UTEP Miners 2025 Preview

University of Texas El Paso Miners

Head Coach: Scotty Walden- At School: (3-9) 1 year; Overall: (37-29) 7 years

OC : Mark Cala; DC: Bobby Daly

2024 Record: 3-9 (3-5)

Impact Players: QB Skyler Locklear, QB Malachi Nelson, WR Kenny Odum, WR Kam Thomas, DT KD Johnson, LB Nate Dyman, S Xavier Smith, S Lantz Russell

Offense:

The biggest headline for the Miners’ offense in the offseason was the commitment from former 5 star QB Malachi Nelson. That quickly became old news as Nelson was not able to move up the depth chart at all and is now in danger of being lost to college football fans forever. Instead it was 2024 starter Skyler Locklear who maintained hold of the QB spot and will look to build off of a decent year. WR Kenny Odum and Kam Thomas will be the top targets on the outside. The running game is a concern as the top rushers from a year ago are gone and the o-line is only returning one contributor from last season.

Defense:

On the defensive front, DE KD Johnson is back in El Paso after an all-conference year. Rejoining Johnson in El Paso are LB Nate Dyman and S Xavier Smith, all three will look to be the leaders of this unit. The Miners’ defense was productive a year ago, but a lot of new faces raise the concern of if that can be achievable again. This unit is young and will feature a handful of freshmen and sophomores getting their first crack at starting positions. Although they may not be experienced, they do not lack talent.

Analysis:

Last year was a tough first season under Walden. This year could promise to be much different, but there are a lot of unknowns surrounding this Miner team. Walden recruited well in his first two seasons and now those players he brought in are getting their chance to earn serious playing time. If the recruit were a hit and these young players are able to contribute effectively this season, UTEP has set itself up nicely for not just this year but the future. However, if these recruits don’t pan out, it could be another long season in El Paso.

2025 Record Floor: 5-7

2025 Record Ceiling: 9-3

2025 Record Prediction: 6-6