DENTON, Texas — Tayven Jackson has won the starting quarterback job with the North Texas Mean Green. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported the decision Wednesday, citing sources. Jackson’s first start comes Sept. 5 at Indiana, where he spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
In March, North Texas began spring drills with three quarterbacks competing for the position.
Jackson has appeared in 27 games with 16 starts over four seasons at three schools. He has completed 304-of-484 passes (62.8%) for 3,451 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. His career also includes 8 rushing touchdowns.
Tayven Jackson’s Four Stops And What He Did At Each
Jackson signed with Tennessee from Center Grove High School in Greenwood, Indiana, and played 3 games as a freshman in 2022. He transferred to Indiana that offseason and started 5 games in 2023, passing for 914 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. In 2024, he appeared in 7 games with 1 start, a win over Washington on Oct. 26, which kept Indiana unbeaten. His Indiana stats include 1,263 yards on 101-of-165 passing (61.2%), with 6 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He added 4 rushing touchdowns.
Last season at UCF, Jackson played in 11 games and started 10. He threw for 2,151 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions on 200-of-315 passing. On the ground he carried 54 times for 85 yards and 3 touchdowns. Jackson came off the bench in the opener and threw for 282 yards and 2 touchdowns in a comeback win over Jacksonville State on Aug. 28. In a 17-14 win over Oklahoma State on Nov. 22, he erased a 14-0 deficit with 2 second-half touchdown passes and 271 passing yards.
Chaston Ditta And Chris Jimerson Jr. In The North Texas Quarterback Race
Chaston Ditta and Chris Jimerson Jr. were the other two quarterbacks in the race. Ditta arrived from East Carolina, where he made his first career start in the Military Bowl win over Pittsburgh in December. In 2025, Jimerson played in 4 games for North Texas and maintained his redshirt status, completing 1-of-2 passes for 37 yards and 1 touchdown.
North Texas coach Neal Brown said in March that he would rotate the first-team reps evenly among the three through the early portion of spring drills.
“You want it to be evident that someone has really jumped out,” Brown told the Denton Record-Chronicle in April.
At American Conference media day in July, Brown said Jackson held a slight edge over the other two. Brown said on the opening day of fall camp on Aug. 5 that Jimerson had flashed.
“Whoever scores touchdowns,” Brown said of how he would judge the race, per KERA News.
Brown has declined to set a timeline for naming a starter.
“I feel confident in all three guys,” Brown told Dave Campbell’s Texas Football.
North Texas Opens At Indiana On Sept. 5
Brown is in his first season at North Texas after replacing Eric Morris, who left for Oklahoma State following a 12-2 season that ended with a New Mexico Bowl win. Drew Mestemaker followed Morris to Stillwater after leading the Football Bowl Subdivision with 4,379 passing yards. North Texas averaged 45.1 points per game last season, the most in the country.
The game kicks off at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington at 11 a.m. CT on FOX. Indiana begins the season as the reigning national champion. North Texas hosts UNLV
