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Tayven Jackson

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Tayven Jackson
Jackson with Indiana in 2023
No. 2 – North Texas Mean Green
PositionQuarterback
ClassRedshirt Senior
Personal information
Born (2004-01-05) January 5, 2004 (age 22)
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight212 lb (96 kg)
Career information
High schoolCenter Grove (Greenwood, Indiana)
College
Stats at ESPN

Tayven Jackson (born January 5, 2004) is an American college football quarterback for the North Texas Mean Green. He previously for the Tennessee Volunteers, Indiana Hoosiers and UCF Knights.

Early life

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Jackson attended Center Grove High School in Greenwood, Indiana.[1] During his career, he passed for 4,813 yards and 47 touchdowns. He committed to the University of Tennessee to play college football.[2]

College career

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Tennessee

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Jackson began his true freshman season as the third-string quarterback behind Hendon Hooker and Joe Milton, splitting time with Gaston Moore. He made his collegiate debut in Tennessee's season-opening win over Ball State.[3] In Week 3 against Akron, Jackson scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 1-yard run in the win.[4] He appeared in three games during the season, completing three of four passes for 37 yards and rushing for 10 yards on four carries with one touchdown, allowing him to preserve his redshirt. On January 13, 2023, Jackson entered the NCAA transfer portal.[5]

Indiana

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On January 15, 2023, Jackson transferred to Indiana. He competed with Brendan Sorsby for the starting quarterback job, with head coach Tom Allen ultimately naming Sorsby the starter.[6] Jackson made his Hoosiers debut in the season opener against No. 3 Ohio State, completing one of five passes for 24 yards in the loss. He started the following week against Indiana State, completing 18 of 21 passes for 236 yards and rushing for a touchdown in a 41–7 win.[7][8] In Week 3 against Louisville, Jackson threw for a season-high 299 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a 21–14 loss. The following week against Akron, he completed 11 of 26 passes for 190 yards with one touchdown and one interception and threw the game-winning two-point conversion in a 29–27 four-overtime victory. Following losses to Maryland and Michigan, in which Jackson threw three combined interceptions without a touchdown, he was replaced by Sorsby.[9] Walt Bell was fired as offensive coordinator following the loss to Maryland, while Allen was fired at the conclusion of the season. Jackson did not appear in another game. He finished the season having appeared in six games with five starts, completing 78 of 128 passes for 914 yards, two touchdowns, and five interceptions, while rushing for a touchdown.

In 2024, Sorsby transferred to Cincinnati. Under new head coach Curt Cignetti, Jackson competed with Ohio transfer Kurtis Rourke for the starting quarterback position and was named the primary backup ahead of Alberto Mendoza.[10] Jackson appeared in the season-opening win over FIU but did not record any statistics. The following week against Western Illinois, he completed all three of his passes for 104 yards and rushed for a touchdown in the victory. In Week 7 against Nebraska, Rourke left the game with an injury, and Jackson completed seven of eight passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns in a 56–7 win.[11] Jackson started the following week against Washington in place of the injured Rourke, completing 11 of 19 passes for 124 yards with a touchdown and an interception while rushing for a touchdown in a 31–17 win.[12] On the season, he appeared in seven games with one start, completing 23 of 37 passes for 349 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception, while rushing for 73 yards and three touchdowns, as Indiana finished 11–2 and made its first appearance in the College Football Playoff. On December 21, 2024, Jackson entered the transfer portal for the second time.

UCF

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On January 3, 2025, Jackson transferred to UCF.[13] He competed with Cam Fancher for the starting quarterback position, with head coach Scott Frost naming Fancher the starter entering the season, while Jackson was listed as the primary backup ahead of Jacurri Brown.[14] Fancher was injured in the second quarter of the season opener against Jacksonville State, and Jackson replaced him, completing 17 of 24 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns in a 17–10 win.[15] Jackson threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes, including the go-ahead score with just over a minute remaining.[16] He then led the Knights to wins over North Carolina A&T and North Carolina before losses to Kansas State and Kansas. Jackson suffered a strained AC joint in his left shoulder during the loss to Kansas State and aggravated the injury against Kansas the following week, causing him to miss the Week 6 game against Cincinnati, a 20–11 loss.[17] Jackson returned as the starter against West Virginia, completing 23 of 34 passes for 277 yards and two touchdowns in a 45–13 win.[18] UCF then lost three consecutive games to Baylor, Houston, and No. 6 Texas Tech, with Jackson throwing one touchdown and four interceptions during the stretch. Against Oklahoma State, Jackson led a comeback from a 14–0 deficit, throwing two second-half touchdown passes before UCF won 17–14 on a game-winning field goal with 57 seconds remaining.[19] In the regular-season finale against No. 11 BYU, Jackson threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns and caught his first career receiving touchdown on a trick play in a 41–21 loss.[20] UCF finished the season 5–7 and did not qualify for a bowl game. Jackson appeared in 11 games with 10 starts, completing 200 of 315 passes for 2,151 yards, 10 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, while rushing for 85 yards and three touchdowns. On December 3, 2025, Jackson entered the transfer portal for the third time.

North Texas

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On January 12, 2026, Jackson transferred to North Texas.[21] He competed with East Carolina transfer Chaston Ditta for the starting quarterback job. Prior to the start of the 2026 season, head coach Neal Brown named Jackson the starter, marking the first time he entered a season as the named starting quarterback.[22][23] In the season opener, Jackson faced his former team and defending national champion Indiana, completing 22 of 28 passes for 192 yards and an interception in a 52–16 loss.[24] He rebounded the following week, leading the Mean Green to a 44–6 win over UNLV, completing 15 of 26 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for a touchdown.[25] The following week against Texas State, he threw for a career-high 492 yards on 42 of 56 passing with three touchdowns and an interception in a 49–35 loss, the fourth-highest single-game passing total in North Texas history.[26] In Week 4 against Houston Christian, Jackson completed 16 of 18 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown in a 63–14 win. His 88.9% completion percentage was the second-highest in program history for a game with at least 10 pass attempts.[27]

Statistics

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Year Team Games Passing Rushing
GPGSRecordCmpAttPctYdsY/ATDIntRtgAttYdsAvgTD
2022Tennessee 30—3475.0379.300152.74102.51
2023Indiana 652–37812860.99147.125118.328−21−0.81
2024Indiana 711–0233762.23499.441171.715734.93
2025UCF 11104–620031563.52,1516.8108126.254851.63
2026North Texas 664–214319872.21,8689.4154172.223632.72
Career[28]332211–1144768265.55,3197.83118140.81242101.710

Personal life

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His brother, Trayce Jackson-Davis, played college basketball at Indiana and currently plays for the Toronto Raptors in the NBA.[29] His father, Ray Jackson, was a cornerback for the Washington State Cougars football team and played three years in the National Football League; he was also part of the former team who lost in the 1998 Rose Bowl.[30][31]

References

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  1. ↑ O'Leary, Ryan (November 25, 2020). "Jackson's growth a key for Center Grove football". Daily Journal. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  2. ↑ Wilson, Mike (April 28, 2021). "Tayven Jackson, four-star quarterback, commits to Tennessee football, Josh Heupel". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Vols Bounce Ball State In Opener, 59-10". University of Tennessee Athletics. September 1, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
  4. ↑ "No. 15/16 Volunteers Zap Zips, 63-6". University of Tennessee Athletics. September 17, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
  5. ↑ Tachman, Tyler (January 15, 2023). "Why QB Tayven Jackson is transferring to IU football: 'This was home.'". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  6. ↑ Olinger, Daniel (September 2, 2023). "Brendan Sorsby Named Indiana Football Starting Quarterback". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Indiana to go with Tayven Jackson as starting quarterback". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 11, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  8. ↑ Osterman, Zach (September 15, 2023). "How Center Grove, family prepared Tayven Jackson for his moment as IU football starting QB". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  9. ↑ DiPrimio, Pete (October 17, 2023). "NOTEBOOK: 'Hard Decisions' Loom as IU Opportunity Remains". Indiana University Athletics. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
  10. ↑ DiPrimio, Pete (June 20, 2024). "Summer Brings 'Confidence' in Football Hoosiers". Indiana University Athletics. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Media Monday: Washington". Indiana University Athletics. October 21, 2024. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Character Shows in Win Over Washington". Indiana University Athletics. October 26, 2024. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
  13. ↑ Boyle, Chris (January 3, 2025). "UCF Knights football transfer portal: QB Tayven Jackson transfers". Daytona Beach News-Journal. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
  14. ↑ Helwig, Brandon (August 25, 2025). "Scott Frost confirms Cam Fancher as UCF's starting quarterback". On3. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
  15. ↑ Noble, Franki (August 29, 2025). "Knights Earn 300th Program Win with a Triumph over Jacksonville State". UCF Athletics. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
  16. ↑ Boyle, Chris (August 29, 2025). "UCF football takeaways: Tayven Jackson's late TD pass prevents upset loss to Jax State". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
  17. ↑ Murschel, Matt (October 27, 2025). "UCF quarterback Tayven Jackson rested, ready to lead Knights against Baylor". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
  18. ↑ Antonik, John (October 18, 2025). "Mountaineers Drop Big 12 Road Game at UCF". West Virginia University Athletics. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
  19. ↑ Noble, Franki (November 22, 2025). "Football Rallies Back To Claim Senior Knight Victory Over Oklahoma State, 17-14". UCF Athletics. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
  20. ↑ Landis, Ken (November 29, 2025). "Electric Start Can't Propel Football Past #11 BYU, Falling 41-21". UCF Athletics. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
  21. ↑ Helwick, Steve (January 11, 2026). "North Texas gets new QB-RB duo from Big 12". Underdog Dynasty. SB Nation. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  22. ↑ Vito, Brett (September 2, 2026). "Quarterback Tayven Jackson has searched for years for the right fit. He believes he's found it at North Texas". Denton Record-Chronicle. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Mean Green Ready to Start New Era With Marquee Matchup". University of North Texas Athletics. September 1, 2026. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
  24. ↑ "Mean Green Drop Opener at Defending Champion Indiana". University of North Texas Athletics. September 5, 2026. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
  25. ↑ "Jackson, White lead North Texas to commanding 44-6 win over UNLV". KTVB. September 12, 2026. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Mean Green Looking to Rebound on Senior Day". University of North Texas Athletics. September 22, 2026. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
  27. ↑ "White Scores Four TDs as Mean Green Rout Huskies". University of North Texas Athletics. September 26, 2026. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
  28. ↑ "Tayven Jackson College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
  29. ↑ Horner, Scott (September 2, 2023). "What you should know about Indiana football quarterback Tayven Jackson". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  30. ↑ Lawson, Theo (June 13, 2021). "Twenty-three years removed from the Rose Bowl, ex-Washington State CB Ray Jackson is now a dedicated police chief and proud father who still has the ultimate resentment for Michigan". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  31. ↑ Marot, Michael (October 21, 2024). "With Kurtis Rourke out, Tayven Jackson gets chance to shine as QB for No. 13 Indiana". Associated Press. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
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