In today's era of college football, the presence of the transfer portal means that thousands of players end up on different teams each year. Extreme roster turnover has become the new normal in this day and age, with familiar faces finding themselves in new places each season.
It won't take long for the Indiana Hoosiers to go head-to-head with a familiar face in the upcoming season.
Former Hoosier Tayven Jackson returns to Bloomington in Week 1
Former Indiana quarterback Tayven Jackson will find himself back in Bloomington on September 5. Now playing for North Texas, Jackson and the Mean Green will take on the defending national champion Hoosiers in Week 1 at Memorial Stadium.
After spending his redshirt freshman season at Tennessee, Jackson spent two seasons with the Hoosiers in 2023 and 2024. He made a handful of starts as a redshirt sophomore and then spent his junior season backing up Kurtis Rourke in 2024. He then chose to enter the portal again and ended up at UCF.
Indiana should easily keep this defending champs streak alive in 2026
In total, Jackson appeared in 13 games for Indiana and completed 101 of his 165 pass attempts (61.2%) for 1,263 yards and 6 touchdowns with 6 interceptions. He also added 52 yards and 4 rushing touchdowns.
Tayven Jackson poised to start for North Texas against Indiana in Week 1
After spending one season at UCF, Jackson is now on his fourth college team in five seasons at North Texas. He started 10 games at UCF last season, and seems poised to grab the starting role for the Mean Green this season. That means Hoosier football fans are likely to get an up close and personal look at Jackson with his new team.
Jackson had a career year over his 11 appearances and 10 games with the Knights last season. The Greenwood, IN native completed 63.5% of his passes for 2,151 yards to go along with 10 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He also helped out in the running game, rushing for 85 yards and 3 scores on the ground.
3 names to watch as Indiana’s TE race takes shape in fall camp
Jackson is by far and away the most experienced QB in North Texas' QB room. He is a fifth-year senior who has 27 collegiate appearances under his belt. When looking at the rest of UNT's QB options, nobody can boast that kind of experience. Chaston Ditta and Chris Jimerson Jr are both redshirt freshmen, while Ziondre Williamson is a true freshman. That experience should lead to Jackson claiming the QB1 job.
North Texas isn't the team that they were last season
Jackson comes to a North Texas program that is entering a new era under head coach Neal Brown.
The Mean Green put together a 12-2 campaign that culminated in a win over San Diego State in the New Mexico Bowl, and were one of the best non-Power 4 teams in the country last season. True freshman QB Drew Mestemaker led the entire country with 4,379 passing yards, which led to UNT scoring an NCAA-leading 45.1 points per game. But over the offseason, the North Texas roster was completely decimated.
Head coach Eric Morris left to take the Oklahoma State job, and took a ton of talent––including Mestemaker––with him. Now the Mean Green are starting over with Brown, who went 35-16 over four seasons at Troy but just 37-35 in six seasons at West Virginia.
The Hoosiers are favored by more than 40 points, and should have little trouble taking down the Mean Green. Going up against a former Hoosier creates an even more interesting dynamic.
Add us as a preferred source on Google