Ins:thejaycinco

North Texas secured its fifth commitment for the 2025 football class as Jaden Manning, a versatile athlete from Mansfield Legacy (Texas), revealed that he will be joining the Mean Green. Manning, who played both linebacker and running back during his junior year, made his decision to commit to North Texas.

In his junior season at Mansfield, Manning totaled 26 tackles across eight games, averaging 3.3 tackles per game. On offense, he rushed for 367 yards on 41 carries, averaging 45.9 yards per game, and scored two touchdowns in 2023.

Manning’s connection to North Texas runs deep, as he shares a former high school teammate with the program: Brandon Young Jr., a current tight end for the Mean Green. Young was instrumental in convincing Manning to join him in Denton.

"I really liked the coaching staff and the environment there," Manning said. "It's also close to home, and Brandon Young Jr. has been telling me how much he loves it and how much he feels he’s improving at North Texas. I want to be part of that."

Manning also discussed his decision-making process regarding which position he’d play in college, noting the strong relationship he developed with North Texas linebackers coach, Brian Odom.

"I clicked with Coach Odom really well," Manning explained. "I loved everything about him. I feel like he can help me reach my potential. Honestly, I think my ceiling is similar for both running back and linebacker, but I like to hit people."

Aside from football, Manning is a talented basketball player, competing for Mansfield Legacy. His brother, Isaiah Manning, will be a redshirt freshman for the TCU basketball team in 2025.

Although Jaden was always passionate about basketball, his parents didn’t allow him to play football until he was in eighth grade. He jokingly recalls how football seemed to find him in the end.

"My parents didn’t want me to play football, but I always say that football found me as much as I found it," Manning shared. "I’d be playing basketball, scoring 30 points, and the refs would come up to me and ask what position I played in football. So, it was inevitable."

Standing at 6-foot-1 and weighing 218 pounds, Manning has one more year at Mansfield Legacy before beginning his college career as a linebacker at North Texas.

"Even with the film from last year out there and the offers I’ve received, I don’t think people have seen my full potential yet. I feel like I’m improving every day," Manning said. "This summer, I made huge strides, so I expect this year to be something special. My team hasn’t made the playoffs in a while, so my goal is to get us there."