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Jaelon Darden is solidifying his status as a UNT great. Jaelon Darden came into the season with a chance to carve out a significant legacy in UNT history. The senior is capitalizing on that chance while establishing himself as one of the top players in C-USA. Darden caught 13 passes for 244 yards and three touchdowns in the Mean Green's loss to Charlotte. The performance helped him continue to climb UNT's career leaders lists. Darden now ranks third in program history with 192 receptions. He has a chance of surpassing the record of 229 set by Casey Fitzgerald from 2005-08. Darden is on track to be a first-team All-C-USA selection as well as a UNT Hall of Famer. "I study film and know where I need to be," Darden said after the game. "If I take care of small things, everything else will take care of itself." - Denton Record

(DS#27 WR) Sr/2021

WR Jaelon Darden, North Texas
News Source: Denton Record
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10/16/20 - Jaelon Darden, Sr/2021, North Texas, 5-08, 174 (DS#27 WR) + More +

The question with UNT heading into the year was if it had any hope of making a run at a bowl game after losing standout quarterback Mason Fine to graduation. Those hopes appear dim at best nearly halfway into the season. UNT was always going to miss Fine, the two-time C-USA Offensive Player of the Year. The emergence of Aune has helped. He's thrown for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns with just two interceptions after starting the Mean Green's last two games. Wide receiver Jaelon Darden is having a monster year. The senior has nine touchdown catches in four games. He went off for 244 yards and three touchdowns in UNT's loss to Charlotte. The reality for UNT is a big year from Darden isn't translating into wins. The Mean Green have too many holes throughout the rest of their lineup, partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic and injuries that have ravaged the roster. - Denton Record

(DS#27 WR) Sr/2021

WR Jaelon Darden, North Texas
News Source: Denton Record
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10/15/20 - Tommy Bush, rSr/2024, North Texas, 6-4, 204 (DS#999 WR) + More +

Kirby Smart's news conference Monday contained a serious and surprising injury update. Redshirt sophomore receiver Tommy Bush was involved in some sort of weekend car accident. Rivals reported that Bush was struck by a car on Saturday night while crossing a street in Athens. "Thankfully, he's safe," Smart said Monday. "He's got a little bit of a concussion and he's got some injuries, but we're thankful he's OK. It was a dangerous situation, so glad he's OK." Smart didn't confirm details of the incident, calling it a "minor accident." Bush has been in a reserve role for his career in Athens. He has one reception in his career, with none so far in 2020. - Macon Telegraph

(DS#999 WR) rSr/2024

WR Tommy Bush, North Texas
News Source: Macon Telegraph
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10/14/20 - Jaelon Darden, Sr/2021, North Texas, 5-08, 174 (DS#27 WR) + More +

Jaelon Darden put together one of the more memorable performances of his career on Saturday. The senior wide receiver caught 13 passes for 244 yards in a notable performance in program history. Unfortunately for Darden and UNT, it came in a 49-21 loss to Charlotte at Apogee Stadium. "Darden always brings it," UNT coach Seth Littrell said. "He has the mindset and confidence to go out there and make plays. He is going to give it everything he has on every snap. He has grown over time. This is his fourth season and has played a lot of ball. He plays fast and is a great player." That was evident in the Mean Green's loss to the 49ers. Darden caught three touchdown passes and kept UNT's hopes to rally for a win over Charlotte alive late in the second half. He caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Austin Aune early in the fourth quarter that pulled UNT within 35-21. "I study film and know where I need to be," Darden said. "If I take care of small things, everything else will take care of itself." - Denton Record

(DS#27 WR) Sr/2021

WR Jaelon Darden, North Texas
News Source: Denton Record
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10/08/20 - Jaelon Darden, Sr/2021, North Texas, 5-08, 174 (DS#27 WR) + More +

Jaelon Darden continues to play well and sophomore wide receiver Deonte Simpson keeps coming on for UNT. Darden caught his sixth touchdown pass of the season and had 13 catches for 104 yards against Southern Miss. Simpson added five catches for 113 yards and a touchdown. Those two receivers will continue to help UNT excel in the passing game. - Denton Record

(DS#27 WR) Sr/2021

WR Jaelon Darden, North Texas
News Source: Denton Record
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10/08/20 - Austin Aune, rJr/2023, North Texas, 6-2, 215 (DS#42 QB) + More +

Austin Aune made his first start for North Texas in its game against Southern Miss on Saturday at Apogee Stadium. The former Argyle standout enjoyed a few good moments, make a couple of mistakes and left it all with an empty feeling after the Golden Eagles knocked off the Mean Green 41-31 at Apogee Stadium. "To me it's all wins and losses," Aune said. "I don't care if we run for 500 yards and get zero passing yards. I want to get the ball to our playmakers and win football games." UNT didn't come close to that goal on a night when it was shorthanded across the board due to injuries and the impact of positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing. UNT announced before the game that it would be without seven players, including starting linebackers Tyreke Davis and Kevin Wood. UNT needed its offense to carry the team without those players. Aune threw for 339 yards and two touchdowns. It just wasn't enough for the Mean Green to pull out the win. Aune played in each of the Mean Green's first two games of the season. Aune enjoyed a breakout performance in UNT's loss to SMU on Sept. 19, throwing for 276 yards and two touchdowns. That performance earned him the starting job on a night when Bean didn't play. - Denton Record

(DS#42 QB) rJr/2023

QB Austin Aune, North Texas
News Source: Denton Record
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10/02/20 - Jaelon Darden, Sr/2021, North Texas, 5-08, 174 (DS#27 WR) + More +

The list of teams Jaelon Darden has played for, or was expected to join, during his football journey points toward a restless soul. The Houston native played at two high schools, was forced to sit out part of his senior season after transferring, and committed to three colleges, including one that pulled his scholarship offer. Darden never found a long-term home until he landed at North Texas, where he's become a cornerstone for the Mean Green. The senior is in his third year as a starter, ranks second in program history with 24 career touchdown catches and has emerged as a team leader as well as one of the more productive players in college football in a pandemic-impacted season.

Darden leads the nation in touchdown catches with five heading into the Mean Green's Conference USA opener against Southern Miss (0-3, 0-1) on Saturday at Apogee Stadium, despite the fact UNT (1-1) has played just two games. "The journey has been hard, but then again, it wasn't with the things I have been through," Darden said. "They didn't faze me at all. I just took it on the chin and ran with it." - Denton Record

(DS#27 WR) Sr/2021

WR Jaelon Darden, North Texas
News Source: Denton Record
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09/24/20 - Will Jones II, rSr/2026, North Texas, 5-10, 190 (DS#37 FS) + More +

Will Jones' first start at Kansas State was filled with mixed emotions. On one hand, his big plays on special teams and defense led to two of K-State's four touchdowns against Arkansas State. But on the other, the Wildcats suffered a disappointing 35-31 loss in their Sept. 12 season opener. Jones also was flagged for pass interference on a play that helped set up a Red Wolves score. "It was exciting, but as a result, we've just got to get those," Jones, a redshirt freshman, said of the loss. "For myself and the team, emotions were flying in the first game and being excited to play, but at the end of the day we've got to execute business."

Coming off a bye week, the Wildcats will try to get back on track Saturday in their Big 12 opener at No. 3-ranked Oklahoma. Kickoff is at 11 a.m. at Memorial Stadium in Norman. For the most part, Jones took care of his business at nickel back against Arkansas State, picking off one pass and breaking up another. And his blocked punt on the game's first series led to a quick score and early lead for K-State. Perhaps Jones' biggest weapon is his raw speed. Thompson said it would come down to a footrace between Jones and wide receiver Joshua Youngblood for fastest player on the team. Jones, who gave his 40-yard dash time as 4.3 seconds - well, actually more like 4.39 - picked himself. "I'm going to have to take that," he said with a smile. "I'm the fastest." - Topeka Capital Journal

(DS#37 FS) rSr/2026

FS Will Jones II, North Texas
News Source: Topeka Capital Journal
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09/08/20 - Jaelon Darden, Sr/2021, North Texas, 5-08, 174 (DS#27 WR) + More +

The feeling heading into the season was that UNT has some serious depth at its skill positions. Nothing that transpired in the Mean Green's win over HBU dispelled that notion. UNT's top players all showed up in a big way, including Jaelon Darden (three touchdown catches) and DeAndre Torrey (85 rushing yards). What was even more encouraging was the fact that so many of UNT's younger players fared well when they had the opportunity. Oscar Adaway came on late to rush for 118 yards and two touchdowns. Deonte Simpson and Kealon Jackson each had three catches. Adaway and Jackson are redshirt freshmen, while Simpson is a sophomore. - Denton Record

(DS#27 WR) Sr/2021

WR Jaelon Darden, North Texas
News Source: Denton Record
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09/08/20 - Jaelon Darden, Sr/2021, North Texas, 5-08, 174 (DS#27 WR) + More +

2021 SENIOR BOWL WATCH LIST: Jaelon Darden, North Texas,...Darden, a 2019 first team all-conference selection by the league's 14 head coaches, led the Mean Green in every major receiving category and was among the nation's most productive receivers. He finished with 76 receptions for 736 yards and 12 touchdowns. His 12 receiving scores ranked 12th in FBS (his 12 touchdowns were three more than anyone else in the conference), and he ranked 21st in the country in receptions per game (6.3). - North Texas Football

(DS#27 WR) Sr/2021

WR Jaelon Darden, North Texas
News Source: North Texas Football
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09/07/20 - KD Davis, rSr/2023, North Texas, 5-11, 232 (DS#27 ILB) + More +

SEPT 7 CONFERENCE USA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: North Texas junior LB KD Davis recorded a team-high nine tackles (seven solo), one sack, a tackle for loss and two quarterback hurries in North Texas' 57-31 season-opening win over HBU. The Ennis, Texas, native anchored a defense during its first game under new defensive coordinator Clint Bowen. The Mean Green defense only allowed 89 yards on the ground during the course of the game and allowed a pair of late HBU scores after the game had been decided. - Conference USA Football

(DS#27 ILB) rSr/2023

ILB KD Davis, North Texas
News Source: Conference USA Football
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09/05/20 - Jaelon Darden, Sr/2021, North Texas, 5-08, 174 (DS#27 WR) + More +

Jason Bean threw three touchdowns and ran for another one in his first start for North Texas, and the Mean Green set a school record with 721 total yards in a 57-31 win over FCS team Houston Baptist on Saturday night in the season opener for both teams. Jaelon Darden had three TD catches, scores of 33 and 19 yards from Bean and a 6-yarder thrown by former minor league outfielder Austin Aune in his UNT debut a day before his 27th birthday. Oscar Adaway added TD runs of 35 and 47 yards.

Bailey Zappe was 39-of-62 passing for 480 yards and three touchdowns for Houston Baptist. The senior led all FCS quarterbacks last season with 357 completions, and was second with 317.6 yards passing per game and 35 TDs. The Huskies, in only their eighth season since starting the program, have only three games scheduled after the Southland Conference decided not to play league games this fall because of the coronavirus pandemic. They face their first-ever Power Five opponent next week at Texas Tech, then go to C-USA team Louisiana Tech on Sept. 26. - North Texas/AP College Football

(DS#27 WR) Sr/2021

WR Jaelon Darden, North Texas
News Source: North Texas/AP College Football
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08/29/20 - Deion Hair-Griffin, rSr/2022, North Texas, 5-09, 177 (DS#999 WR) + More +

2020 PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE USA TEAM (COACHES): KR Deion Hair-Griffin, R-Jr., North Texas,...Hair-Griffin was the national leader in kick return average at 40.8 yards per return in 2019 and earned second team all-conference recognition from C-USA's 14 head coaches. Hair-Griffin had one kick return for a touchdown, which was a 96-yard score in the season-opener against Abilene Christian on 8/31. That 96-yard return tied for the ninth-longest return in program history. Hair-Griffin had five returns in 2019 of 50-plus yards, four of which are of 60 or more yards (96, 71, 63, 61 and 50). - North Texas Football

(DS#999 WR) rSr/2022

WR Deion Hair-Griffin, North Texas
News Source: North Texas Football
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08/29/20 - Ethan Mooney, rSr/2023, North Texas, 5-11, 189 (DS#37 K) + More +

2020 PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE USA TEAM (COACHES): K Ethan Mooney, Jr., North Texas,...Mooney earned all-conference honorable mention status following his sophomore season, his first as the Mean Green's kicker. He finished the season 16-20 on field goals and converted on 43-44 extra points during the 2019 season. Mooney kicked a career-long 51-yard field goal and also hit three field goals of 40 or more yards. Mooney also was the primary kickoff specialist as well, averaging 52.0 yards per kickoff with 10 touchbacks. - North Texas Football

(DS#37 K) rSr/2023

K Ethan Mooney, North Texas
News Source: North Texas Football
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08/28/20 - Dion Novil, rSr/2022, North Texas, 6-1, 300 (DS#25 DT) + More +

2020 PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE USA TEAM (COACHES): DL Dion Novil, Sr., North Texas,...Novil is coming off the most productive season of his career on his way to all-conference honorable mention honors. He finished with 61 total tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks at nose tackle in 2019 for the Mean Green. Throughout his career in Denton, Novil has appeared in 29 games, posting 98 tackles, 20.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks. - North Texas

(DS#25 DT) rSr/2022

DT Dion Novil, North Texas
News Source: North Texas
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