Expectations are rising in Denton, America, as North Texas hopes to finish above .500 for the first time since 2018. Head coach Eric Morris enters Year 3 with an 11-14 record over his first two seasons and he feels like the foundation that was set the first two years will pay dividends for the Mean Green in 2025.

“We played a lot of young guys these last couple of years and that should start paying off for us this year and next year,” Morris said. “There’s no way to replicate actually playing college football games and this roster has a lot of experienced players, even if it was at the FCS level or somewhere other than here.”

The First Responder Bowl loss to Texas State was the perfect example of the youth movement for the Mean Green last season. Seven of the 11 starters on offense were either first- or second-year players. Ten true freshmen competed in the game with six starting. In total, 24 players with fewer than two years of college experience participated for North Texas in the 30-28 loss.

The schedule also sets up nicely for North Texas. The non-conference slate includes home games against Lamar and Washington State and a trip to Western Michigan. Those three teams went a combined 21-17 last season. The American Athletic Conference schedule doesn’t include favorites Memphis or Tulane, and the Mean Green face rival UTSA at home. They do face three option teams in 12 games with contests against Army, Navy, and Rice.

“We need to put it all together,” Morris said. “Looking at our schedule, there’s no reason that we can’t compete for a conference championship this year.”

Unfortunately, life as a G6 program is rarely linear. Gone are the days of organic development. Sure, the Mean Green played a ton of talented, young players who could help them climb to the top of the AAC. But that doesn’t mean they’re all still on campus. North Texas lost six transfers to Power Four programs, including young studs like offensive lineman Tyler Mercer (Kansas) and cornerback Brian Nelson II (North Carolina State).

Morris knows that’s the price of doing business at this level of college football. He made the move from head coach at Incarnate Word to offensive coordinator at Washington State and then to head coach at North Texas. He’s lost his leading passer, rusher, and receiver after both of his seasons in Denton. College football is a one-year proposition from a roster standpoint and Morris & Co. have embraced and accepted the reality rather than to swim against the current.

“It’s challenging and time consuming, but I think everyone is dealing with it, so it is not like we are any different than the other teams at this level,” Morris said of roster fluidity in the portal era. “You can’t get mad at guys for taking an opportunity that helps their family financially or helps them move up the ladder. Our job is to replace those guys with good football players and to go win games.”

The biggest change for North Texas in the offseason wasn’t on the roster. It was in the coaching staff. The Mean Green scored 33.5 points per game and ranked 23rd nationally in scoring offense. The defense allowed 34.2 points per game, however, checking in at 119th in the country in scoring defense. Morris made a change, replacing defensive coordinator Matt Caponi with Skyler Cassity, who transformed the Sam Houston defense last year in his first year on campus and helped the Bearkats win 10 games. A competent defense paired with Morris’ typical offensive output could catapult the Mean Green into conference contention.

“(Skyler) has made one-year turnarounds at ACU and Sam Houston, so I was confident that he can do the same here,” Morris said. “I give so much autonomy to the defensive staff with me being so involved in the offense, that I wanted someone who was confident and had called plays before.”

DCTF Take

For the second year in a row, North Texas is replacing its leading passer, rusher, and receiver on the offensive side of the ball. But fear not, Mean Green faithful. Head coach Eric Morris figured it out last year and went on to post another Top 25 scoring offense. The biggest change in the offseason was the arrival of new defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity, who helped Sam Houston win 10 games last year. The conference schedule doesn’t include Memphis or Tulane, and the UTSA game is at home. The Mean Green might end the season as the best G5 team in Texas.

Offensive Breakdown

North Texas isn’t shying away from its goal to lead the country in scoring during the 2025 season. The Mean Green were 23rd last year with 33.5 points per game and 20th in 2023 when the unit averaged 34.5 points per contest. They were third in total offense trailing only Miami and Ole Miss.

“This is the most electric offense you could ever play in,” wide receiver Landon Sides said in the spring. “It is the most receiver-friendly offense in existence and it is the most fun offense I’ve ever played in. The number of opportunities you get to get the ball is unmatched. If we execute, we should be the top offense in the country.”

A new quarterback will direct that offense for the third time in three years after Chandler Morris transferred to Virginia. The Mean Green dipped into the transfer portal to sign Miami’s Reese Poffenbarger to compete with redshirt freshman Drew Mestemaker, who made a name for himself in the bowl game last season when he threw for 393 yards and accounted for three total touchdowns in a thriller against Texas State.

Poffenbarger is on his fourth team since 2021. He began his career at Old Dominion before making a name for himself as a two-year starter at the FCS level with Albany, throwing for over 6,000 yards and 60 touchdowns in 26 games. He spent 2024 at Miami as the backup for Cam Ward, who played for Eric Morris at UIW and Washington State.

“We split the first-team reps with Reese and Drew throughout the spring and we’ll compile as much information as possible over the summer before making a call on who starts,” Morris said. “We ask our quarterbacks to do a lot.”

North Texas must also replace its three leading receivers from last year. The Mean Green feel like they hit on both transfer receivers in Simeon Evans (Sam Houston) and Cam Dorner (Shepherd). They’ll be joined by Sides, who is moving to outside receiver and might be the favorite to lead the team in receptions this year, and slot receiver Miles Coleman, who plays bigger than his 5-foot-6 frame suggests. Brandon Young Jr. and West Georgia transfer Tre Williams III are names to know at tight end.

The Mean Green want to improve the rushing attack in 2025. They’ll need to do it without Shane Porter, who transferred after leading the team in rushing. Sophomores Makenzie McGill II and Jayden Becks impressed in the spring. McGill averaged six yards a carry and led the Mean Green with 10 rushing touchdowns last season. Both potential starting quarterbacks are also additive in the run game.

A reworked offensive line should also help North Texas achieve more balance in 2025. The Mean Green added six offensive linemen through the portal, including Dylan Shaw (Texas Tech) and Willie Goodacre (Syracuse) in the spring window. Kent State transfer Jimto Obidegwu is expected to start at right tackle and Abilene Christian transfer Tay Yanta the favorite to start at left guard.

Sophomore Braydon Nelson, who started 11 times as a true freshman, should become a stalwart at left tackle. Johnny Dickson started six games last year for North Texas after transferring in from Virginia Tech and is the favorite to hold the right guard position. A healthy Gabe Blair should solidify the center spot.

 

Breakout Candidates

RB Jayden Becks – The Waxahachie product spent the last two seasons at Missouri State where he played in 22 games. He tallied 1,116 all-purpose yards last year while averaging 6.76 yards a rush on 68 attempts. Becks is also a solid pass catcher out of the backfield and a weapon in the return game. 

WR Cameron Dorner – The 6-1 Dorner played in 33 games and started 17 times over a three-year career at Division II Shepherd University in West Virginia. He caught 52 passes for 702 yards and five touchdowns last year en route to an All-PSAC East Second Team selection.

 

Projected Starters

QB          7               Reese Poffenbarger    Sr.           6-0, 210               Middletown, Md.

RB           0               Makenzie McGill II       Soph.   5-9, 202               Mount Vernon

WR         22            Landon Sides                   Jr.             5-11, 190            Denton Guyer

WR         3               Simeon Evans                  Sr.           5-11, 208            Mansfield Timberview

WR         1               Miles Coleman               Soph.   5-6, 159               Vandegrift

TE            87            Brandon Young Jr.        Soph.   6-5, 239               Mansfield Legacy

LT            67            Braydon Nelson             Soph.   6-4, 321               Kilgore

LG           70            Tay Yanta           Sr.           6-4, 335               Falls City

C              65            Gabe Blair         Sr.           6-2, 306               Denton Guyer

RG          54            Johnny Dickson III        Jr.             6-2, 296               Corpus Christi Flour Bluff

RT            72            Jimto Obidegwu             Sr.           6-5, 335               Brandywine, Md.

 

Keep An Eye On

A beat-up running back room and offensive line unit hampered North Texas’ ability to provide balance in the run game. The Mean Green ranked 115th in FBS with 384 rushing attempts in 13 games. They ranked 120th nationally with 29.54 rushing attempts per game. More depth at running back and along the offensive line should help keep pressure off a new starting quarterback. A better run game could also help the North Texas defense keep points off the board. Only five teams posted less time of possession per game than the Mean Green last year.

 

By the Numbers

33.5 – North Texas ranked 23rd nationally in points per game with nearly 34. The Mean Green’s 58 touchdowns in 13 games were also top 25 in the FBS.

328.2 – That’s the average number of passing yards per game for the Mean Green in 2024, which was fourth-most in the country.

58.93 – North Texas’ touchdown percentage in the red zone ranked 80th in the country and it plagued the Mean Green in tight games against quality competition.

 

Defensive Breakdown

The North Texas football team was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for the first two years of the Eric Morris era. The offense was prolific. The defense was catastrophic. The Mean Green allowed 34.2 points per game last year, and that was a three-point improvement from the 37.1 points per game allowed in 2023.

Enter Skyler Cassity. Morris was a young offensive coordinator at Texas Tech when Cassity began his coaching journey as a GA for the Red Raiders. He became the defensive coordinator at Abilene Christian by 2022 and helped Sam Houston win 10 games in 2024. The Bearkats ranked 64th in the FBS in scoring defense while allowing 26.2 points per game in 2023, a year before Cassity’s arrival. They allowed only 20.5 points per game, good for 21st nationally in his lone season in Huntsville.

“We’ll play a fast and aggressive style of defense,” Cassity said. “We’re multiple from a personnel standpoint, so whatever we feel like is the best personnel for us to be successful against a specific offense, that’s what we’re going to play.”

North Texas will base out of a four-man front after two years of playing an odd-man front, so that required the Mean Green to hit the portal and retool the bodies along the defensive line, especially on the edge. The unit lost starting defensive end Breylon Charles to Purdue following spring practices but brought in potential edge rushers like Briceon Hayes (Sam Houston), Keviyan Huddleston (TCU), Ethan Day (Wyoming), Will Smith (Tulsa), and Avion Carter (TCU) to compete for snaps.

The depth along the interior of the defensive line was a slight concern exiting spring. Fatafehi Vailea II, better known as “June”, returns to start at defensive tackle. Sam Houston transfer Richard Outland Jr., is the expected starter at nose guard. Jayden Williams is a young guy to watch up front. Louisville transfer Saadiq Clements was added in the spring portal window. 

The linebacker room will also be led by a Sam Houston transfer as Trey Fields assumes the role as leader of the second level. He’s a sixth-year player who spent five seasons with the Bearkats and started 12 games last year in Cassity’s defense. He recorded 80 tackles, including six for loss and a sack last season. He’ll be flanked by senior Shane Whitter and junior Ethan Wesloski.

Secondary play is a pivotal part of Cassity’s defense and he’ll use five defensive backs a lot. Cornerbacks David Fisher and Da’veawn Armstead were part of the migration of defensive players who followed him from Sam Houston. The duo combined for 11 pass breakups and a pair of interceptions last year. The Mean Green lost Brian Nelson II to North Carolina State following spring practices.

Evan Jackson (59 tackles, 3 INTs) returns as one of the expected starters at safety. Old Dominion transfer Will Jones II left spring as the other starter at deep safety. Quinton Hammonds, a sophomore, is penciled in as the starting nickel. The Mean Green also added Julian Knox (TCU) and Chase Canada (Illinois) to the secondary.

“We’ve been able to establish a standard on defense pretty quickly at a couple of other places and I’m looking forward to getting that rolling here, as well,” Cassity said.

 

Breakout Candidates

DT Jayden Williams – North Texas needs the sophomore from Louisiana to become a rotational player in the middle of the Mean Green defense. He played in nine games last year and ended with five tackles. Williams was an honorable mention All-State selection in 2023 and was a standout on the basketball court as a prep athlete.

DB B.J. Allen Jr. – The Aledo graduate spent two years at Texas and was an Under Armour All-American as a four-star prospect in 2022. Allen played in eight games last year for the Mean Green, recording eight tackles and a forced fumble. Now a junior, Allen will be a factor at safety. 

 

Projected Starters

DE           90            Ethan Day          Jr.             6-4, 250               Ripon, Calif.

NT           88            Richard Outland Jr.     Sr.           6-3, 288               Alief Taylor

DT           15            Fatafehi Vailea II           Sr.           6-1, 292               Oakland, Calif.

DE           44            Briceon Hayes                 Sr.           6-3, 231               Huntsville

WLB      6               Trey Fields         Sr.           6-0, 212               Sweeny

MLB       7              Shane Whitter                  Sr.           Burlington, NC

NB          11            Quinton Hammonds Soph.   6-1, 219               Allen

CB          1               David Fisher    Sr.           5-11, 182            Dawson

CB          2               Da’veawn Armstead  Sr.           6-1, 183               Baton Rouge, La.

SS           0               Will Jones II      Sr.           5-10, 186            Mansfield Summit

FS            3               Evan Jackson  Jr.             5-11, 183            Galena Park North Shore

P               41            Sawyer Evans                   Sr.           6-3, 204               Arlington Martin

Keep An Eye On

Skyler Cassity’s defense at Sam Houston was one of the best at creating turnovers, ranking seventh in the FBS after forcing a total of 27. That included 11 recovered fumbles and 16 interceptions. The North Texas defense was 77th in turnovers forced last year with only 16 total. Modern offenses are nearly impossible to shut down. The goal for most good defenses is to force field goals and create a couple of takeaways a game. If the Mean Green can steal a few possessions for their high-powered offense, they can compete with any team in the AAC.

 

By the Numbers

34.2 – North Texas gave up the 119th-most points in the FBS last season and somehow it was a nearly three-point improvement from the 2023 season.

28 – That’s the number of rushing touchdowns allowed by the Mean Green defense in 2024. Opponents ran for over 2,500 yards with a staggering 41.85 attempts per contest.

78 – Only four teams – Arkansas State, Oklahoma State, Tulsa, and Ball State – allowed more 20-plus yard plays from scrimmage than North Texas.

 

Ceiling

10-2

North Texas is a dark horse candidate to reach the AAC championship game because of a change at defensive coordinator and a schedule that doesn’t include perennial contenders Memphis or Tulane. Tough games against UTSA, South Florida, and Navy are at home. A trip to Army on Sept. 20 is the toughest game away from Denton.  

Floor

6-6

Losing one-score games to quality conference opponents is a trend that North Texas hopes to buck in 2025. But if those struggles continue, the Mean Green are back to scratching out bowl eligibility. They’re breaking in a new quarterback and changing defensive philosophies, and there’s no guarantees both hit immediately.  

 

Coach Gossip

“I think Eric (Morris) is one of the best offensive minds in college football. I think he’s one of those guys who could go be the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks and he wouldn’t miss a beat. I think he’s one of the best out there and I think really highly of him as a person, too. Every year, they’re going to score points. They went heavy high school early on and maybe that hurt the roster a bit last year, but they’ll be good the next couple of years.”

“The new defensive coordinator (Skyler Cassity) is a really sharp young coach. He’s been around a bunch of really good coaches his entire career. He has a certain swagger about him and that’s a good sign for a young coach. He’s a relentless recruiter. Eric hit a home run on that hire. Defense is the thing holding that program back. Maybe it won’t be anymore.”

2024 RESULTS

Aug. 31                 at South Alabama        W, 52-38
Sept. 7                  SFA        W, 35-20
Sept. 14               at Texas Tech L, 66-21
Sept. 21               Wyoming            W, 44-17
Sept. 28               Tulsa    W, 52-20
Oct. 12                 at Florida Atlantic         W, 41-37
Oct. 19                 at Memphis      L, 52-44
Oct. 26                 Tulane                   L, 45-37
Nov. 9                    Army     L, 14-3
Nov. 15                 at UTSA                L, 48-27
Nov. 23                 East Carolina L, 40-28
Nov. 30                 at Temple           W, 24-17
Jan. 3                      Texas State (First Responder Bowl) L, 30-28
Record: 6-7 (3-5)

 

2025 PREDICTIONS

Aug. 30                 Lamar                    W
Sept. 6                  at Western Michigan W
Sept. 13               Washington State        L
Sept. 20               at Army                L
Sept. 27               South Alabama               W
Oct. 10                 South Florida  L
Oct. 18                 UTSA    W
Oct. 24                 at Charlotte     W
Nov. 1                    Navy                       L
Nov. 15                 at UAB                   W
Nov. 22                 at Rice                   W
Nov. 29                 Temple                 W

Record: 8-4 (5-3)

Biggest Game

Oct. 18 vs. UTSA

The Mean Green have lost four straight to their rivals from San Antonio and have given up at least 30 points in each of those defeats. With no Tulane or Memphis on the AAC schedule, knocking off UTSA could catapult North Texas to conference championship game contention.

Trap Game

Nov. 22 at Rice

North Texas has a chance to close strong in 2025 due to an easier end-of-the-year calendar that includes Charlotte and Temple. A trip to Rice in the second-to-last game of the season could be tricky if the Mean Green don’t improve against the run because the Owls are all-in on a new option attack. 

Upset Bid

Sept. 13 vs. Washington State

Sure, the Cougars are no longer a Power Five program, but that doesn’t mean a home win over the Pac-12 foes wouldn’t be a feather in the cap for Eric Morris’ program. Washington State is breaking in a new head coach and quarterback in 2025.