North Texas trio Mestemaker, Hawkins, Young announce portal entry
JA
2 weeks ago7 min read
The North Texas Mean Green just wrapped a season for the ages, a 12-2 campaign that shattered school records, delivered an American Conference championship appearance, and culminated in a New Mexico Bowl victory that should cement their first-ever ranking in the final AP Poll. This historic run was powered by the nation's most explosive offense, a unit averaging a staggering 45.1 points and 512 yards per game, putting up 50-plus points in half their contests. The engine of this record-breaking machine was a trio of young phenoms: redshirt freshman quarterback Drew Mestemaker, true freshman running back Caleb Hawkins, and true sophomore wide receiver Wyatt Young.Their weekly statistical explosions weren't just impressive; they were the kind of performances that, in another era, would have Denton buzzing about College Football Playoff aspirations for 2026. But this is the modern transfer portal era, and in a seismic blow to the program's immediate future, all three stars have announced their intentions to enter the portal when it opens on January 2, following their bowl win over San Diego State.This exodus isn't just about losing talent; it's about dismantling the very core of the country's top offense, a unit that functioned with a rare, synergistic brilliance. Mestemaker, who confirmed his entry on Twitter, isn't merely a productive quarterback—he's the nation's leading passer with 4,379 yards, a full 696 yards ahead of the runner-up.His journey from a sixth-string walk-on in 2024 who hadn't started a game since the ninth grade to the American Conference Offensive Player of the Year and single-season program record holder for passing yards and touchdowns (34) is the stuff of legend. His 608-yard outburst against Charlotte ranks 17th in FBS history, a number that speaks to both his arm talent and the system's design.He finished 10 of his 14 starts without an interception, completing 68. 9% of his passes, efficiency metrics that would make any offensive coordinator salivate.His departure is akin to Barcelona losing a young Xavi, a quarterback who wasn't just executing plays but was the cerebral heartbeat of the operation. Then there's Caleb Hawkins, the true freshman sensation who confirmed his portal entry on the same platform.Hawkins finished the season fourth in the FBS with 1,434 rushing yards but, more tellingly, led the entire country in both rushing touchdowns (25) and total touchdowns (29). His 29 total scores demolished the previous FBS freshman record held by Louisiana Tech's Kenneth Dixon since 2012.Hawkins was a scoring machine, notching three or more touchdowns in seven games and peaking with a 198-yard, MVP-winning performance in the New Mexico Bowl. In four of his final six games, he eclipsed 180 yards, demonstrating a late-season dominance that compares to a young Adrian Peterson taking over games.
#college football
#transfer portal
#North Texas Mean Green
#quarterback
#running back
#wide receiver
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His combination of power and breakaway speed made him the perfect complement to Mestemaker's aerial assault, a dual-threat nightmare for defensive coordinators. Completing the triumvirate is Wyatt Young, the first-team all-conference receiver who announced his move on Instagram.
Young finished third nationally with 1,264 receiving yards and added 10 touchdowns, but his second-half surge was what defined him. He posted five 100-yard games in the final six regular-season contests, including a monstrous 295-yard day against Rice—the single-game high for any FBS player in 2025.
Averaging 18. 1 yards per catch, Young was the quintessential big-play threat, finishing his North Texas tenure with the second-most receiving yards in program history.
His ability to stretch the field vertically created the space that Hawkins and the intermediate passing game exploited, a symbiotic relationship that's now being severed. The context here is critical.
North Texas isn't unfamiliar with roster churn; after fielding the No. 3 offense in 2024, they replaced quarterback Chandler Morris, back Shane Porter, and their top three receivers.
But losing the literal best passer, a record-setting freshman rusher, and a top-three national receiver from the *same* unit is an unprecedented gut punch. It's a stark lesson in the volatility of the modern sport, where sustained success can be a precursor to dispersal.
The departure of head coach Eric Morris to Oklahoma State in November undoubtedly looms large, and the Cowboys will be a major factor in the recruitment of these portal entries. However, given their production, the bidding war will be national.
For new head coach Neal Brown, the task isn't a rebuild but a near-total offensive reconstruction under the brightest of spotlights. The analytics are clear: replacing over 4,300 passing yards, 1,400 rushing yards, and 1,200 receiving yards—along with 73 combined touchdowns—from a single offseason departure class is a near-impossible calculus. The Mean Green's 2026 season will be a fascinating case study in whether a system can survive the loss of its star players, or if this historic season was a fleeting, brilliant convergence of talent destined to be scattered across the college football landscape.
