A rich friend of mine lives in north Frisco. He wanted his two kids to go to UNT. I guess it’s a bit closer for commuting. They both decided on UTD and one picked it over A&M. As long as the parent(s) give their college kid space, commuting to a solid school like UTD can save a lot of money while being academically challenging.
As far as making friends at a small school, you will probably do well. You’re already putting yourself “out there” on this forum and being on a residential campus, or being involved in clubs, allows you to meet plenty of people.