Dana Dimel knew he’d find an uphill road when he arrived in El Paso. It’s natural when you take over the only FBS program that failed to win a game in 2017. He had to look through his fingers like a horror movie when he first laid eyes on his defense. He feared what he might see.

“What’s the D-line going to look like?” Dimel said. “We just fired out of 0-12. What kind of D-line will we have? Are they all stiff and can’t move?”

But once he got a good look, it wasn’t anything like he expected. In fact, just the opposite. The position he views as most important to his defense might end up being his best.

It’s an alluring mix of returning talent and newcomers. Five of the six players on last year’s defensive line return, led by Trace Mascorro, who won a starting job as a true freshman and earned a nod on the Conference USA All-Freshman Team after making four tackles for loss. Sani Buckingham, Denzel Chukwukelu, Josh Ortega and Dedrick Simpson round out the returning talent up front. 

Chris Richardson, a 300-pound California native and 2016 Conference USA All-Freshman talent, is back after being ruled academically ineligible in 2017. Dimel also brought graduate transfer C.J. Reese to UTEP from Kansas State, assuring the Miners have size, talent and experience at every position up front. 

Seniors Nik Needham and Kalon Beverly give UTEP a pair of four-year starters at cornerback, and all four players on the depth chart at safety return as well. Kahani Smith, who picked off a pair of passes last season, gives the Miners another senior starter in the secondary. Michael Lewis and Joseph Pickney also return.

“The front and secondary are the strengths,” Dimel said. “Our front four is physical and they run well for their size. We need to work on pass rushing.”

The linebackers might be a work in progress, though. Alvin Jones, the rock of last year’s defense, is gone, as are two other top tacklers, Dante Lovilotte and Julian Jackson. Between those three and Cockrell, Dimel is left replacing 300 lost tackles.

Linebacker Jayson VanHook is back after missing 2017 with a shoulder injury, a disappointing encore to his 2016 Conference USA All-Freshman Team campaign. Jamar Smith returns in the middle of the defense, but beyond juniors Treyvon Hughes and Dylan Parsee, Mike Cox’s defense will have to develop depth as the season progresses.