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Caleb Hawkins rushes in for 31-yard touchdown (0:24)
Caleb Hawkins rushes in for 31-yard touchdown (0:24)
Max OlsonDec 28, 2025, 01:19 PM ET
- Covers the Big 12
- Joined ESPN in 2012
- Graduate of the University of Nebraska
North Texas running back Caleb Hawkins, a 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 Friday. He produced 1,804 yards from scrimmage, third most in the FBS, during his debut season with the Mean Green, earning All-America honors and American Conference Rookie of the Year.
He is the latest North Texas player with plans to transfer after coach Eric Morris was hired by Oklahoma State on Nov. 25. Wide receiver Wyatt Young, the third-leading receiver in the FBS with 1,264 yards as a sophomore, also plans to enter the transfer portal, a source told ESPN.
Running backs Ashton Gray and Makenzie McGill II, defensive linemen Ethan Day and Joshua Pierce, linebacker Ethan Wesloski and safety Quinton Hammonds have also announced plans to transfer since North Texas closed out its season Saturday with a 49-47 victory over San Diego State in the Isleta New Mexico Bowl.
After the first 12-win season in school history, the program is expecting significant roster attrition 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 Murti, with him to Oklahoma State.
Hawkins, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound back from Shawnee, Oklahoma, was one of the top breakout freshman stars in the sport and a first-team all-conference selection. He surpassed 200 total yards six times for the Mean Green, including a 233-yard performance against San Diego State. He was offensive MVP of the bowl game.
North Texas star quarterback Drew Mestemaker, the FBS passing leader with 4,379 yards, planned to wait until after the bowl game to decide where he will play in 2026. If he moves on, he'll be one of the top quarterbacks available in the transfer portal window, which runs Jan. 2-16.
In Morris' third season as coach, North Texas produced the No. 1 scoring offense in the FBS at 45.1 points per game and reached the American Conference title game for the first time in its history.
