North Texas has 52 incoming transfers for new coach Neal Brown after 12-win season

DENTON, Texas (AP) — North Texas has 52 transfers on its spring roster for new coach Neal Brown, a significant turnover for the Mean Green after they won a school-record 12 games and finished the season in the AP Top 25 for the first time.

The 96-player roster released Wednesday included 44 returning players, but national passing leader Drew Mestemaker was among about a dozen players who followed former UNT coach Eric Morris to Oklahoma State. North Texas’ top rusher and receiver also went with Morris to the Big 12 Conference.

Mestemaker threw for 4,379 yards and 34 touchdowns as a freshman in his only season starting for No. 24 North Texas, while Caleb Hawkins rushed for 1,434 yards and 25 touchdowns as a freshman. Sophomore Wyatt Young was the Mean Green’s top receiver with 70 catches for 1,264 yards and 10 TDs.

Among the 22 transfers from Power Four schools is running back Jaheim White, who played the past three seasons at West Virginia, his first two when Brown was the coach there. He has seven career 100-yard rushing games and 2,200 all-purpose yards.

Sophomore quarterback Chris Jimerson, who attempted only two passes behind Mestemaker, is back. The Mean Green added two transfer QBs, senior Tayven Jackson from UCF and redshirt freshman Chaston Ditta from East Carolina. Jackson previously spent two seasons at Indiana after beginning his career at Tennessee and has 16 starts in his 27 games played.

At receiver, there are six portal additions, along with six returning players.

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