Hawkins plans to join exodus of players leaving North Texas

North Texas rushing back Caleb HawkinsA true freshman who leads the FBS with 29 touchdowns said Sunday he plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal.

Hawkins is expected to be one of the top running backs available when the portal officially opens on Friday. During his first season with the Mean Green, he passed for 1,804 yards from scrimmage, third-most in FBS, and earned All-America honors and American Conference Rookie of the Year.

He is the latest North Texas player to plan to transfer after Oklahoma State hired coach Eric Morris on Nov. 25. wide receiver wyat youngThe third-leading receiver in FBS with 1,264 yards is also planning to enter the transfer portal, a source told ESPN.

run behind ashton gray And Mackenzie McGill IIdefensive lineman ethan day And joshua piercelinebacker Ethan Weslowski and safety quinton hammonds North Texas has also announced transfer plans after ending its season with a 49-47 victory over San Diego State in the Isleta New Mexico Bowl on Saturday.

After the first 12-win season in school history, the program is expected to make significant roster moves as it transitions from Morris to new coach Neal Brown. Morris is taking defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity and several assistant coaches as well as general manager Raj Murthy with him to Oklahoma State.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Hawkins, from Shawnee, Oklahoma, was one of the top breakout freshman stars in the game and a first-team all-conference selection. He passed for 200 total yards six times for the Mean Green, including a 233-yard performance against San Diego State. He was the offensive MVP of the bowl game.

North Texas star quarterback Drew MestemakerThe FBS passing leader with 4,379 yards plans to wait until after the bowl game to decide where he will play in 2026. If he moves on, he would be one of the top quarterbacks available in the transfer portal window, which runs from Jan. 2-16.

In Morris’ third season as coach, North Texas had the No. 1 scoring offense in FBS at 45.1 points per game and reached the American Conference title game for the first time in its history.