The Indiana Hoosiers are set to begin the new college football season on Saturday, September 5. The North Texas Mean Green will come to Bloomington for the season opener, and they are entering a new era under head coach Neal Brown.
UNT was one of the best Group of 6 teams in the country last season, but now they have almost an entirely new roster for the 2026 season. Eric Morris took the Oklahoma State job in the offseason and took plenty of talent with him from Denton to Stillwater. With Brown essentially starting over with a whole new roster, he turned to the transfer portal to find his starting QB––and it is a name Hoosier football fans are familiar with.
Tayven Jackson named Week 1 starting QB for North Texas
On Wednesday, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that Tayven Jackson was officially named as North Texas' QB1 for the upcoming season. The announcement doesn't necessarily come as a surprise, as he was considered the frontrunner to win the starting job throughout the offseason.
Jackson has bounced around throughout his collegiate career, and UNT is his fourth team. He spent his redshirt freshman season at Tennessee in 2022, and then played 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. In total, Jackson appeared in 13 games for IU and threw for 1,263 yards with 6 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He also added 52 yards and 4 scores on the ground.
Jackson spent last season at UCF where he was the Knights' starting quarterback. He posted career numbers across the board, totaling 2,151 yards and 10 touchdowns through the air while also rushing for 85 yards and 3 touchdowns. Now entering his final season of college football, Jackson is set to make his debut with his new team against one of his former teams in less than two weeks.
Indiana can give Tayven Jackson a rough homecoming to Bloomington
Jackson could not have been given a tougher draw in terms of opponents for his first start at North Texas. The Hoosiers have taken the college football world by storm under Curt Cignetti, and the momentum is only getting stronger. Heading into the new season, Indiana is among the preseason favorites to win the National Championship.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Hoosiers are loaded. Indiana returns its Top-5 sack leaders from a season ago, which is extremely rare in today's era of college football. Cignetti also bolstered the defensive front with Kansas State transfers Tobi Osunsanmi and Chiddi Obiazor. It's not a stretch to say that the Hoosiers are poised to enter the new season with arguably the most talented and deep defensive front in the Big Ten––and maybe even the country.
Jackson was turnover prone last year at UCF, as he tossed 8 interceptions in 11 games and had just 10 touchdowns. If the Hoosiers can generate pressure on him, he could be forced to get rid of the ball quicker than he wants to. Jackson has some elusiveness, but not necessary enough to save him. Defensive coordinator Bryant Haines should be able to force Jackson into low-percentage throws that give the IU secondary chances to come down with some interceptions.
With the Mean Green undergoing so many changes, the Hoosiers have a strong defensive advantage in this matchup. It's also worth mentioning that since Jackson was at Indiana under this current coaching staff, Cignetti and company know his tendencies. All in all, it could be a long day for Jackson in his return to his home state.
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