UTEP Football Preview 2025: Will The Miners Really Be a Conference USA Contender? originally appeared on College Football News.
Scott Walden is a young, rising star of a head coach who’s making UTEP more fun.
He’s energetic, wants the offense to get moving, and he’s looking to attack from everywhere.
The first season at UTEP might have been just a 3-9 run, but the defense got into the backfield, the offense up over 42 points in two of the last three games, and now there are plenty of parts with a slew of transfers coming in.
Best of all, the schedule is at just the right level for UTEP. There are enough winnable road games to potentially come up with more than two – that’s very, very rare for the program.
And if everything breaks right with the O line stepping up, and with more of a ground game, there’s an honest shot at getting to a bowl game for the second time in 11 years.
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UTEP Miners College Football Preview 2025
Scotty Walden, UTEP head football coach, and his team celebrate their 42-35 win against NMSU in the Battle of I-10 rivalry football at Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces, NM, on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.© GABY VELASQUEZ/ EL PASO TIMES / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
UTEP Miners Preview 2025: Offense
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Previews were done earlier in the summer. We try to update everything on the fly, but please let us know at @ColFootballNews if we’re missing anything.
UTEP Season Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season
– Former TCU quarterback coach Mark Cala will take over as the new offensive coordinator. He’s got an interesting situation with two quarterbacks ready to handle the gig.
Skyler Locklear did a decent job last season, throwing for 1,583 yards and ten touchdown passes as part of the rotation, but the Miners got a potential find in Malachi Nelson. The one-time super-recruit for USC left after one year for Boise State, and now he’s in El Paso with good size and mobility as he tries to get his career going.
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– There’s a nice group of receivers for the quarterbacks to work with. Kenny Odom – who came over with Scotty Walden from Austin Peay – had a strong year with a team-high 741 yards and eight scores. Kam Thomas is back after tying for the team with 47 grabs, working as a slot receiver, and after missing a bulk of last year, Jaden Smith returns to the outside. Also coming in is Jaylan Brown, a talented prospect from Michigan State, to push into the rotation.
– The offensive front had a rough time keeping defenses out of the backfield, and there needs to be an adjustment around Azizi Henry at tackle and center Ivan Escobar. They’re not huge, but they’re experienced. 6-5, 320-pound Mark Robinson (Southeastern) has to take over the left tackle gig right away.
– The backs are okay if the blocking is there. Leading rusher Jevon Jackson left for UAB, and second-leading man Ezell Jolly isn’t around, so the quarterbacks have to take off from time-to-time, and the combination of Ashten Emory and Marquez Taylor have to prove in fall camp that they can handle the work.
UTEP Miners Preview 2025: Defense
– Defensive coordinator Bobby Daly comes in from Montana State, where his defense finished 15th in the FCS with a great pass rush and attacking style.
Now the line that was No. 1 in Conference USA needs to find more playmakers with top pass rusher Maurice Westmoreland gone to Tulane. The top ends are coming in through the transfer portal, and now they’re getting a chance to shine.
Derek Burns (New Mexico State) is a 6-5, 254-pound hybrid type who could move to linebacker, and JUCO transfer Shaken Bowser is a 255-pound pass rusher with the experience to be an instant leader.
KD Johnson is the lone returning starter, making 40 tackles with 2.5 sacks and six tackles for loss at one tackle spot. 6-2, 290-pound Ashton Coker got his feet wet in the rotation, and now he should be the anchor on the nose.
– The linebacking corps has a few nice playmakers, helped by Jayden Wilson (New Mexico), coming off a 33-tackle campaign.
Nate Dyman is the leading returning tackler, making 84 tackles with 9.5 tackles for loss on the outside. Star Dorian Hopkins is gone after tackling just about everything from his spot in the middle, but Stratton Shufelt is a great-sized option who got in a little time as the main backup.
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– The secondary has plenty of experience at safety, starting with third-leading tackler Xavier Smith and all-around playmaker Lantz Russell. The transfer combination of Tyler Jones (Tennessee State) and Solo Barnes (Fayetteville State) will be the main backups.
Jaylon Shelton is the top corner returning after working as a key backup, but Neil Campbell (Indiana Wesleyan) might instantly be the team’s best coverman. He can play any position in the secondary.
– UTEP Season Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season
This story was originally reported by College Football News on Aug 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
