UTEP Football Fall Camp Check-In: Top 7 Quotes from Practice

Almost three weeks into fall camp,UTEP football is gearing up for the 2024 kick-off under new head coach Scotty Walden as they open the season on Aug. 31 at Nebraska.

According to Walden, there's still a lot of work to be put in prior to Lincoln.

Since media is unable to watch the full duration practice, it's hard to clearly assess how things are going on the field. However, spirits are high across the team and the coaching staff is adamant that the improvement by the team is there.

The team had its first scrimmage on Friday (Aug. 9) and the coaching staff had time to fully digest the film and assess the performance from both sides of the ball.

"We're slowly taking steps to fine-tune what we're good at. It's my job to identify that," head coach Scotty Walden said.

While turnovers were not as big of an issue in the first scrimmage of fall camp compared to the spring portion, Walden said the team has work to do. He talked about how they worked on installing their system over the past two weeks and now the team is looking to figure out what they like and don't like in their playbook.

And of course, leading the discourse is one of the top storylines of fall camp for UTEP: the starting quarterback spot.

"We're making each other better. Skyler had a good day today. I had some good practices. Shay Smith has had some amazing explosive plays in the past week or so. Same thing with J.P. Pickles," said quarterback Cade McConnell.

The coaching staff continues to say how close the quarterback battle is between Cade McConnell and Skyler Locklear. McConnell started the final six games for the Miners last year. Locklear played under Walden's system at Austin Peay.

The name that intrigues me is Shay Smith, the freshman quarterback from Franklin High School and son of UTEP standout/NFL player Paul Smith. Shay continues to receive praise from his coaches and players. At 6-foot-2, 215-pounds, Shay was known to be a mobile quarterback in high school. He totaled 1,750 passing yards, 1,195 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns as a senior last year.

"One notable guy (from the scrimmage) was Jaden Smith. Catching a touchdown from three different quarterbacks is not an easy thing to do," quarterback Skyler Locklear said.

Locklear talked about the healthy quarterback competition and mentioned how he is working on his consistency. He raved about skill position players like projected starting back Jevon Jackson.

However, Locklear started by praising Eastern Kentucky transfer wide receiver Jaden Smith. The Atlanta, Ga. native has come onto the scene nicely for the Miners. He was the player I was most impressed with at the spring game. Now, he's making big plays in fall camp. Smith could be an explosive play wideout for the Miners in 2024.

"Cade and Skyler -- I've never been in a quarterback battle like this where how truly neck-and-neck they are. I thought Skyler had a great day (Monday) and I thought Cade had a great scrimmage," head coach Scotty Walden said.

Walden says he's not feeding the company line to the media on the quarterback competition. He suggests this is an extremely competitive battle between the two.

Over the weekend, I would have guessed that McConnell had the upper hand in the battle. After Monday's practice, I might say Locklear has the advantage, based on the feedback from coaches and players. This battle could play out to the final week before game day.

"We got great depth at the skill position... I think it's more speed than what I've had in my past," head coach Scotty Walden said.

Receivers must have a background in track and field in Walden's system. He loves the speed that the skill position players have flashed thus far.

Defensively, Walden was complimentary of the linebackers and secondary members. He also complimented the talent across the field and said that the team needs to work on executing plays moving forward.

Speaking of the defense...

"Fearless, fast, physical: that's our motto, that's our brand. Defense upholds this for sure. We have guys that will fly to the ball every play," said safety Xavier Smith.

Redshirt sophomore Xavier Smith is expected to be a mainstay in the secondary for the Miners this year. Smith will likely play alongside Oscar Moore as the top two safeties on the team.

Smith started his career at Colorado in 2022, but didn't see any action. He played in all 12 games last year for Walden and Austin Peay, where he racked up 75 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss and seven pass breakups. Back home in Atlanta in high school, Smith played quarterback and defensive back for Langston Hughes High School. Interestingly enough, wide receiver Trey Goodman also played quarterback in Atlanta and the two previously trained with each other while they were in high school.

"This defense helps us become versatile. We can play fast," said cornerback Jaylon Shelton.

Fall camp brings out the best in some and allows newcomers to shine. Enter Texas State redshirt junior corner Jaylon Shelton, who is contending for a starting role in the defense. Make no mistake, returning senior AJ Odums has one of the two cornerback jobs locked down. The final cornerback spot will be between Shelton and returning corner Amier Boyd-Matthews, who played in 11 games for the Miners last year. Both Shelton and Boyd-Matthews expect to see action on the defense this year. Shelton, who is 6-foot-2 and long, played in four games at Texas State in 2023. Previously, he starred at Tyler Junior College (2021).