University of North Texas Athletics
Photo by: Manny Flores
Position Group Breakdowns: QBs
3/26/2020 1:00:00 PM | Football
DENTON – Spring practice was supposed to be in full swing by now. One of the biggest questions on the Mean Green roster, who will be the team's new starting quarterback, was supposed to at least get 15 opportunities to begin to work itself out, but process has been paused for the time being. Following the act of now former North Texas signal-caller Mason Fine will be difficult, but there is a talented group vying for that chance. The returning quarterbacks have thrown a combined 55 passes with five touchdowns to four interceptions in extremely limited action over the past two seasons.
Outgoing:
Fine leaves Denton as arguably the most decorated quarterback in program history. He was a four-year starter and appeared in 49 games, setting program records for career completions (1,039), attempts (1,655), passing yards (12,505), passing touchdowns (93), passing efficiency (140.68), 300-yard passing games (18) and was second in career completion percentage (62.8 percent). Additionally, he holds single-season records for passing yardage (4,052), touchdowns (31), completions (324) and pass attempts (511), all set in 2017.
Head coach Seth Littrell has quite the track record when it comes to quarterback success, dating back to his time with current Chicago Bears quarterback and Super Bowl champion Nick Foles (Arizona), Eagles quarterback Nate Sudfeld (Indiana), former No. 2 overall pick Mitch Trubisky, also a member of the Bears (North Carolina) and another former Tar Heel in Marquise Williams, who played for the New York Guardians in the XFL this past season.
"I'm really excited about this very intelligent and talented group," Littrell said of his quarterback room.
Littrell will take on a much more active role in offensive play-calling in 2020, and both he and co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach Tommy Mainord have cohesion with the Mean Green program, both having arrived in 2016.
New Faces:
While there are no new names on the proverbial depth chart heading into fall camp for the 2020 season, there are two newcomers at significant positions on the coaching staff that will directly affect the quarterbacks – new co-offensive coordinator Mike Bloesch, who joins UNT from Tulsa and new quarterbacks coach Tate Wallis, who most recently was the offensive coordinator at Argyle High School and has a strong resume from his time at Baylor.
"I'm excited and honored to have the opportunity to work at a great university and with great people in the athletic department from the top down," Wallis said. "Coach Littrell is a great man with an awesome football mind. We have some talented guys in the quarterback room and I'm excited to watch them compete and score a lot of touchdowns."
Returners:
#2 Austin Aune – redshirt sophomore – Argyle, Texas (Arkansas)
Aune took a unique path to Denton, and is set to enter his redshirt sophomore season with a chance to take over starting quarterback duties. A multi-sport standout at Argyle High School, Aune originally committed to play quarterback at TCU. A few days after enrolling and moving on campus, he was drafted in the first round by the New York Yankees in the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft and shifted course to baseball. After six years in the minor leagues, playing shortstop and centerfield in the Yankees organization, Aune decided to return to football, initially enrolling at Arkansas ahead of spring practice in 2018. Following spring ball in Fayetteville, he decided to return home, to the University of North Texas, where he redshirted the 2018 season.
Aune completed 4-of-5 passes in 2019 for 135 yards and a touchdown in very limited action across two games. He connected with Michael Lawrence on a 74-yard fourth quarter touchdown at Louisiana Tech in November, showing off his arm strength and accuracy.
Aune brings some size at 6'2" and 207 pounds, as well as some athleticism to the position and should be firmly in the mix to win the starting job whenever football returns.
"I'm very excited about the opportunity in front of us to compete for the starting quarterback position. The bar was set high with Mason as the quarterback the last four years and I hope to continue to help this program grow and win championships. Coach Wallis and coach Littrell are great offensive minds and I'm very excited to see how we can develop and grow as a team."
#5 Jason Bean – redshirt sophomore – Mansfield, Texas (Lake Ridge HS)
Bean has seen the most action out of the group, appearing in eight games over the past two years, including seven appearances in 2019, where he served as the primary backup quarterback for the majority of the season. Bean completed 22-of-35 passes for 176 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions in his seven appearances last season. Additionally, he also carried 13 times for 80 yards on the ground.
Bean made his North Texas debut in the New Mexico Bowl in 2018 after Fine went down due to injury and then-backup Quinn Shanbour was ineffective. Bean was 0-for-2 with an interception and ran for 14 yards on four carries in that game, which was a big stage for the true freshman.
Bean was a three-star prospect according to 247Sports Composite ranking system and held a handful of FBS offers before choosing North Texas. Bean threw for a combined 4,638 yards and 49 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,224 yards and 10 more scores on the ground over the course of his junior and senior seasons at Lake Ridge High School. Bean was also a high-level sprinter during his high school career, and that speed has certainly been on display when his number has been called.
Bean is 6'3" and 189 pounds and like Aune, offers a great deal of athleticism at the position. Expect Bean to be a strong candidate to fill the role as the starter in Denton in the fall.
"I'm so blessed to have the opportunity that I have. This is something I dreamt of for a long time now. Coach Littrell has been unbelievable – it doesn't feel like he's my coach, but just a friend I can joke around with. He definitely knows his stuff when it comes to football. I like to just sit and listen because you can learn something from him every day. I'm also very excited to work with coach Wallis and for the short time I've been with him, he seems like a guy that's just like coach Littrell in that he just wants to win. That's all I want to do as well, so I'm sure we'll work well together."
#17 Kason Martin – redshirt sophomore – Manvel, Texas (Manvel HS)
Martin is the other member of the program to have seen game action thus far in his young career. Martin has appeared twice, both times in 2018, completing 8-of-13 career passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. Most of that action came in the 2018 New Mexico Bowl, when he completed 7-of-12 passes for 110 yards and a score – a 75-yard strike to open the second half, to Jalen Guyton.
Martin, who measures at 6'3" and 205 pounds, had a decorated high school career at Manvel, where he was coached by his father Kirk. Martin led Manvel within a few yards of the 5A State Championship in 2017. His Mavericks fell 53-49 in a shootout to Highland Park, and a deep ball on the final play of the game was caught, but his receiver was tackled just shy of the goal line. Martin was a three-star prospect according to the 247 Composite ranking system. He threw for 3,047 yards with 39 touchdowns and just four interceptions as a senior, while also running for three more scores. As a junior, Martin threw for 3,443 yards with 46 touchdowns and 13 interceptions as a junior.
"It's no secret that there's a hole in the offense with Mason gone, but honestly Austin, Jason, Will, Cole and I have been competing and preparing like we were the starter since we got here. The vibe of the group is really good, although we each know only one of us will the team come fall. Coach Wallis has done a great job making the room relaxed. He emphasizes playing loose, confident and always full speed. I am really looking forward to competing with my brothers once things crank back up.
It's been crazy these past few weeks with the virus keeping everyone separated, but coach Wallis has done a great job of keeping in touch with us and coaching us from a distance. We look over scripts, and he encourages us to watch film and of course throw when we can. Coach Littrell hired a great coach like he always does. We've got a lot of new faces on the coaching staff, but after going through daybreaks with their coaching, everyone seems close and comfortable with the staff. This season is going to be really great – we've got dogs all over the country itching to get back on the field. It's going to be a movie once things get rolling!"
#4 Will Kuehne – redshirt freshman – Owasso, Oklahoma (Owasso HS)
Kuehne redshirted his first season on campus in 2019 and did not appear for the Mean Green. Kuehne was rated a three-star prospect by ESPN and the 247Sports Composite ranking system and was a first team All-State selection by The Oklahoman following his senior season. Kuehne completed 204 of 359 passes for 2,569 yards with 24 touchdowns to just seven interceptions and added 459 yards rushing and five scores on the ground during his final high school season.
Kuehne had the opportunity to really spend some time learning this past year, trying to soak up everything he could and it will be interesting to see the type of leap he can make from year one to year two under Littrell once practices get underway.
"I'm super excited for this year. There's a huge opportunity for me to compete for the starting job. Coach Littrell is a huge asset because of his understanding of the offensive strategy and how different routes can affect defenses. So far I love Coach Wallis because of the energy he brings and how he can relate to all of us in the room. I can't wait to work with him [more].
#10 Cole Johnson – redshirt freshman – Sulphur, Oklahoma (Sulphur HS)
Johnson enters his second season in Denton after redshirting in 2019. Johnson earned a spot on the roster after a successful high school career at Sulphur High School in Oklahoma. He played both quarterback and defensive back for the Bulldogs. He completed 50-of-95 passes for 1,002 yards with 10 passing touchdowns with no interceptions and added three more scores on the ground as a senior.
"This quarterback room is awesome and I love going to work with these guys every single day. It's a privilege to be able to. What makes coach Littrell special is he's awesome both on and off the field for us and is really always there when we need him. Coach Wallis has made the transition very easy for us and we look forward to getting to know him even more each and every day."
Outgoing:
Fine leaves Denton as arguably the most decorated quarterback in program history. He was a four-year starter and appeared in 49 games, setting program records for career completions (1,039), attempts (1,655), passing yards (12,505), passing touchdowns (93), passing efficiency (140.68), 300-yard passing games (18) and was second in career completion percentage (62.8 percent). Additionally, he holds single-season records for passing yardage (4,052), touchdowns (31), completions (324) and pass attempts (511), all set in 2017.
Head coach Seth Littrell has quite the track record when it comes to quarterback success, dating back to his time with current Chicago Bears quarterback and Super Bowl champion Nick Foles (Arizona), Eagles quarterback Nate Sudfeld (Indiana), former No. 2 overall pick Mitch Trubisky, also a member of the Bears (North Carolina) and another former Tar Heel in Marquise Williams, who played for the New York Guardians in the XFL this past season.
"I'm really excited about this very intelligent and talented group," Littrell said of his quarterback room.
Littrell will take on a much more active role in offensive play-calling in 2020, and both he and co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach Tommy Mainord have cohesion with the Mean Green program, both having arrived in 2016.
New Faces:
While there are no new names on the proverbial depth chart heading into fall camp for the 2020 season, there are two newcomers at significant positions on the coaching staff that will directly affect the quarterbacks – new co-offensive coordinator Mike Bloesch, who joins UNT from Tulsa and new quarterbacks coach Tate Wallis, who most recently was the offensive coordinator at Argyle High School and has a strong resume from his time at Baylor.
"I'm excited and honored to have the opportunity to work at a great university and with great people in the athletic department from the top down," Wallis said. "Coach Littrell is a great man with an awesome football mind. We have some talented guys in the quarterback room and I'm excited to watch them compete and score a lot of touchdowns."
Returners:
#2 Austin Aune – redshirt sophomore – Argyle, Texas (Arkansas)
Aune took a unique path to Denton, and is set to enter his redshirt sophomore season with a chance to take over starting quarterback duties. A multi-sport standout at Argyle High School, Aune originally committed to play quarterback at TCU. A few days after enrolling and moving on campus, he was drafted in the first round by the New York Yankees in the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft and shifted course to baseball. After six years in the minor leagues, playing shortstop and centerfield in the Yankees organization, Aune decided to return to football, initially enrolling at Arkansas ahead of spring practice in 2018. Following spring ball in Fayetteville, he decided to return home, to the University of North Texas, where he redshirted the 2018 season.
Aune completed 4-of-5 passes in 2019 for 135 yards and a touchdown in very limited action across two games. He connected with Michael Lawrence on a 74-yard fourth quarter touchdown at Louisiana Tech in November, showing off his arm strength and accuracy.
Aune brings some size at 6'2" and 207 pounds, as well as some athleticism to the position and should be firmly in the mix to win the starting job whenever football returns.
"I'm very excited about the opportunity in front of us to compete for the starting quarterback position. The bar was set high with Mason as the quarterback the last four years and I hope to continue to help this program grow and win championships. Coach Wallis and coach Littrell are great offensive minds and I'm very excited to see how we can develop and grow as a team."
#5 Jason Bean – redshirt sophomore – Mansfield, Texas (Lake Ridge HS)
Bean has seen the most action out of the group, appearing in eight games over the past two years, including seven appearances in 2019, where he served as the primary backup quarterback for the majority of the season. Bean completed 22-of-35 passes for 176 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions in his seven appearances last season. Additionally, he also carried 13 times for 80 yards on the ground.
Bean made his North Texas debut in the New Mexico Bowl in 2018 after Fine went down due to injury and then-backup Quinn Shanbour was ineffective. Bean was 0-for-2 with an interception and ran for 14 yards on four carries in that game, which was a big stage for the true freshman.
Bean was a three-star prospect according to 247Sports Composite ranking system and held a handful of FBS offers before choosing North Texas. Bean threw for a combined 4,638 yards and 49 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,224 yards and 10 more scores on the ground over the course of his junior and senior seasons at Lake Ridge High School. Bean was also a high-level sprinter during his high school career, and that speed has certainly been on display when his number has been called.
Bean is 6'3" and 189 pounds and like Aune, offers a great deal of athleticism at the position. Expect Bean to be a strong candidate to fill the role as the starter in Denton in the fall.
"I'm so blessed to have the opportunity that I have. This is something I dreamt of for a long time now. Coach Littrell has been unbelievable – it doesn't feel like he's my coach, but just a friend I can joke around with. He definitely knows his stuff when it comes to football. I like to just sit and listen because you can learn something from him every day. I'm also very excited to work with coach Wallis and for the short time I've been with him, he seems like a guy that's just like coach Littrell in that he just wants to win. That's all I want to do as well, so I'm sure we'll work well together."
#17 Kason Martin – redshirt sophomore – Manvel, Texas (Manvel HS)
Martin is the other member of the program to have seen game action thus far in his young career. Martin has appeared twice, both times in 2018, completing 8-of-13 career passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. Most of that action came in the 2018 New Mexico Bowl, when he completed 7-of-12 passes for 110 yards and a score – a 75-yard strike to open the second half, to Jalen Guyton.
Martin, who measures at 6'3" and 205 pounds, had a decorated high school career at Manvel, where he was coached by his father Kirk. Martin led Manvel within a few yards of the 5A State Championship in 2017. His Mavericks fell 53-49 in a shootout to Highland Park, and a deep ball on the final play of the game was caught, but his receiver was tackled just shy of the goal line. Martin was a three-star prospect according to the 247 Composite ranking system. He threw for 3,047 yards with 39 touchdowns and just four interceptions as a senior, while also running for three more scores. As a junior, Martin threw for 3,443 yards with 46 touchdowns and 13 interceptions as a junior.
"It's no secret that there's a hole in the offense with Mason gone, but honestly Austin, Jason, Will, Cole and I have been competing and preparing like we were the starter since we got here. The vibe of the group is really good, although we each know only one of us will the team come fall. Coach Wallis has done a great job making the room relaxed. He emphasizes playing loose, confident and always full speed. I am really looking forward to competing with my brothers once things crank back up.
It's been crazy these past few weeks with the virus keeping everyone separated, but coach Wallis has done a great job of keeping in touch with us and coaching us from a distance. We look over scripts, and he encourages us to watch film and of course throw when we can. Coach Littrell hired a great coach like he always does. We've got a lot of new faces on the coaching staff, but after going through daybreaks with their coaching, everyone seems close and comfortable with the staff. This season is going to be really great – we've got dogs all over the country itching to get back on the field. It's going to be a movie once things get rolling!"
#4 Will Kuehne – redshirt freshman – Owasso, Oklahoma (Owasso HS)
Kuehne redshirted his first season on campus in 2019 and did not appear for the Mean Green. Kuehne was rated a three-star prospect by ESPN and the 247Sports Composite ranking system and was a first team All-State selection by The Oklahoman following his senior season. Kuehne completed 204 of 359 passes for 2,569 yards with 24 touchdowns to just seven interceptions and added 459 yards rushing and five scores on the ground during his final high school season.
Kuehne had the opportunity to really spend some time learning this past year, trying to soak up everything he could and it will be interesting to see the type of leap he can make from year one to year two under Littrell once practices get underway.
"I'm super excited for this year. There's a huge opportunity for me to compete for the starting job. Coach Littrell is a huge asset because of his understanding of the offensive strategy and how different routes can affect defenses. So far I love Coach Wallis because of the energy he brings and how he can relate to all of us in the room. I can't wait to work with him [more].
#10 Cole Johnson – redshirt freshman – Sulphur, Oklahoma (Sulphur HS)
Johnson enters his second season in Denton after redshirting in 2019. Johnson earned a spot on the roster after a successful high school career at Sulphur High School in Oklahoma. He played both quarterback and defensive back for the Bulldogs. He completed 50-of-95 passes for 1,002 yards with 10 passing touchdowns with no interceptions and added three more scores on the ground as a senior.
"This quarterback room is awesome and I love going to work with these guys every single day. It's a privilege to be able to. What makes coach Littrell special is he's awesome both on and off the field for us and is really always there when we need him. Coach Wallis has made the transition very easy for us and we look forward to getting to know him even more each and every day."
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