Lathon Latiolais caught 65 passes for 1,547 yards and 22 touchdowns in his senior season at Prosper High School. Now the three-star wide receiver is competing for playing time at the University of North Texas, where at least eight players are vying for starting jobs at his position.

UNT opened fall practice Thursday, Aug. 6, under new head coach Neal Brown, and KDH News identified Latiolais as one of three under-the-radar newcomers who could become key contributors for the Mean Green this season.

The 5-foot-10, 175-pound freshman wears No. 18 and enters a program in full rebuild mode. UNT's roster includes more than 70 new players and over 50 transfers after former coach Eric Morris left for Oklahoma State, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle. Only three returning players started even one game last season.

That turnover creates opportunity.

Latiolais arrives with credentials few freshmen can match at the Group of Five level. He earned the 2025 UIL 6-6A District MVP, capping a career in which he made First Team All-District as a sophomore, junior and senior. As a junior he posted 55 catches for 793 yards and 12 touchdowns. ESPN ranked him the No. 169 wide receiver nationally; 247Sports slotted him at No. 177.

Beyond the stat sheet, Latiolais ran the 100 meters in 10.82 seconds in track and was selected to the THSCA Super Elite Team. Prosper Eagles football coach Tyler Moore wrote on X on Feb. 5 that Latiolais was one of only 12 Class 6A offensive players in Texas to earn that honor.

Latiolais committed to UNT on Feb. 2. "After many conversations and prayers I have decided to flip my commitment to the University of North Texas," he wrote on X on Feb. 2. He signed Wednesday, Feb. 4.

The receiver room he joins is deep but unsettled. KERA News reported that Brown told reporters after the opening practice that running back Jahiem White, a West Virginia transfer, was "full tilt" in his return from a knee injury. White rushed for 1,879 yards and 14 touchdowns in 27 games with the Mountaineers, giving UNT a featured back who could open up the passing game for receivers like Latiolais.

UNT opens its season Saturday, Sept. 5, at Indiana, the defending national champion.