UTEP Bets on EJ Colson and a Veteran Secondary to Climb Off the Bottom
UTEP finished 2-10 and 1-7 in league play in 2025, closing the year near the bottom of the FBS on both sides of the ball and outside the top 100 nationally in total offense. Scotty Walden enters his third season in El Paso carrying a 5-19 record at the school, and the defining move of his offseason was importing a new starting quarterback to jump-start a stalled attack.
Offense
Incarnate Word transfer EJ Colson represents the biggest swing of the offseason. Walden said his team needed an "alpha dog" and believes Colson has been exactly that since arriving, taking command of the locker room from his first day. Colson threw for 2,142 yards with a mid-teens touchdown total and just four interceptions for the Cardinals last season, completing better than 70 percent of his passes while accounting for close to 20 total scores. He still has three years of eligibility and adds dual-threat value, having averaged nearly a dozen carries per game and run for three touchdowns as a starter. His development is the swing factor for the entire offense.
The receiving corps blends transfers with returning options. Jeremiah Nash arrives after catching 31 passes at a 24.5-yard clip at City College of San Francisco and projects as a starter alongside veteran Jaden Smith. Jaylan Brown, who redshirted last season at Michigan State, is counted on as a primary downfield threat, and FCS Northern Colorado transfer Carver Cheeks turned heads in the spring. At tight end, Judah Ezinwa has flashed all-league ability but has never played more than six games in a season across three years at UTEP because of injuries; staying healthy would give Colson a real matchup weapon.
Missouri transfer Tavorus Jones is set to lead the backfield after limited action over three years with the Tigers, where he showed he could run between the tackles and catch out of the backfield. The most versatile piece is Kam Thomas, a "Miner back" returning from an ACL injury who was one of the league's most dynamic all-purpose players when healthy. Buffalo transfer Lamar Sperling and sophomore Elijah McCoy add depth. The run game has ample room to grow after UTEP averaged just 3.8 yards per carry a year ago.
The line is essentially rebuilt around transfers, with Omoruyi Aliu-Otokiti, Jayden Trapp and Jaymon Lamb among the new arrivals and El Paso native Juan Camacho Jr. in the mix at tackle. New co-coordinators Lanear Sampson and Joe Pappalardo will need the group to gel quickly, since it may lean on young or inexperienced players at multiple spots. This is the unit that most has to improve for the offense to take a step forward.
Defense
Ashton Coker returns as a starter on the interior and anchors the front. Preston Hickey joins him inside and could take a step, while Elijah Fields, who arrives by way of Northwestern State after earlier stops at Oklahoma State and LSU, looked like a breakout candidate in the spring. On the edge, Shakaun Bowser is penciled in as a starter and the athletic Derek Burns is expected to provide a spark after missing last season with an injury. Ekow Taylor factors in at the hybrid Bandit spot.
Senior Jayden Wilson is the heartbeat of the front seven. An El Paso native with prior experience at New Mexico, he was second on the team with 92 tackles, added eight for loss and led the squad with three forced fumbles, putting him squarely in the all-league conversation. A step forward from Vashon Brunswick II would help, and Shay Smith, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound El Paso native, is moving from quarterback to linebacker and should be a factor.
The secondary is the strength of the defense. Safety Xavier Smith leads the back end after 60 tackles and an interception, and cornerback Justin Content is a trusted veteran who added 58 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and a pick. Kode Lowe (38 tackles, four for loss) gives the group another experienced hand, with Donavan Howard and TJ Tillman also in the rotation. This is the part of the defense the staff can lean on.
Brady Braun takes over the punting after averaging 48.1 yards a year ago at Gardner-Webb. The placekicking picture is unsettled: the staff added UT Martin transfer Cade Hechter, a second-team FCS All-American who hit 15 of 17 field goals, while returning kicker Carlos Arreola is also in line for a larger role, so the job is one to watch. The return game could be a genuine weapon, with Kam Thomas, a first-team all-league punt returner in 2024, and All-Freshman returner Nik Henry both available.
Overview and Prediction
The schedule offers little relief. September brings road trips to Oklahoma and Michigan along with a home date against Oregon State, and league play opens with an early road test at New Mexico, one of the tougher outs on the slate. The preseason outlook pegs UTEP near the very bottom of the national picture, and the roster reflects a program still early in its build.
The verdict comes down to the quarterback. If Colson is the steadying, playmaking force the staff believes he is and the new-look line comes together, the Miners can be more competitive than their outlook suggests. If not, another long season looms. A veteran secondary and Jayden Wilson give the defense a foundation, but the margin for error against this schedule is thin.