The Miner Rundown: UTEP Fall Camp Starts, Recruiting Updates, and a Look into Basketball 

It’s officially August, which means college sports are finally back. UTEP football kicked off its second fall camp under Scotty Walden in the Sun Bowl, as we got to see the 53 newcomers prepare for the 2025 season. Just down the street, UTEP basketball wrapped up summer practices as the program enters year five of the Joe Golding era. From the Sun Bowl to University Field, fall sports are back—and we’ve got you covered here on the Miner Rundown. 

 

Fall Camp Begins 

UTEP football’s season opener against Utah State is just 26 days away. The Miners will travel to Logan to begin their 2025 campaign, looking to put a 3–9 2024 season behind them. 

The headline of fall camp is, without a doubt, the four-man QB battle that’s been brewing since spring. 

The incumbent starter, Skyler Locklear, will not only have to fend off returnees Cade McConnell and Shay Smith, but also former five-star QB Malachi Nelson, who transferred from Boise State this offseason. 

The 6’3″ Nelson looked much more comfortable around the team—both on and off the field—than he did in the spring. Locklear, however, definitely has the edge over all the QBs, having spent three years in the Walden system. 

Smith, who redshirted last year, looks and moves much better than he did in his true freshman campaign. McConnell, who suffered a season-ending injury midway through last year, has returned to compete for the starting job for the second year in a row. He started six games in 2023 and two in 2024. He and Locklear are the only QBs with starting experience. 

Walden said he will name a starter midway through camp rather than waiting until the first game, as he did last year. 

Beyond the QBs, there were other key takeaways from practice—including Walden’s announcement that returning starters LB Nate Dyman and WR Jaden Smith will miss the 2025 season. 

Dyman, who started 11 games last season and ranked second on the team with 84 tackles, underwent multiple surgeries this offseason. Smith, who tore his ACL early last season after transferring from EKU (where he amassed over 1,900 receiving yards), unfortunately re-tore the same ACL after recovering. UTEP is exploring ways to preserve his eligibility. 

My biggest standouts from day one were WR Kenny Odom and DE Elijah Baldwin. Odom, a preseason all-conference receiver, dominated one-on-ones and looked like the heart of the team. Baldwin, a redshirt freshman from San Antonio, looked like a physical specimen—standing 6’7″ and deflecting a pass off the line during practice reps. 

 

New Look on the Hardwood 

UTEP returned nine players from its 2023 squad that made a run to the CUSA championship and looked poised for a title. The season started strong, but as Miner fans know, it all went sideways. They finished 18–15 and bowed out in the CUSA quarterfinals. 

They lost all five starters to the transfer portal and graduation this offseason but reloaded with 10 newcomers and a brand-new assistant coaching staff. We got our first look at the new team on Thursday. 

“This place is home,” coach Golding said of his new contract extension. “We’ve got some unfinished business.” 

And that, they do. UTEP hasn’t made the NCAA tournament since 2010 and hasn’t won a conference tournament since 2005. This new-look Miner team aims to end those droughts, and they added plenty of winning experience to the coaching staff. 

UTEP fans will recognize one major addition—associate head coach Jeremy Cox returns after a stint at Oklahoma State. Cox was part of the 2023 squad that reached the CUSA title game. 

Golding also brought on two former JUCO head coaches, one being a three-time NJCAA champion. Steve Green, one of the winningest junior college coaches of all time, joined the team after a two-year hiatus. He was most recently an assistant at Texas Tech. 

The other was Hunter Jenkins, who led Frank Phillips College to its first NJCAA tournament appearance since 1958 this past season. 

On the court, UTEP welcomed 10 new players. Five are from Division I programs: 

  • F David Tubek (Seton Hall) 
  • F Kaseem Watson (Delaware State) 
  • F Jamal West Jr. (Nicholls State) 
  • F CJ Smith (Oklahoma State) 

Kaseem Watson was perhaps the biggest splash. The 6’9″ forward joins UTEP after earning third-team all-MEAC honors in 2024, averaging 15 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. 

UTEP hasn’t had a three-level scorer of his caliber in a while. It’ll be interesting to see how he improves defensively under coach Golding, because the offensive talent is undeniably there. 

Among the rest of the newcomers (four JUCOs and one high schooler), G Caleb Blackwell and G LA Hayes stood out. Blackwell, who originally committed to Charlotte, averaged 10 PPG and 5 APG at South Plains College. The 6’0″ guard has a twitchy handle and showed he can both score and facilitate. 

Hayes followed coach Jenkins to UTEP from Frank Phillips College, where he led the team in scoring with 17 PPG, adding 5 rebounds and 2 steals a game. He showed gritty energy throughout practice, diving for loose balls and giving max effort in every drill. 

Despite all the new faces, UTEP retained key contributors like Elijah Jones, Trey Horton, KJ Thomas, and Jordan Hernandez—who all look like they’ve stepped up on and off the court. 

Jones showed flashes of greatness last season. If he can be more consistent, he could be a serious problem for opponents this fall. The return of coach Cox will certainly aid his development. 

As a whole, it’s too early to say how good this team will be. But there’s no doubt this team is grittier and more energized than last year’s squad. 

 

Soccer and Volleyball Prep for the New Year 

UTEP soccer will enter year three of the Gibbs Keeton era in just a few days with an exhibition in Albuquerque against the New Mexico Lobos. After a much-improved 2024 season, can Keeton’s squad take the next step and contend for a conference title? 

Time will tell. It’s a mix of veteran returnees and fresh faces, including six El Pasoans. The regular season kicks off August 14th at University Field against Abilene Christian. 

Over at Memorial Gym, UTEP volleyball—the school’s most successful current program—is preparing for 2025. Ben Wallis and his team made history last season, earning their first-ever NCAA tournament berth. Now, they’ll aim for a conference title. 

UTEP kept most of the 2024 roster intact. Stars like All-American MB Kaya Weaver are returning for their senior seasons. This may be the most talented group Wallis has ever coached. 

Still, some questions remain. Chief among them: Who will replace standout libero Alyssa Sianez, who graduated last season? 

Currently, the Miners list two liberos: Franklin graduate Jordan Imperial and NMMI transfer Fuka Sekita, who are expected to compete for the starting role. 

Beyond that, the roster is loaded. All-conference returnees include OH Ema Uskokovic, OH Torrance Lovesee, MB Danika Washington, and S Kalia Kohler. Freshman standouts Lauren Perry and Landry Braziel both made the All-Conference Freshman Team last season. Add key veterans like OH Sara Pustahija and S Maddie Gant, and this UTEP squad has depth, talent, and experience. 

They’ll open the season with an exhibition at Grand Canyon on August 21st. The highlight of the non-conference schedule is a home matchup vs. UCLA on September 11th as part of the Sun City Classic. 

 

Recruiting Updates 

UTEP basketball landed its first 2026 commitment: San Antonio Brennan guard Donovan Criss. The three-star prospect held offers from UTSA, Mississippi State, and others. He averaged 11 PPG for a 34–3 Brennan squad that made the state semifinals. Criss stands at 6’5″. 

Scotty Walden also secured his first QB for the 2026 class: Colleyville Heritage’s Bodey Weaver. The 6’5″ passer threw for 24 touchdowns last season and announced his commitment on social media.