North Texas has officially designated Tayven Jackson as the starting quarterback for their upcoming season opener against Indiana, the defending national champions. This announcement was first reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel and adds an interesting dynamic to the game, as Jackson previously played for Indiana before transferring to North Texas.
Jackson, who has also played at UCF, outperformed sophomores Chaston Ditta and Chris Jimerson Jr., along with freshman Ziondre Williams, to secure the starting role. New head coach Neal Brown, who joined the Mean Green after six seasons at West Virginia, noted that Jackson's experience will be advantageous for the challenging road matchup against Indiana.
In his last season at UCF, Jackson completed 63.5% of his passes for 2,151 yards, recording 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. During his tenure at Indiana, he played in 13 games, throwing for 1,263 yards with a completion rate of 61.2%, including 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, fresh off a perfect 16-0 season and 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 regarding the game and preparations are still pending.
