Hightower 2021 QB Jakolby Longino (6-3, 195) has a lot on his mind. Going deep into the playoffs, honor his fallen teammate (Trey Thomas) and double his passing yards from the past season. 

But one thing is not worried about: where and if he will play college football. Over the summer, Longino took care of that, committing UTEP.
 
“I committed to UTEP on June 24. After getting the offer, I wanted to see more,” Longino said. “When I committed, I was sold on UTEP. And what’s better is the coaches there trust me.”
 
Coming off a solid junior season where he accounted for 13 touchdowns and led his team to the playoffs, Longino spent this offseason working on his game and physicality. That led to interest from several schools, including offers from Texas Southern and Prairie View A&M. Other schools checking in included Southern Miss, North Texas, UT-San Antonio and Texas State.
 
In the end, the fit was just right in El Paso.
 
“UTEP believed in me and trust me. The coaches like how I take control of the offense,” Longino said. “What they like most is when I create and play outside of the pocket. For me, that is when the game gets fun. You never know what I am going to do when I get out.”
 
Longino and the Hightower team have already started its season and look to find success there. He opened the season with 140 yards passing with two touchdowns, and another 50 yards rushing and a score.
 
At the same time, his future program has started 2020 with a bang. The Miners program is currently 3-1 as they gear up for Louisiana Tech this upcoming Saturday. Longino is impressed with the results through four games.
 
“We (UTEP) are looking really good. I’ve been talking to the coaches a lot, at least three days a week,” Longino said. “They are building a program in El Paso, and I see we really have some guys who can make plays. The coaches are looking forward to getting me into the system. They see me as someone with strength and mobility.
 
“I can tell we got something special at UTEP.”