North Texas has confirmed that Tayven Jackson will take the role of starting quarterback for their season opener against defending national champion Indiana. This matchup is particularly noteworthy as Jackson has a history with Indiana, having played there prior to his transfer to North Texas.
Jackson, who also played at UCF, secured the starting position after outperforming sophomores Chaston Ditta and Chris Jimerson Jr., along with freshman Ziondre Williams. New head coach Neal Brown, who joined North Texas after a six-year tenure at West Virginia, emphasized that Jackson's experience will be crucial for the challenging road game against Indiana.
In his last season at UCF, Jackson completed 63.5% of his passes, accumulating 2,151 yards, 10 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. During his time at Indiana, he participated in 13 games, throwing for 1,263 yards with a completion rate of 61.2%, achieving 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, which will mark Jackson's first appearance in the American Conference after competing in the Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC. Indiana, fresh off a perfect 16-0 season and their inaugural national championship, will be under the leadership of former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover, following the exit of Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza to the NFL.
Further details about the game and team preparations remain unclear.
