In a classic DFW-to-DFW swap, North Texas has addressed a key roster need by landing SMU transfer forward Mitchell Holmes. The 6-foot-10 big man announced his commitment to the Mean Green on Instagram Thursday night, posting a simple "Mean Green" graphic with a green heart emoji.

Holmes, a Dallas-Fort Worth native who played high school basketball at The Oakridge School in Arlington, brings size and depth to a UNT frontcourt that needed reinforcements. After spending a season at Link Year Prep and two years at SMU, he'll now make the short trip across the Metroplex to suit up for Daniyal Robinson's program.

This move comes at a critical time for the Mean Green, who are restocking their roster after a 19-win campaign. UNT lost several key contributors this offseason—most notably point guard David Terrell Jr., who was scooped up by SMU in the transfer market. Holmes helps fill the void left by those departures, and he's not alone: UNT also added UTA transfer guard Cash Chavis this week.

Holmes spent the 2024-25 season as a redshirt at SMU, seeing limited action in 26 games while averaging 1.7 points and 0.9 rebounds. But don't let those numbers fool you—he's shown flashes of real potential. His season highlight came in November when he dropped 10 points in a win over Butler, and he scored his final two points of the year in a victory over Wake Forest on Jan. 20.

The big man has been highly regarded since his high school days in Dallas, when he was rated as a three-star prospect coming out of Link Academy. He held scholarship offers from nearly a dozen schools, including Auburn, TCU, and Stanford, before choosing SMU. Now, he's looking for a fresh start with the Mean Green, where he'll have a chance to carve out a bigger role.

For UNT, landing a player of Holmes' caliber is a solid win in the transfer portal—and a reminder that in college basketball, the Metroplex pipeline runs both ways.