North Texas has officially appointed Tayven Jackson as the starting quarterback for their upcoming season opener against Indiana, the defending national champion. This announcement, initially reported by ESPN's Pete Thamel, adds an interesting dynamic to the game since Jackson previously played for Indiana before transferring to North Texas.
Jackson, who has also played at UCF, secured the starting position over sophomores Chaston Ditta and Chris Jimerson Jr., as well as freshman Ziondre Williams. New head coach Neal Brown, who joined the Mean Green after six seasons at West Virginia, noted that Jackson's prior experience would be advantageous for the tough matchup against Indiana.
In his final season at UCF, Jackson recorded impressive statistics, completing 63.5% of his passes for 2,151 yards, along with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. During his time at Indiana, he participated in 13 games and threw for 1,263 yards, achieving a completion rate of 61.2% with six touchdowns and six interceptions. Jackson began his college career at Tennessee in 2022.
The season opener is set for noon ET on September 5, marking Jackson's first game in the American Conference. Indiana, fresh off a perfect 16-0 season and their inaugural national championship, will be guided by former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover, who steps in after Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza moved to the NFL. Details regarding the game and team preparations remain forthcoming.
