Those looking for an indication of how talented North Texas was in 2025 only have to look at this year’s Oklahoma State roster. That’s because the Cowboys, looking to rebound from a 1-11 record, will have a distinct North Texas flavor.
When looking at Oklahoma State’s roster, one can see why North Texas went 12-2 and played in the American Conference championship game, losing 34-21 to Tulane.
Former UNT head coach Eric Morris departed for Oklahoma State and took several key players from the Mean Green, including quarterback Drew Mestemaker, the American Offensive Player of the Year, and running back Caleb Hawkins, the American Rookie of the Year. For good measure, Morris was named American Coach of the Year.
Now North Texas will have to pick up the pieces with no full-time starters returning on either offense or defense. The Mean Green, under former Troy and West Virginia head coach Neal Brown, may be hard-pressed for a repeat championship game appearance, but this should still be a competitive team.
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North Texas Season Preview
Like many other American teams, so much is unknown with so many newcomers. The Mean Green may not lead the nation in scoring as they did last year when averaging 45.1 points per contest, but this should still be a potent offense. The jury remains out on what will be a rebuilt defense.
Key Players To Replace
Mestemaker (4,379 yards passing and 34 touchdowns in 2025) and Hawkins (1,431 yards rushing and 25 TDs) will be the biggest players to replace. Wyatt Young (70 receptions, 1,264 yards and 10 touchdowns) and Miles Coleman (47 receptions, 550 yards and two touchdowns) have also made the move from North Texas to Oklahoma State. Young was a first-team All-American Conference choice.
Linebacker Ethan Wesloski, last year’s leading tackler with 113 and a second-team all-conference choice, is the biggest defensive loss. Of course he is also attending Oklahoma State.
QB Battle
The three main contenders for the quarterback job are last year’s backup Chris Jimerson Jr., UCF transfer Tayven Jackson and East Carolina transfer Chaston Ditta.
The well-traveled Jackson is considered the favorite for the job. He began his career at Tennessee, spent two seasons at Indiana and was with UCF last year when he completed 63.5% of his passes for 2,151 yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also rushed for 85 yards and three scores.
Ditta, a redshirt freshman, appeared in four games for ECU last season, completing 12 of 24 passes for 215 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Jimmerson appeared in four games for North Texas, only attempting two passes.
Returning Veterans
Sophomore receiver Baron Tipton is a big target (6-foot-5, 206 pounds) who played all 14 games, mainly on special teams. He had just two receptions but is expected to be a big part of the passing game.
Offensive lineman Dylan Shaw, who appeared in the first four games of the season before suffering a season-ending injury, is expected to battle for a starting spot.
Junior defensive tackle Terrell Washington appeared in all 14 games for the Mean Green and had a season-high five tackles in a win over Army.
UNT Newcomers
Besides the aforementioned quarterbacks, the biggest impact player is expected to be junior running back Jahiem White, a transfer from West Virginia. White was limited to just two games last season, but in 2024 he rushed for 844 yards and seven touchdowns.
Right tackle Neto Umeozulu is a transfer from Texas who appeared in 26 games for the Longhorns. The 6-4, 329-pound Umeozulu could put himself on NFL radars with a big season. Left tackle Johnny Williams IV (6-7, 329) spent last season at Missouri, where he appeared in three games. He was with West Virginia the previous two seasons. Williams made two starts for West Virginia in 2024.
Center Chandler Strong appeared in 35 games with 30 starts during the past four years at Georgia Southern.
Senior receiver TJ Chukwurah had 66 receptions for 1,100 yards and 16 touchdowns last season for Division II Black Hills State, earning consensus All-American honors. Junior receiver James Tyre had 68 receptions for 832 yards and 11 touchdowns last year for Western Carolina.
A key defensive transfer is senior cornerback Caden Jenkins, who played the previous three seasons at Baylor, appearing in 31 games with 18 starts. Another top corner is junior Peyton Taylor, who made 22 starts in 24 games over the previous three seasons for Emporia State.
Senior linebacker Zakye Barker was a second-team All-American Conference choice in 2024 at East Carolina. Last season at SMU, he appeared in 11 games with two starts, making 27 tackles. Fellow linebacker Aaron Alexander spent last season at Arkansas State after two years at Michigan State and one at Massachusetts. He has appeared in 40 games with 10 starts.
Sophomore safety Brandon Jones had 31 tackles and two interceptions in 11 games as a true freshman last year at McNeese State.
Sophomore Dominic De Freitas was a third-team All-Sun Belt kicker last year for Appalachian State. He connected on 21 of 27 field goal attempts and made all 33 extra points.
North Texas’ 2026 Schedule
- 9/5 at Indiana
- 9/12 vs. UNLV
- 9/19 at Texas State
- 9/26 vs. Houston Christian
- 10/1 at Tulsa
- 10/10 vs. Charlotte
- 10/24 at Navy
- 10/29 vs. FAU
- 11/7 vs. Rice
- 11/14 at UTSA
- 11/21 at Tulane
- 11/28 vs. UAB
Bold indicates American Conference contests
North Texas’ American Conference Title Betting Odds
North Texas’ college football betting odds to win the conference are +2500, via BetMGM. The Mean Green are eighth in the 14-team American Conference.
North Texas’ Betting Odds & Over/Under Win Total
- North Texas’ win total Over/Under is 6.5.
- The Under is at -200.
- The Over is at +150.
North Texas Season Prediction
I predict that North Texas will go over the 6.5 win total. In the American, there could be several contenders, and at this point, North Texas can’t be discounted despite all of the changes.
The offense should still be explosive. White could be a conference OPOY candidate.
So much will depend on how Jackson develops at quarterback. He had some strong moments last year at UCF but must show more consistency.
The schedule is difficult, having to open against defending national champion Indiana. The Mean Green also face three of the top teams in the American: Navy, UTSA and Tulane.
Still, the Mean Green have the newcomers to produce a winning record, but a second straight championship game appearance may be too much to ask.
