eight-play increments beginning at 3:30 p.m. at Fouts Field.

“We have six guys coming in, but the guys who are here now, I want them to have a great spring,” Dodge said. “I want them to have the attitude that they are not going to give anything up. Having competition is how you get better.”

There is little doubt UNT needs to improve next season defensively, especially along its defensive front. The Mean Green allowed 207.1 rushing yards a game and posted just 12 sacks last season.

UNT is hoping its incoming players — including junior-college defensive tackles Shavod Atkinson and Kelvin Jackson, plus the addition of assistant coach Mike Nelson — will help the Mean Green improve on those totals.

The problem is UNT’s newcomers won’t have long to adjust to playing at the Bowl Subdivision level before the Mean Green faces a big challenge in Ball State and MiQuale Lewis.

Mean Green faces a big challenge in Ball State and MiQuale Lewis.

UNT opens the season with a road game Sept. 3 against the Cardinals and Lewis, who rushed for 1,795 yards as a junior last season.

“We have good athletes here right now,” UNT defensive end Eddrick Gilmore said. “It’s all about competition. The more guys we have who can compete, the better we will be. We are ready. Everyone who is here plans on playing first.”

Gilmore is one of a few returning players who are working under Nelson in spring practice to improve a unit that might have been the Mean Green’s biggest trouble spot last season. Nelson replaced Robert Drake, UNT’s former defensive line coach who returned to the high school ranks after last season.

Drake came to UNT from Southlake Carroll, where he worked with Dodge.

Nelson inherits a unit that returns a few players who saw time last season, including Gilmore and Ross, who are working with the first-team defense in spring drills.

“I am enthusiastic, excited and thrilled to be playing for him,” Ross said of Nelson. “He is a great teacher. I have learned so much from him in a short amount of time about football and life, what needs to happen and where I need to be.”

Dodge has seen the difference Nelson, who declined to comment for this story, has made in a short time.

“There is no doubt our players are responding to him,” Dodge said. “He is what you look for in an assistant coach. He will be right in the middle of his players and chew them out, but will bring them back up when it is said and done. They won’t go back to their dorm or apartment without him bringing them back up.”

Dodge and Nelson have been tinkering with UNT’s rotation throughout spring drills.

Redshirt freshman Tevinn Cantly has moved from defensive tackle to defensive end, while Apunku has moved from linebacker to defensive end.

UNT is hoping those switches help the Mean Green form a solid unit with the players it has on hand before adding its six recruits in the fall. Even the best of UNT’s junior-college recruits have needed time to adapt to playing on the Bowl Subdivision level over the years.

Safety Kylie Hill, arguably UNT’s best junior-college transfer last season, finished with four tackles in his first two games combined before breaking out to post eight in a loss to LSU in the Mean Green’s third game of the year.

Hill went on to finish third on the team with 77 tackles in 12 games.

“There is no doubt we can be better next year,” Gilmore said. “Coach Nelson knows a lot about football and is putting us in position to make plays. We are going to be greatly improved.”

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com .