Tayven Jackson is heading back to Bloomington as North Texas’ starting quarterback, and his first game in the job comes with a familiar backdrop.
Jackson won the Mean Green’s week one quarterback battle in fall camp, according to multiple reports, beating out East Carolina transfer Chaston Ditta and returning backup Chris Jimerson Jr. That sets up a Sept. 5 opener at Indiana, where Jackson said he’s eager to play.
“I’m very excited,” Jackson told the Denton Chronicle Record of the season opener at IU. “I’m going back home.
“I have it in the back of mind that it’s against Indiana, but you know it’s just a regular game.”
Jackson is coming off the busiest stretch of his college career. In 2025, as a fourth-year at UCF, he completed 63.5% of his passes for 2,151 yards with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions across 11 games. He also added 85 rushing yards and three scores on the ground.
For Indiana fans, though, Jackson is a familiar name for another reason. The Greenwood, Ind. product spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons with the Hoosiers after transferring from Tennessee following the 2022 season. He played under Tom Allen and Curt Cignetti and was part of the quarterback rotation that helped IU navigate the 2024 campaign.
His most important work in an Indiana uniform came when Kurtis Rourke was injured. After Rourke went down with a thumb injury, Jackson started against Washington and completed 11 of 19 passes for 124 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He also rushed six times for 17 yards and another score in IU’s 31-17 win.
The week before that, he stepped in mid-game against Nebraska when Rourke exited in the first half. Jackson finished that one 7 of 8 for 91 yards and two touchdowns. In all, he played in seven games in 2024, going 23 of 37 for 349 yards, four touchdowns and one interception while adding 15 carries for 73 yards and three more scores.
Jackson’s 2023 season included six appearances and five starts as he battled Brendan Sorsby for the quarterback job. He opened the year as the starter before eventually losing the role. That season, he completed 78 of 128 passes for 914 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions.
Now he returns to Bloomington wearing North Texas colors, with his opener set against the program where he once ran the offense.
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Indiana Transfers Already Face Pressure No Title Team Can Ignore
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Each newcomer comes with a different kind of pressure. Hoover is expected to settle in at the most scrutinized spot on the field, Marsh and Richard are being asked to help carry the offenses next phase, and Harris is part of a secondary that cannot afford a step back. For Indiana, the challenge is no longer proving it belongs, but making sure the transfers who arrive after a 16-0 season can handle the weight that comes with trying to follow one. [Read more 🡒]