Note: This story is featured in the 2026 edition of Dave Campbell's Texas Football's Summer Magazine, which you can order here.

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DCTF’S TAKE  

Third-year head coach Scotty Walden faces a make-or-break 2026 after posting a 5-19 record through his first two seasons in charge. UTEP is making a long-anticipated move into the Mountain West and is reunited with some of its rivals from earlier in the century under Mike Price when big crowds and bowl trips were more common in El Paso.  

But that excitement won’t last long if the Miners can’t win more games. UTEP has only enjoyed one winning season since 2014 and has only been to two bowl games since 2010. That must change for Walden & Co. to energize the fan base. A completely new coaching staff around Walden and typical G6 roster turnover means that the Miners enter a pivotal season as a relative unknown.  

THE OFFENSE  

Decreasing the turnovers and increasing the efficiency were the top priorities for head coach, and offensive play caller, Scotty Walden heading into Year 3 with the Miners. UTEP was tied for the most turnovers lost in Conference USA and were third-to-last in the league in rushing yards per attempt with 3.7. The Miners have been explosive. Now, they need to be smart.  

Bringing in Incarnate Word transfer quarterback EJ Colson should help curb the turnover trend and bring efficiency to the passing attack. The redshirt sophomore began his career at UCF in the Big 12, starting once in 2024. He arrived in the summer at UIW in 2025, eventually earning the starting job for the Cardinals. He passed for 2,142 yards and 16 touchdowns to just four interceptions on 71 percent completions.  

“Obviously, you throw 20 interceptions and turn the ball over 24 times, you’re not winning many football games,” Walden said. “We sought out a quarterback who had a track record of not turning the football over. He’s a great leader and he’s taken this offense by the reins like we wanted him to.” 

The return of a healthy Kam Thomas and Jaden Smith at wide receiver will help Colson ease into life at UTEP. Those two were amongst the 17 Miner players in the two-deep entering 2025 that were lost to season-ending injury. That duo combined for 68 catches, 709 yards, and two touchdowns in 2024. Carver Cheeks, Royal Capell, and Jeremiah Nash are other names to know out wide. Capell can play inside or outside.  

Walden says that tight end is the second-most important position in his offense because of all the scheme asks the position to do throughout a game. Cash Cheeks and Judah Ezinwa were also injury victims in 2025 who will be healthy by fall camp. Cheeks, who is 6-foot-7, is a matchup nightmare who played in 11 games at Northern Colorado in 2024. Ezinwa caught four passes for 76 yards in five games last season before the season-ending injury.  

An overhaul up front was required after two seasons struggling to run the ball. UTEP was ninth in CUSA in rushing yards per game at 115.58 and eighth in tackles for loss allowed per game at 6.33. The Miners added a handful of transfers to a room filled with young, upcoming former prep signees who are ready to take the next step.  

Transfers such as offensive tackle Jaymon Lamb (North Texas), guard Brian Williams Jr. (Jackson State), and center Jayden Trapp (Texas A&M-Kingsville) are expected to be instant starters. Livingstone College transfer Omoruyi Aliu-Otokiti is another transfer who might be in line for a starting spot at guard.  

Juan Camacho Jr. is a former walk-on now on scholarship with a chance to crack the two-deep at tackle. Preston Perkins returned from injury and had a heck of a spring. Diego De La Cruz, who is at 340 pounds, can play guard or center.   

Adding Missouri transfer, and hometown hero, Tavorus Jones should help the run game as much as an improved offensive line. He’s up to 205-210 pounds and is a twitchy, talented running back. Buffalo transfer Lamar Sperling is another new face on campus that should help the run game. Sophomore Elijah McCoy is a physical, downhill runner who provides a third option at the position.  

BY THE NUMBERS  

23.3 – Average number points per game scored by the Miners offense, which was 99th nationally and ninth in Conference USA.   

20 – Number of interceptions thrown by UTEP quarterbacks last season, which was four more than any other team in Conference USA. The Miners were -12 in turnover margin. 

202 – Total number of first downs earned by UTEP, which was 11th out of 12 teams in Conference USA. The Miners averaged 16.8 first downs per game.  

KEEP AN EYE ON  

Multiple quarterbacks have started at least one game in both years that Scotty Walden has been at the helm. Raymond Moore III, a transfer from Montana State, was added to be QB2 behind UIW transfer EJ Colson. Moore was the MEAC Rookie of the Year in 2025 as a redshirt freshman, starting six times and throwing for 1,049 yards and nine touchdowns to seven interceptions. He’s a dual-threat quarterback who added 414 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. Chad Warner and Bodey Weaver are freshmen who will battle for the third string role.  

BREAKOUT CANDIDATES  

WR Jaden Smith – Injuries are the only thing holding back Smith, a former Eastern Kentucky transfer who missed eight games in 2024 and the entirety of 2025. Smith started the first four games of 2024, racking up 21 catches for 177 yards and a touchdown. He’s expected back by fall camp.  

RB Tavorus Jones – The headliner from a solid 2026 transfer portal class, Jones was a four-star prospect out of El Paso Burges High School in the 2022 class after rushing for over 3,500 yards in a heralded prep career. He played in 20 games over four years at Missouri.  

PROJECTED STARTERS  

QB 1 EJ Colson 6-1, 190, Soph. Byron, Ga.  

RB 0 Tavorus Jones 5-9, 205, Jr. El Paso Burges  

WR 3 Jaden Smith 5-10, 195, Sr. Atlanta, Ga.  

WR 8 Kam Thomas 5-9, 184, Sr. Birmingham, Ala.  

WR 5 Carver Cheeks 6-2, 197, Sr. Colorado Springs, Colo.  

TE 4 Cash Cheeks 6-7, 235, Jr. Colorado Springs, Colo.  

LT 54 Jaymon Lamb 6-3, 273, Jr. Rowlett 

LG 56 Brian Williams Jr. 6-2, 330, Soph. Atlanta, Ga.  

C 67 Jayden Trapp 6-3, 300, Soph. Columbus  

RG 71 Preston Perkins 6-6, 270, R-Fr. Austin  

RT Juan Camacho Jr. 6-6, 285, Sr. El Paso Bowie 

K 48 Cade Hechter 6-2, 245, Sr. Sydney, Australia  

THE DEFENSE  

Kyle Beyer was elevated to defensive coordinator in the offseason, becoming Scotty Walden’s third different play caller in three years on that side of the ball. But don’t expect many structural changes from Beyer, who has been on staff in El Paso since Walden arrived in 2024. The Miners will run their 3-3-5 defense that emphasizes multiplicity and aggressiveness.  

“It’ll mirror what we’ve done the last two years here,” Beyer said. “Coach Walden has a vision of how he wants his program to look whether it is offense, defense, or special teams.” 

Beyer, 30, is excited to be back in charge of play calling, and not necessarily from the job description on Saturday. He last called plays in 2023 at Indiana Wesleyan and is an energetic young coach that jokingly says he’s pulled out of any contract drills because of how much he loves defensive football.  

“I don’t think it is the calling plays on Saturday that fires you up as much as building the gameplan throughout the week,” Beyer said of his new role. “That Sunday through Thursday grind and the preparation that it takes Sunday through Thursday (is my favorite part). Saturday is more of the validation to the hard work you put in throughout the week.” 

Beyer plans to build his gameplan around a front seven that he calls the strength of the defense. That starts with nose tackle Ashton Coker, who was one of the first players to take an official visit to UTEP after Walden was hired. He’s the anchor of the defense as he heads into Year 3 as a Miner. Another option in the interior of the defensive line is Preston Hickey, a Northwestern State transfer who is the strongest player along the defensive line.  

SFA transfer Elijah Fields is a playmaker who impressed from the moment pads came on in the spring. He’ll help replace the lost production of KD Johnson. Leander Parish and Jimmy Leon are redshirt freshmen who can also help at the defensive tackle position.  

Shakaun Bowser and Oryend Fisher are the top two names at defensive end heading into fall camp. Fisher is a former West Virginia transfer who is a long, physical playmaker. Derek Burns is another name to watch as he battles back from injury. Ekow Taylor is the expected starter at Bandit, UTEP’s hybrid rush end position. Sterling Miles is an elite pass rusher and Royce Wilson is a redshirt freshman with a lot of promises. 

Kode Lowe is a returner that UTEP was excited about keeping on campus. He’ll start at the Spur position, which is a hybrid safety/nickel type spot in the defense. Xavier Smith and Donavan Howard, a two-year all-conference selection at Virginia State, are potential starters at the deep safety positions. Allen Gant is a former high-profile recruit who is expected to be healthy by the start of fall camp.  

Cornerback is another highly competitive room. East Texas A&M transfer Kaleb Miles is a physical corner. Justin Content is back after a productive sophomore season in 2025. TJ Tillman started four games as a true freshman and is back competing for snaps. The Thompson brothers – LaTristan and Deuce – are other names to know. Deuce, a true freshman early enrollee, led the Miner secondary in turnovers forced in the spring.  

BY THE NUMBERS  

86 – Number of tackles for loss registered by the UTEP defense, which was 19th most in the FBS and second in Conference USA behind only Kennesaw State.  

30.4 – Average points allowed per game by UTEP in 2025, which was fourth most in Conference USA. The Miners allowed 40.8 points per game in November.  

25:38 – Average time of possession for UTEP, which was the lowest in Conference USA and forced the Miners defense to be on the field too often.  

KEEP AN EYE ON  

The linebacker room is stacked and Beyer feels like he has a four-man rotation in the middle of the Miner defense. Jayden Wilson is the alpha in the room after finishing second on the team last year in tackles with 92. Garrett Hawkins played at Austin Peay for Walden and arrived ahead of 2025 but suffered a season-ending injury against Texas. He might start next to Wilson. Isaiah Bogerty is also pushing for starting snaps. He’s the biggest linebacker on campus and was all-conference at Texas Southern. The wildcard is former quarterback Shay Smith, who impressed everyone with how quickly he’s picked up linebacker. 

BREAKOUT CANDIDATES  

Edge Ekow Taylor – A member of Scotty Walden’s first recruiting class at UTEP is now expected to become a starter at the Bandit edge rushing position in his third year as a Miner. Taylor has played in 21 games over his first two seasons in El Paso.  

LB Garrett Hawkins Jr. – Hawkins played on the conference championship team at Austin Peay for head coach Scotty Walden and eventually followed him to UTEP prior to the 2025. Injury cut his season short last year but he is expected to be a key contributor in a loaded linebacker room.   

PROJECTED STARTERS  

DE 3 Shakaun Bowser 6-5, 255, Sr. Mesa, Ariz.   

NT 90 Ashton Coker 6-2, 290, Jr. Katy Taylor  

DT 99 Elijah Fields 6-1, 285, Sr. Galena Park North Shore  

Bandit 6 Ekow Taylor 6-5, 220, Jr. Keller Fossil Ridge  

LB 10 Jayden Wilson 6-1, 218, Sr. El Paso Austin  

LB 4 Garrett Hawkins 6-3, 227, Jr. Sevierville, Tenn.  

Spur 7 Kode Lowe 6-1, 205, Sr. Garland  

CB 23 Kaleb Miles 5-10, 190, Jr. Prosper 

CB 0 Justin Content 6-1, 185, Jr. Hoschton, Ga.  

S 15 Donavan Howard 6-1, 200, Sr. Danville, Va.  

S 2 Xavier Smith 6-0, 195, Sr. Atlanta, Ga.  

P 47 Brady Braun 6-0, 245, Sr. Indianapolis, Ind.