UTEP Miners

Spring Prospectus
The UTEP football team will conclude spring ball on Friday at 7 p.m. with its annual Spring Game in the Sun Bowl.
 
Gates will be open to the public starting at 6 p.m.  Admission is free. Concessions will be available to fans including $2 sodas, $1 hot dogs and $1 popcorn. There will also be concourse activities available upon entry.
 
Orange will battle Blue head-to-head. The first half will feature 15-minute quarters.  Halftime is 10 minutes.  The duration of the second half will be determined by the coaching staff. Special in-game videos will pit the players against the coaches in a variety of grueling activities. After the game, the seniors and head coach Dana Dimel will sign free complimentary spring game posters.
 
Season tickets can be purchased online at utepathletics.com, by calling the UTEP Season Ticket Office at (915) 747-6150 or by e-mailing seasontickets@utep.edu. Fans that renew or purchase before April 30 will be able to see six games for the price of five.
 
Roster Breakdown
UTEP returns 50 lettermen (22 offensive, 25 defensive and three special teams) from the 2017 team. The Miners have 15 starters (seven offensive, five defensive and three special teams) coming back. The secondary returns three starters (Nik Needham, Kahani Smith and Kalon Beverly). Needham is the top defensive returner with 59 tackles (28 solo), eight pass breakups, one sack, one interception and one fumble recovery. The defense also returns 2017 All-Conference USA Freshman Team honoree Trace Mascorro. He started in 11 games as a freshman at nose guard. On offense, the Miners will rely on offensive lineman Derron Gatewood. The center has started in 27 games during his collegiate career and is a three-year letterwinner. The line also returns juniors Ruben Guerra and Greg Long. Guerra made eight starts at the right tackle position last season. Long played in nine games and started in four as a true freshman, earning 2016 C-USA All-Freshman honors.  
 
Hughes to Running Back
Treyvon Hughes enters his third season as a UTEP Miner. The junior came to UTEP in 2015 as a running back and played in nine games as a true freshman. Hughes registered a season high in carries (six) and yards (36) at Old Dominion. In 2016, he missed the season due to injury. Hughes was switched to linebacker during the 2017 fall camp. Hughes played in all 12 games and made six starts at linebacker. He recorded 40 tackles, two quarterback hurries and 0.5 tackle for loss. Hughes made the move back to running back this spring. He will add depth at the running back position joining Quardraiz Wadley, Joshua Fields, Ronald Awatt, TK Powell and Reynaldo Flores.
 
In the Nik of Time
Senior Nik Needham looks to lead the way for the Miner defense. The corner has recorded 24 pass breakups during his career and ranks tied for second with five other players on the program's all-time list. Needham only needs two pass breakup to be the overall leader in UTEP history. Last season, he registered a career-high 59 tackles (28 solo), eight pass breakups, 4.5 tackles for loss, a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery. Needham garnered 2017 All-Conference USA honorable mention recognition. In 2016, the Buena Park, Calif. native racked up a total of 11 pass breakups, which marked the most in program history since 2010.

Loaded Secondary
The Miner secondary brings depth to the two-deep. Corners Kalon Beverly and Nik Needham have produced a total of 57 combined starts. Beverly started in 10 games and recorded a career-high 44 tackles (24 solo), 2.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble in 2017. Last season, Needham ranked second amongst defensive backs with 59 stops. Both corners notched a total of eight pass breakups. Kahani Smith made his debut, starting in seven games last season for the Orange and Blue. The safety led UTEP's defense with two touchdowns – a 52-yard pick-six and a 45-yard scoop-and-score. The senior tallied 46 stops (30 solo) and three passes defended. Juniors Michael Lewis and Justin Rogers have combined for 21 starts. Lewis notched 47 tackles, while Rogers recorded 39 stops, one forced fumble, two interceptions, one quarterback hurry and two pass breakups last season. Rogers earned 2016 C-USA All-Freshman honors after posting 17 tackles (10 solo) and ranking second on the team with seven breakups.
 
Rare Achievement
UTEP's Kahani Smith was one of four Conference USA defensive players to score a pair of defensive touchdowns in 2017. The effort tied for the league lead, while Smith became the first Miner since 2007 (Quinten Demps) to produce two defensive scores. Smith took back a pick-six 52 yards at Army and scooped up a fumble and dashed 45 yards to pay dirt at North Texas. Smith was one of two defensive players to score on an interception and a fumble recovery. Marshall's Chris Jackson returned a fumble 15 yards for a score and returned an interception 72 yards for a touchdown. LA Tech's Darryl Lewis and Southern Miss' Kelsey Douglas each returned a pair of interceptions for scores in 2017.

Back in the Rotation
Last season, three Miners suffered season-ending injuries early in the year. Both Jayson VanHook (shoulder) and Greg Long (broken foot) experienced season-ending injuries during the Miners' first home game. VanHook and Long earned 2016 Conference USA All-Freshman team honors. VanHook played in all 12 games and made nine starts during the 2016 season. He notched 36 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Long started in the first two games of the 2017 season at the right tackle position. He was part of the offensive line that only surrendered one sack at no. 7 Oklahoma. Junior Quardraiz Wadley hurt his shoulder during 2017 spring ball and was expected to miss the season. The Kennedale, Texas, native made a speedy recovery and made a comeback during the NM State game, where he rushed for 77 yards. He went on to produce a breakout game at Army, making his first collegiate start and rushed for a career-high 156 yards on a career-most 28 carries (5.6 avg.). The running back scored his first career touchdown and registered his first career reception (15 yards). Wadley would once again be plagued with injuries, suffering a knee injury (WKU) and a collarbone injury (Middle Tennessee) and would be forced to miss the remainder of the season. All three Miners are expected to compete for starting spots this upcoming season.
 
Adding Depth
Kai Locksley is expected to add competition at the quarterback spot. The Iowa Western transfer was named the 2017 Spalding NJCAA Offensive Player of the Year and earned first-team All-America honors following a stellar sophomore season. He guided the Reivers to an 11-1 overall record and a victory in The Graphic Edge Bowl. The Fort Washington, Md., native accounted for 40 total touchdowns in 2017. He threw for 2,238 yards on 176-of-265 passing (66.4 percent) with 20 passing scores and only six interceptions. The quarterback rushed for 705 yards on 112 attempts (6.3 avg.) and a team-best 20 rushing scores. Wide receiver Justin Garrett played in 10 games at Cerritos College in 2017. He led the Falcons in receptions (38), receiving yards (592) and receiving touchdowns (five). Garrett capped the year with a season-high 153 yards on six receptions (25.5 avg.) with a campaign-best three receiving scores and a season-long 80-yard touchdown reception versus Ventura. Gamaliel Barboza comes to UTEP from Tyler Junior College. The sophomore played in eight games and helped Tyler average 30.3 points per game and 375.4 yards of total offense per game. On defense, CJ Reese is expected to contribute early. The senior transfer from Kansas State played three seasons for the Wildcats and saw action in eight games. Defensive back Justin Prince led Long Beach City College with 66 tackles (22 solo) as a freshman. He added 2.5 tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, one interception and two pass breakups.