2024 Transfer Portal Needs: North Texas Mean Green

Needs: QB, WR, RB

Best-case scenario: Braden Schrager, Jyaire Shorter

Realistic option: Jordan McCloud, Grayson James, Jyaire Shorter, Kyle Maxwell, DJ Allen

First-year head coach Eric Morris guided the Mean Green to a five-win 2023 campaign coming off the heels of the Seth Littrell era in Denton. The offensive minded Morris was able to rejuvenate the career of Chandler Rogers, who subsequently entered the transfer portal and committed to Cal. Star wideout Ja’Mori Maclin also announced he will transfer to Kentucky.

As a result, the Mean Green are in need of a signal caller and a wideout, along with a running back. 1,000-yard rusher Ayo Adeyi has entered the portal as well. UNT needs to replace plenty of other names as well, but for the first window, we’ll look at the quarterback and wideout spots.

DFW-area native Braden Schrager would be an ideal fit for the offense that Morris is looking to run. However, the 6-3, 225-pound former Hawaii signal-caller may have options from higher-profile programs coming off an excellent year with the Rainbow Warriors. More realistic may be former James Madison QB Jordan McCloud, who began his career at South Florida and another DFW-area local in former Florida International starter Grayson James.

McCloud is coming off an outstanding season with the Dukes, throwing for 3,400 yards and 32 touchdowns – and could look to follow his former head coach to Indiana. James was FIU’s primary starter in 2022, throwing for just under 2,000 yards before being swapped out in-place of true freshman Keyone Jenkins.

On the receiver front, don’t roll your eyes, but former UNT standout Jyaire Shorter would be an excellent fit back in Denton after a disappointing one-year stint at Auburn. Also, keep an eye on former LA Tech wideout Kyle Maxwell, who could see an expanded role as a number-one target for the Mean Green and former TCU wideout DJ Allen, who hit the portal after his true freshman season in Fort Worth.