The dreaded transfer portal is back and there are players that have already entered their names following the 2025 season.

After UTEP football's disappointing 2-10 finish in 2025, which was a step back from their 3-9 record from Scotty Walden's inaugural 2024 season, the program enters a pivotal offseason highlighted by the move to the Mountain West starting in 2026.

Last week, Walden announced 25 new signees as part of Early Signing Day, with 23 of them coming from the high school ranks. UTEP boasted the top overall recruiting class in 2024 and 2025 by scouting websites like 247 Sports. By the rankings, they are in the top-3 of the new-look Mountain West with the 2026 signing class.

Here are the names that have hit the portal so far:

DT Ashton Coker

EDGE Elijah Baldwin

The 6-foot-7 pass rusher totaled 25 tackles, 5 TFLs, 4 sacks, 4 PBUs and a blocked kick in 2025 as a redshirt freshman. Has three years of eligibility remaining.

RB Ashten Emory

The Rockwall, Texas, native totaled 119 carries, 569 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns in 2025. He played almost the entire season with a fracture in his wrist and has three years of eligibility left. Emory was also an all-conference freshman representative.

WR Kenny Odom

OL Tyrone McDuffie

OL Jake Utley

OL Jake Riggs

OL James Williams 

TE Josh Schuchts

Redshirt freshman tight end Josh Schuchts totaled 21 catches for 232 yards and 3 TDs. Schuchts was a rising talent on offense and now hits the portal.

LB Stratton Shufelt

UTEP LB Stratton Shufelt has entered the transfer portal. He totaled 33 tackles this year and his father (Pete) was a standout LB for the Miners in the 90s.