The groan heard in north Texas was that of Mean Green fans seeing a tweet from all-conference linebacker KD Davis that stated his entrance into the transfer portal. Davis, a senior from Ennis, recorded 121 tackles in 2021, which was seventh-most in program history. With a repeat performance, Davis was eyeing the school record for tackles in a year. He only needed 97 to set the mark. 

Davis was named the Best Linebacker in Texas in the 2022 Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine. He was also first-team All-Texas. His departure leaves a giant hole in the middle of North Texas’ defense, and the timing puts the Mean Green coaching staff in a tough position of a month before fall camp begins. 

Davis was the third big-name departure to the transfer portal from the 2021 North Texas defense. Twin defensive ends Gabriel and Grayson Murphy left for UCLA in the spring. The Mean Green went 6-6 last season and are set for a move to the AAC in 2023.