North Texas has confirmed that Tayven Jackson will serve as the starting quarterback for their season opener against Indiana, the defending national champions. This announcement, initially reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel, adds excitement to the game since Jackson previously played for Indiana before transferring to North Texas.
Jackson, who has also played at UCF, secured the starting role over sophomores Chaston Ditta and Chris Jimerson Jr., along with 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 away game against Indiana.
In his final season at UCF, Jackson completed 63.5% of his passes, totaling 2,151 yards with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. During his time at Indiana, he participated in 13 games, throwing for 1,263 yards and 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 after competing in the Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC. Indiana, which recently completed a flawless 16-0 season and claimed their first national championship, will be under the leadership of former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover, following the departure of Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza to the NFL.
Further details regarding the teams and their preparations remain unclear.
