Indiana football: Tayven Jackson returns to Indiana as North Texas’ starting quarterback

Indiana football will kick off the 2026 campaign with a matchup against a familiar face, North Texas’ Tayven Jackson. Jackson was officially named the Mean Green’s starting quarterback last week.

As I’m sure you all remember, Jackson is the younger brother of Indiana basketball legend Trayce Jackson-Davis, which meant it was no surprise when Tayven announced his intent to transfer to Bloomington after one season at Tennessee.

A former 4-star recruit, Tom Allen’s Indiana wasn’t really in the running for Jackson’s services when he committed to Tennessee out of high school. Facing stiff competition at the quarterback spot in Knoxville, Jackson transferred home after attempting just four passes as a freshman Volunteer.

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The competition did not stop for Jackson when he arrived in Bloomington, however.

In 2023, Allen (in)famously refused to name a starting quarterback, as Jackson battled Brendan Sorsby well into October. Sorsby won the battle by the end of the year, but the chaos cost Allen his job and forced Sorsby into the portal. We know how that turned out.

While many players would have left after a season like 2023, not to mention the coaching change, Jackson stuck around in Bloomington for 2024, helping ease the transition into the Cignetti era we now know.

Kurtis Rourke won the starting spot that year, but Jackson appeared as a backup in four games and even won a game as Indiana’s starter against Washington, going 11-19 for one touchdown, plus a rushing touchdown. He did throw one pick, but his performance was enough to keep Indiana perfect to that point in the season.

When Cignetti brought in Fernando Mendoza, Jackson hit the portal, looking for a place where he could compete for a starting spot. He started 10 games last season at UCF, passing for over 2,000 yards and 10 touchdowns, plus three rushing touchdowns.

Now at North Texas, Jackson will once again be the starter. Seeing Indiana week one is a tall task for the experienced quarterback, but a fitting full-circle moment to kick off his final year of college eligibility. He’ll have his elder brother in the stands supporting him, just as he did in 2023 and 2024.

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