UTEP 2026 Spring Game Takeaways: Defense Shines, QB EJ Colson Debuts at Sun Bowl

The 2026 season will look to be a pivotal year for the UTEP football team. It is year three of head coach Scotty Walden, who has won a total of five games over two seasons, coming off a 2-10 season in 2025. It's a transition year to the Mountain West, where the competition gets better and the cost of player acquisition gets higher in the transfer portal/NIL era of college sports that we're living in.

The third year of Walden kicked off with spring ball, culminating into Saturday's spring game at the Sun Bowl in front of a solid afternoon crowd, featuring recruits and esteemed alumni like Will Hernandez and Trevor Vittatoe.

1. This is UTEP's team, no concern about second transfer portal window 

Thankfully due to the new transfer portal windows, no player can hit the transfer portal after the spring period. That means, no subtractions for UTEP football, only incoming freshmen additions in the fall.

Last year, the Miners lost players like Brennan Smith (Mississippi State) during the second portal window.

Here's a breakdown of what UTEP's roster and staff looks like.

New players (added for 2026, not on the 2025 roster): 32

Key acquisitions in the offseason: Tavorus Jones (RB, Missouri), EJ Colson (QB, UIW), Royal Capell (WR, Oklahoma State), Raymond Moore III (QB, Morgan State), Isaiah Bogerty (LB, Texas Southern), Donavan Howard (S, Virginia State), Esteban Guillory (S, Western Illinois), Sterling Miles (Bandit, Eastern Michigan), Kaleb Miles (CB, East Texas A&M), LaTristan Thompson (Spur, Utah), Lamar Sperling (RB, Buffalo), Parker Cushing (K/P, Peru State College), Carson Loeb (LS, UTPB), Brady Braun (P, Gardner-Webb), Cade Hechter (K, UT Martin), Jackson Bradley (OL, Cornell), Jaymon Lamb (OL, North Texas), Omoruyi Aliu-Otokiti (OL, Livingstone College), Brian Williams Jr. (OL, Jackson State), Jayden Trapp (OL, Texas A&M-Kingsville), Jeremiah Nash (WR, City College of San Francisco) and Chance Bell (TE, Mesa College).

New HS freshmen: Decorian Thompson (CB), Kane White-Tinsley (LB), Japrei Wafer (LB), Ian Hall (LS), Wesley Dallao-Kubik (OL), Truth Holmes (DL), Benny Okwura (TE), DAdrian Tinney-Anderson (DL). .

Returning players (on the 2025 roster and still here in 2026): 60

Joshua Rudolph (LB), Xavier Smith (S), Shakaun Bowser (DL), Jaden Smith (WR), Cash Cheeks (TE), Garrett Hawkins (LB), TJ Tillman (CB), Elijah McCoy (RB), Ekow Taylor (Bandit), Jaylan Brown (WR), Kode Lowe (S), Shay Smith (LB, position switch from QB), Kam Thomas (MB), Chad Warner (QB), Jayden Wilson (LB), Derek Burns (DL), Nik Henry (WR), Chace Biddle (S), Mason Ferguson (WR), Darnell Williams (S), Rafeald Campbell (WR), Justin Content (CB), Ryland Bradford (MB), Josh Bell (RB), Grant Stewart (Spur), Jaime Guerrero (S), CJ Simon (WR), Zo Hill (WR), Royce Wilson (Bandit), Darien Fantroy (CB), Erion Wilkins (CB), Dylan Brown-Turner (Spur), Allen Gant (S), Kofi Taylor-Barrocks (Bandit), Kane Bowen (LB), Jamal Frilot (B), Jaxon Smith (DE), Vashon Brunswick II (LB), Oryend Fisher (DL), Justin Lee (LB), Copelin Windfont (LB), Leander Parrish (DL), Craig Wydra (OL), Maddox Huber (OL), Preston Perkins (OL), Kelton Farmer (OL), Tyler Roberts (OL), Juan Camacho Jr. (OL), Diego De La Cruz (OL), Ryder Slaton (OL), Marcus Torres (WR), Judah Ezinwa (TE), Jordan Andrus (TE), Ashton Coker (DT), Carlos Arreola (K), Jimmy Leon (DL), and others.

Players returning for more than one season (veterans who were also on the 2024 roster):

Xavier Smith (S), Jaden Smith (WR), Kam Thomas (MB), Shay Smith (LB/QB), Rafeald Campbell (WR), Jaime Guerrero (S) and Judah Ezinwa (TE).

The 2026 coaching staff shows significant turnover from 2025:

• Returning: Scotty Walden (Head Coach, now in year 3) and Kelvin Sigler (still Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties/Spurs).
• New:
  
  • Lanear Sampson (new Co-Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers)
  • Joe Pappalardo (new Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)
  • Kyle Beyer (new Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
  • Chris Jones (new Defensive Line/Defensive Run Game Coordinator)
  • Payton Pardee (new Special teams/Tight Ends coach)
  • Andy Townsend (new Offensive Line/Run Game Coordinator)
  • Ray Pickering (new Running Backs)
  • Keelon Brookins (new Cornerbacks)
  • Craig Neece (new Bandits)

Bottom line: After a rough 2–10 season in 2025, Walden cleaned house on both sides of the ball. The entire offensive coordination structure was overhauled (Mark Cala and Ryan Stanchek are gone), and the defense has new leadership at coordinator with Kyle Byer, someone who was with Walden at UTEP over the past two seasons and knows the defense well.

2. QB EJ Colson is the best pure passing prospect since Jameill Showers

There was Kai Locksley, the former top overall JUCO prospect in 2018. There was Malachi Nelson, an esteemed five-star quarterback prospect. But neither of them came in with the experience under him like EJ Colson, who was a starter and productive at Incarnate Word (FCS). Colson came to UTEP with promise and so far, he's delivered on the leadership side.

Jameill Showers, who at one time was battling against Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M for the starting job, might be the last proven pure passing prospect to come to UTEP that is on the level of Colson, a former top-100 recruit that started a game at UCF during his redshirt freshman season.

Colson looked stable in the spring game. He shrugged off an interception (credit early high school graduate Decorian "Duce" Thompson) with a few drives where he moved the chains. His vision, presence in the pocket and arm strength jumped off the page for me.

Throughout the spring game, he targeted skill players like receiver Jaylan Brown, Nik Henry, Marcus Torres and even true freshman Benny Okwura. At one point, it was Brown (a Michigan State transfer) lined up alongside Royal Capell (Oklahoma State transfer). He had a touchdown throw to Jeremiah Nash, a junior transfer from City College of San Francisco.

3. Backups impressed, though young

Quarterback Raymond Moore III (Morgan State transfer) scrambled for a 15-plus yard gain, then followed it up with a deep passing touchdown to receiver Nik Henry. Redshirt freshman Chad Warner looked poise in the pocket during his reps. True freshman Body Weaver even took snaps as an early high school enrollee.

4. Offensive line had mixed reviews

UTEP's offensive line has been rebuilt annually over the course of Walden's tenure. This year, it's a new position coach in place, mixed with transfer portal acquisitions and mostly young returnees.

The Miners will be judged by their ability to run the football this year. UTEP's 2025 offensive line was a major weakness, producing one of the worst run games in FBS with only 3.7 yards per carry and about 116 rushing yards per game while allowing 26 sacks.

This year, they will lean on a new running back trio featuring Kam Thomas, Tavorus Jones and Elijah McCoy. Jones possesses the downfield running ability, while Thomas and McCoy flex a dynamic skillset. Jones and McCoy looked impressive on Saturday, while Thomas didn't play.

"I thought there were times when they showed physicality," said coach Walden of the offensive line. "There were a couple bad snaps. We have to fix our quarterback-center exchange. That's what I walk away with on the naked eye. There were a couple runs where it was like, that's what it should look like."

The name that impressed me up front was right tackle Tyler Roberts, who towered over everybody at 6-foot-8, 314 pounds. The redshirt freshman played sparingly last year before an injury cut his true freshman season early. If he can continue to develop, he would be a really impressive player for the Miners to have up front. Jackson State transfer Brian Williams Jr. stood out to me at the center position too.

 5. Can we finally talk about the defense?

Yes, but first let's acknowledge the specialists that stood out on Saturday. The Miners' special teams has been subpar since Walden's arrival. This year, they are going with new coordinator Payton Pardee to help shore things up.

Nik Henry and Marcus Torres were two punt returners that stood out to me on Saturday. Henry is a speedster and has special teams experience from last year, while Torres is a dynamic skill player that returned punts and kicks at Pebble Hills high school.

6. The defense was the shining position group

Despite a third coordinator in as many years, things looked relatively the same under new defensive coordinator Kyle Beyer, who has been a part of the defensive coaching staff since Walden arrived in El Paso.

As shown in the past, the defense looks further along than the offense up to this point. They have promising returning players like corner Justin Content, edge rushers Shakaun Bowser and Ekow Taylor, linebackers Jayden Wilson and Vashon Brunswick II, plus other secondary members like Xavier Smith and TJ Tillman.

But the most impressive part were the defensive newcomers.

7. Newcomers create turnovers on defense

Early on, Thompson took an interception on defense. The Mount Pleasant (TX) standout is part of the early enrollee class of recent high school graduates.

Sophomore Darnell Williams from Texarkana Texas high had a tackle for loss off the edge and flew around during Saturday's spring game. The safety could compete in a crowded secondary group to earn some playing time.

Redshirt freshman spur Grant Stewart (Manvel HS) had a tipped pass that ended up in the hands of Eastlake graduate and senior safety Jaime Guerrero's hands.

8. First thoughts on the Shay Smith position change

For the record, I wasn't all the way on board with the position change of Shay Smith from quarterback to linebacker this offseason. I thought even a hybrid tight end/halfback role could suit him better than the defensive side.

He's said in previous scrums this offseason that it was his decision to make the position change, after serving as a change-of-pace quarterback during his redshirt freshman season in 2025. He hasn't played on defense since 2020 at Franklin high school.

But on Saturday, I saw enough flashes at linebacker for me to be bought in on the position change. Granted, it's early and it's UTEP vs. UTEP. His speed translates exceptionally on defense, while his understanding of the quarterback position allows him to make the right reads as a linebacker. He recorded an early tackle for loss for the Miner defense after exploding in on a play.

Fitting that the eighth point here is for No. 8, a new version of Smith that we haven't seen yet.

9. What can we really take away from spring ball?

Not a whole lot. And that is probably by design.

It's still early in the offseason all things considered. There's a long road ahead until the team truly ramps up fall camp in late July/early August. For now, the team will work on all the behind-the-scenes, gearing up for their first season in the Mountain West.