With National Signing Day in the rearview mirror, we are evaluating the state of each Texas FBS program. Next up is North Texas, which is fresh off back-to-back four-win seasons. 

Previous Editions: Texas State | Baylor | UTEP

North Texas Mean Green

2020 Record: 4-6, 3-4 Conference USA

Head Coach: Seth Littrell (31-31 in five seasons)

Returning Production Ranking (O/D): 72 / 74

Key Returners: WR Deonte Simpson (25 catches, 517 yards, 4 TDs), RB DeAndre Torrey (113 carries, 656 yards, 6 TDs), LB KD Davis (75 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 3 sacks, 3 QBH)

Key Losses: WR Jaelon Darden, QB Jason Bean, LB Joe Ozougwu

Key Additions: QB Jace Ruder (North Carolina), DB John Davis (Texas Tech), DB Logan Wilson (ULM)

Final 2020 Ranking: 9

Way-Too-Early 2021 Ranking: 11

What went wrong: A defensive disaster

There really was a lot of context to why North Texas struggled so much on the defensive side of the ball. The Mean Green were without both starting linebackers to start the year and lost countless players to injuries and contact tracing. 

But at the end of it, the numbers don’t lie. North Texas finished last in the nation in total defense and third-to-last in scoring defense. The Mean Green allowed an incomprehensible 522 yards per game on 6.94 yards per play. Put another way, North Texas turned effectively every offense it played into Ohio State. 

North Texas held just one opponent under 30 points, and it was Rice’s worst performance of the year. Otherwise, everyone from FCS Houston Baptist to UTEP to SMU managed to have its way with the defense. North Texas was young on that side of the ball – but not that young. Even worse, the defense was 40 spots and more than 100 yards worse than the unit that convinced Littrell to make a DC change the year prior. 

What went right: Jaelon Darden

North Texas had a miserable year last year – with one exception. 2020 was the year of Jaelon Darden. 

The senior receiver from Houston Eisenhower put together a season for the ages. Darden caught 74 passes for 1,190 yards and 19 touchdowns. Darden finished top-five nationally in all three categories despite playing as many as five fewer games than other contenders. Only one receiver in the nation touched Darden’s numbers. He won the Heisman Trophy. 

For his efforts, Darden was named a First Team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America, the Texas Football Offensive Player of the Year and Conference USA’s Most Valuable Player. He also leaves Denton as the program’s all-time leader in every receiver category: receptions, yards, receiving touchdowns. Did we mention he only played nine games? 

Despite his astonishing season, Darden was infuriatingly left off the Senior Bowl roster. No matter. If NFL teams are doing their homework, Darden will easily be the first North Texas football player drafted since Cody Spencer in 2004. 

Their new DC knows the path to success

After Clint Bowen left the program to become the next coach at Lawrence High School in Kansas, Littrell turned to a longtime college football figure to turn the tide. Phil Bennett previously served as head coach at SMU and has coordinated defenses at stops from Kansas State to Baylor to Arizona State. 

However, his last stop in the state of Texas might be the best indicator. Bennett took over a broken defense at Baylor that competed for the worst unit of all time. Within two years, Bennett adjusted his approach and helped lead Baylor to a pair of Big 12 championships. The Bears don’t win without Bennett. 

“Some people like to do what they do, they really struggle with change,” UNT linebackers coach Jim Gush told me when he was at Baylor with Bennett. “Phil has embraced it.” 

With Littrell at the helm, North Texas is going to be a high-octane offensive program. Few coaches understand how to defend with those limitations better than Bennett. 

UNT might have its next star QB

After the Mean Green struggled so mightily under center, Seth Littrell looked to the transfer market and landed one of the most intriguing transfers in the class. Sophomore Jace Ruder was a blue-chip recruit out of Norton, Kan., in the class of 2018 with offers from Baylor, Florida State, Georgia and Penn State. 

However, Ruder fell behind Heisman contender Sam Howell on the depth chart when Larry Fedora left and Mack Brown came into town. UNC’s loss could be UNT’s massive gain as the Mean Green desperately need a stabilizing force at the quarterback position. 

While North Texas finished top 10 in total offense, the quarterback room was inconsistent at best. The three quarterbacks who appeared completed just 55 percent of their passes. 

Now, part-time starter Jason Bean is gone. Ruder will have a shot to compete with Austin Aune, Kentucky transfer Amani Gilmore, Will Kuehne, Kason Martin and Bryce Drummond for the starting job. 

Now what? 

A few years ago, North Texas looked like the hot new thing in college football. Littrell looked like a Power Five head coach in waiting. Today, the Mean Green are 8-14 over the past two seasons and the shine is gone. 

Still, all is not lost. Darden is off to the NFL, but Deonte Simpson and Jyaire Shorter ensure that the room is still strong. The offensive line received consideration for the Joe Moore Award as the nation’s best, and all five starters return. The running back room might be the best unit on the team. 

Defensively, the Mean Green are adding major defensive back transfers John Davis and Logan Wilson and Kilgore JC DT Kalvin Hutchings. Having to learn another defensive system will be tough, but it’s hard to be much worse than the Mean Green were last season. Plus, they bring in C-USA’s No. 2 recruiting class. Eventually, that has to pay off. 

All the pieces seem to be in place for Seth Littrell’s squad to once again compete for Conference USA. The only issue? That was true last year. And the year before that. Even with back-to-back 9-win seasons, the Mean Green don’t have a conference championship or bowl win to show for it. 

Littrell sits at .500 at North Texas. It’s effectively a clean slate. With how much North Texas has invested – and the level of recruit Littrell continues to land – mediocrity isn't going to cut it. Luckily, the tools to turn the tide are right there on campus.