North Texas has officially appointed Tayven Jackson as the starting quarterback for their upcoming season opener against defending national champion Indiana. This announcement, initially reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel, adds an interesting twist to the matchup, as 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., 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 experience would be an asset for the challenging road game against Indiana.
During his last season at UCF, Jackson completed 63.5% of his passes for 2,151 yards, achieving 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. His time at Indiana included 13 games, where he threw for 1,263 yards 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 debut in the American Conference after competing in the Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC. Indiana, having finished a perfect 16-0 season and clinched their first national championship, will be led by former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover following the departure of Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza to the NFL.
Further details about the game and the teams' preparations are still pending.
