From The Broadcast Booth 2025 #4: Jon's Early Preview on the 2025 UTEP Football Team

8/1/2025 2:43:00 PM

As preparation continues and intensifies for the upcoming 2025 UTEP Football season, it's a good time to take stock of exactly what has transpired in the program since the Miners were last on the game field this past November.

Head Coach Scotty Walden, in his second season guiding the Miners, closed out 2024 with two victories in the final three games plus a split of the last six, thus creating a good bit of excitement and momentum heading into the off-season.

As was anticipated, there were changes, yes there were changes. Both coordinators, Mark Cala on offense, Bobby Daly on defense are new, among five fresh faces on Walden's staff. But that pales in comparison to the reconstruction of the playing roster.

One hundred and sixteen Miners took the field for the July 31 start of camp. A staggering total of 63 percent, well over half, have yet to play a down for UTEP! In this new, ever-changing world of intercollegiate athletics, the transfer portal is the culprit. Only seven starters, four of them on offense, have returned, among them speedy All-Conference USA receivers Kenny Odom and Kam Thomas, all league defensive lineman KD Johnson, plus quarterback Skyler Locklear.

Walden and his staff were more than busy replenishing. For a second consecutive season, UTEP Football signed what was considered to be the top-ranked recruiting class among Conference USA schools. Twenty-nine high school athletes, 24 of them from Texas, were added, 5 of whom took part in the Miners' spring drills. Not a single program has inked more than the 40-plus Lone Star State high school talents that UTEP has in the last two recruiting cycles. 44 more landed in the Sun City, primarily from the portal. Twenty-eight of them made it for spring practice, and another 16 joined post-spring. Of the 44, 11 are defensive linemen, there are nine defensive backs, and seven wide receivers. Five kickers, four offensive linemen, four linebackers, plus one each of a long snapper, quarterback, running back and tight end to complete the haul. 14 of the 44 came from the FBS ranks, 10 are junior college transfers, nine from the FCS, plus seven from Division II and four from the NAIA ranks of competition. You might be questioning: how effective will those be that found their way to UTEP from below the Football Bowl Subdivision? Well, a good many of them arrived with eye-opening credentials plus big-time production from the levels at which they previously performed.

Consider:
Corner Neil Campbell was a two-time NAIA All-American with 16 career interceptions. Linebacker Micah Davey, an FCS All-American, with 18 career double-digit tackle games. Defensive lineman Ashaad Hall, an FCS HBCU All-American, produced 11.0 sacks and 14.0 tackles for loss in 2024. Wide receiver Eric Willis III caught 68 passes in 2024 and had five 100-yard games at the Division II level. Fellow wideout Treyvon Tate, 65 catches a year ago, with seven 100-yard contests, also in Division II. Punter Noah Botsford averaged over 40 yards per attempt in each of his last two Division II seasons, including 20 total of 50+ yards, 20 fair catches, and 30 inside the opponents' 20-yard line. Safety Caleb Walker produced 11 career interceptions (three of which were returned for touchdowns), and also returned a punt for a score at the NAIA level. Defensive back Donte Thompson had 17 pass breakups (third most in FCS) in 2022. Corner Marcel Blocker was the 2024 Sun Conference (NAIA) Defensive Back of the Year and has two career interceptions returned for touchdowns. Offensive tackle Mark Robinson was the Sun Conference (NAIA) Freshman of the Year last season. Additionally, wide receiver Jet Thompson has only eight career receptions, but has averaged a remarkable 42 yards per catch. Finally, quarterback Malachi Nelson was ESPN's #1-ranked recruit nationally coming out of high school in Southern California, where he tossed 97 career touchdowns against only 16 interceptions.

It will be entertaining and intriguing to scrutinize the improvement that UTEP Football attains in its last Conference USA go-around this fall. I invite you to join me in the Sun Bowl Stadium and on the radio to evaluate for yourself as it all plays out.

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