Scotty Walden grew up watching the WWE. His all-time favorite wrestler was Shawn Michaels. Known as the ‘Heartbreak Kid,’ Michaels was a four-time World Champion and won 11 “Match of the Years” because of his stage presence. He was flamboyant and charismatic. 

Walden has shown shades of “The Showstopper” in his first months as UTEP’s head coach.

At his introductory press conference, Walden had the audience break it down like the team - ‘Family’ on three! He showed up to a UTEP basketball game in full body paint. And he was on the mic for 3,000-plus fans at the Sun Bowl, emceeing as former UTEP football stars competed in a tug-of-war and 40-yard dashes during halftime of the spring game.

The UTEP Spring Game was a WWE-scale production. University president Dr. Heather Wilson and athletic director Jim Senter drafted the teams. The celebrity coaches were Arizona Cardinals guard Will Hernandez and 10-year NFL veteran Quintin Demps. NFL Pro Bowler Aaron Jones and UTEP’s all-time leading passer, Trevor Vittatoe, returned to their alma mater to a chorus of cheers. 

 “It felt like an all-in thing,” Walden said.

‘All in’ is Walden’s trademark thus far. Yes, it’s early. He hasn’t even coached a game yet. But the 34-year-old is a bottle rocket ready to take flight. And while he’s overwhelmingly positive, he’s honest about what drives him, the underdog status that serves as the Mentos in the Coke bottle. He invited Vittatoe, a former Euless Trinity star, to the spring game for a reason.

“You say you can’t recruit out here,” Walden said. “‘You can’t recruit DFW. Houston’s hard to get kids.’ You got a guy right there (Vittatoe) who’s from DFW and the all-time leading passer in UTEP history. It has been done before and it will be done again.”

His first offseason backed up that promise. In two months, Walden’s staff built the best recruiting class in Conference USA, according to Rivals. Of course, he had a head start bringing former stars from his Austin Peay tenure in running back Jevon Jackson and wide receiver Trey Goodman. But he also inked the two highest-rated high school recruits in program history in Martavious Collins and Jaylin Jones.

Now comes the real test - translating those offseason wins onto the field. 

Walden’s coming off a 26–14 tenure in four seasons at Austin Peay, where he led the Govs to the FCS playoffs in 2023. He refers to UTEP as a sleeping giant because it’s the only show in town. That giant’s been in hibernation. UTEP has had two winning seasons since 2005. Its last win in a bowl game came in 1967. 

Walden brought a bevy of contributors from his Austin Peay team but clarified that he doesn’t ‘have his guys.’ They’re all Miners, whether a holdover from the previous staff or a transfer. At the beginning of every spring practice, the team comes out of the tunnel together like a game day. 

However, the former Austin Peay players have insights for their new teammates on Walden’s core tenets. 

“I’ve got two things,” Goodman said. “If you think you’re detailed, be more detailed. If you think you’re moving around fast, go faster.”

Walden promised his team would, “be the funnest product you’ve ever seen in UTEP history to watch.” He’s dubbed his offense the ‘Blue Blaze’ for how fast it’ll operate. Everything in the program - from the weight room, meeting room and practice field - runs on the emphasis of 12 seconds, the time it’ll take them between plays to snap the football.

But UTEP cannot sacrifice detail for speed. His staff spent spring ball instilling in the players that how they do something is how they do everything.  

“We’re an Adidas school,” Walden said. “If you come to practice with Nike socks on, we’re sending you out of practice. You’re losing your reps and you’re leaving practice to put some Adidas socks on. You better find them.”

That moxie, swagger and the attention to the little details might be what it takes to turn UTEP around.

Welcome to the show.

“I just don’t see him losing,” offensive coordinator Jake Brown said.
 

OFFENSIVE BREAKDOWN

Scotty Walden hasn’t used a playbook since his first year coaching at Sul Ross State when the facility’s printer broke and they didn’t have enough money to replace the ink cartridges. Most of the play calls are one word. He promises to bring the fastest offense in the country to the Sun Bowl, snapping the football every 12 seconds.  

A plane flying that fast needs a confident pilot. Cade McConnell and Skyler Locklear will battle into fall camp for the starting quarterback job. McConnell threw for 1,437 yards and six touchdowns in seven games for an injured Gavin Hardison last season. Locklear is a redshirt sophomore who followed Walden from Austin Peay.

The up-tempo spread all starts with a physical run game. Jevon Jackson was a 2023 FCS Second Team All-American after running for 1,373 yards and 10 touchdowns for Austin Peay. He understands the offense and should see significant time, while redshirt freshman Ezell Jolly is a talented option.

Jackson’s not the only Austin Peay transfer who’s in for a featured role. Trey Goodman finished with 721 receiving yards and seven touchdowns last year and could be the No.1wideout. Emari White caught eight passes for UTEP last year and should see increased action. Kam Thomas is UTEP’s inaugural ‘Miner Back,’ a hybrid running back and slot wide receiver that allows the offense to cycle through formations without subbing.

The offensive line has to buy into playing quickly, and redshirt junior Brennan Smith has emerged as the group’s leader. He played tackle at Austin Peay but will shift to the interior in Conference USA. Fellow Austin Peay transfer Isaiah Wright should stick at tackle. UTEP allowed 2.5 sacks per game, tied for 93rd in the nation. The Miners can ill afford to get behind the sticks that frequently with their pace.

 

OFFENSIVE PROJECTED STARTERS

WRX – 1 Trey Goodman, 5-11, 175, Atlanta, GA

WRZ – 8 Emari White 6-0, 185, Antelope CALIF

Slot – 3 Jaden Smith, 5-10, 195, Atlanta, GA

Miner Back – 5 Kam Thomas, 5-7, 174, Birmingham, ALA

LT – 65 Isaiah Wright, 6-3, 307, Columbia, S.C.
LG – 50 Brennan Smith, 6-3, 290, Pensacola, FLA
C – 53, Ivan Escobar 6-2, 289, El Paso
RG – 59 Otis Pitts III, 6-3, 345, Grand Prairie

RT – 60 Joseph Immediato, 6-4, 338, El Paso
QB – 11 Cade McConnell, 6-1, 195, Los Alamitos, CALIF

RB – 4 Jevon Jackson, 5-8, 200, Decatur, ALA

K – 36 Buzz Flabiano 6-0, 175, Plano

OFFENSIVE POSITION GRADES

WR - B+

OL - C

RB - B

QB - B-

 

OFFENSIVE BREAKOUT CANDIDATES

RB Ezell Jolly – Jolly waited in the wings behind departed running back tandem Deion Hankins and Torrance Burgess Jr. last year. He rushed for over 2,200 yards in three seasons at Fort Bend Ridge Point.

TE Judah Ezinwa – Ezinwa was another player who suited up for four games to preserve a redshirt. The previous staff used tight ends more frequently, but Ezinwa can impact the game as a receiver.

WR Kenny Odom – Odom, an Austin Peay transfer, may be 5-foot-8 and 163 pounds, but he’s an absolute burner who can take the top off the defense. He had 28 catches for 301 yards last season. 

Miner Back Kam Thomas – Thomas could be a matchup nightmare rotating from the backfield to slot receiver with defenses only having a couple seconds to adjust their formation to account for him.

 

KEEP AN EYE ON

Snapping the football every 12 seconds is all fun and games until you go three-and-out and your defense has to trot back out on 50 seconds of rest. Austin Peay averaged less than 30 minutes in time of possession in all four seasons Walden coached. UTEP must establish the run to eat clock. FCS transfers have blossomed in skill positions across the Group of Five (see Texas State’s Joey Hobert), but struggled in the trenches (see Sam Houston last season). If UTEP can’t sustain drives, it might have to divert from its ‘12 second’ philosophy, or risk hanging the defense out to dry. 

 

DEFENSIVE BREAKDOWN

Defensive coordinator J.J. Clark is new to the Lone Star State and experienced his first West Texas dust storm this spring. 

“When that wind picks up and that dust starts flying, it is inescapable,” Clark said. “It’s going to get in your nose, hair and eyes. You get caught outside, you can run but you can’t hide. That swarm is going to overtake you.”

UTEP has branded both sides of the ball with the school colors. Clark’s defense is the “Orange Swarm.” His 3-3-5 scheme will embody that storm he got caught in.

It starts with four players returning from a secondary that ranked first in Conference USA with 184.7 passing yards allowed per game. Cornerback A.J. Odums tied for the team lead with eight pass breakups, while Amier Boyd-Matthews is the favorite to start opposite him after a tremendous spring. Clark will deploy three safeties in the backend. Josiah Allen is the nickelback. Oscar Moore is a hard-hitting safety.

But outside linebacker Maurice Westmoreland is the star on defense. Clark describes him as a ‘transcendent talent’ who has a chance to hear his name called at next year’s NFL Draft with a standout season. His 7.5 sacks led the Miners in 2023, and he’ll move around the field to create different pathways to the quarterback. 

Tray Dunson, a Gardner-Webb transfer, has spear-headed the inside linebackers. He was a nickel safety at his former stop but has bulked up to play true linebacker. Redshirt junior Nate Dyman had a productive spring.  

Clark likes the depth on the defensive line. Defensive tackle KD Johnson is steady, while nose tackle Sione Tonga’uiha is a fire hydrant, six-feet tall but strong. The defensive end battle is between Bryton Thompson, who played four games last season, and Missouri State transfer Devin Goree.

 

PROJECTED DEFENSIVE STARTERS

DE – 15 Bryton Thompson, 6-1, 246, Harker Heights

NT – 99 Sione Tonga’uiha, 6-0, 295, Tempe, ARIZ.

DT– 7 KD Johnson, 6-1, 300, Houston

Bandit – 0 Maurice Westmoreland, 6-2, 235, Houston

LB – 5 Tray Dunson, 6-2, 221, Franklin, GA.

LB – 30 Nate Dyman, 6-2, 223, Missouri City

CB – 14 Amier Boyd-Matthew, 6-1, 180, Tempe, ARIZ

CB – 1 A.J. Odums, 5-11, 175, Houston

S – 10 Xavier Smith, 6-0, 186, Atlanta, GA.

S – 11 Oscar Moore, 6-1, 208, Eaton

SPUR – 22 Josiah Allen, 5-10, 179, Elk Grove, CALIF.

P – 29 Adam Jacklin, 5-11, 195, Melbourne, Australia

DEFENSIVE POSITION GRADES

DL - B -

LB - C

DB - B+

 

DEFENSIVE BREAKOUT CANDIDATES

NT Tevita Tafuna –  Tafuna played in just four games last season, but Clark described him as a ‘freak’ in spring practice. The 6-foot-1, 277-pound nose tackle is a former rugby star who moves well. 

DE Bryton Thompson – The Atascocita alum totaled 3.5 sacks in 2022 but registered one tackle in 2023 as he utilized a redshirt. Clark said he had an awesome spring ball as a holdover from the last staff.

CB Jaylon Shelton  – Shelton, a Texas State transfer, has NFL corner size at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds. He’s continuing to work on his technique, specifically getting his pad level down. He might not start, but he’ll play.

SPUR Kory Chapman – Clark coached Chapman at Austin Peay and calls him a ball player’s ball player. He’s not physically imposing, but plays with a high motor and has a good football IQ.

 

KEEP AN EYE ON

J.J. Clark should channel Oakland Athletics’ general manager Billy Beane from Moneyball. UTEP cannot replace linebacker Tyrice Knight (140 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 7 pass breakups) and running mate James Neal, so the Miners must recreate them in the aggregate. Tray Dunson has emerged as the leader, but the Miners are still searching for depth. Nate Dyman and Jake Hall both played sparingly last season, while Dorian Hopkins is a grad transfer from Tulsa. Clark is excited about the young guys in the room, including A&M Consolidated early enrollee Trace Meadows and Florida State transfer Dylan Brown-Turner.   

 

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

Scotty Walden’s message in his first team meeting was that UTEP is the destination, not the pit stop. He planted a seed in senior linebacker Maurice Westmoreland’s mind that day. 

The UTEP he’d joined in December 2021 was unrecognizable; most players had departed, and the coaching staff was entirely new. But he knew it was a special place when he signed, and still believed that.

So, he became a full-time El Paso ambassador for all his new teammates. It was a mutually beneficial relationship, especially with the 11 guys from Walden’s Austin Peay team. He had to know what to expect from the coach who didn’t have an “Off” button, while they had to acclimate to Conference USA football in a new home halfway across the country.   

“Since they already had Coach Walden, they really showed us the way and embraced us like family,” Westmoreland said.

Walden’s most critical offseason test is the ‘Miner Drill.’ It’s a team-wide sprint in which the players run 20 yards, touch the line with a specific hand and run back – and they only have to do one! The catch is that it's a pass-fail test. Passing means the team executed the run perfectly, and failing means they do it again. One Miner Drill turns to 10 on a good day.

That morning, at the tail end of Phase II of boot camp, Walden called the team up for the dreaded Miner Drill to close the workout. The coach, so famous for his energy level, could tell the players had little left. At the beginning of every drill, a leader emerges from the crowd to galvanize the team. To that point, it’d been Austin Peay transfers because they knew the drill.

Then Westmoreland stepped forward. He was a First Team all-conference selection with 10.5 tackles-for-loss and 7.5 sacks. He’d earned wide receiver Trey Goodman’s respect when Goodman ran an underneath route in practice and Westmoreland dropped back into coverage, jumped with full extension and intercepted the ball. 

“When you have those teammates that frustrate you in practice, they’re going to frustrate the other team even more,” Goodman said. “I’m just glad No. 0 is on my team.”

Now Westmoreland was leading with his voice. Then, senior nose tackle Sione Tonga’uiha, a fellow UTEP returnee, joined him. Walden and his staff looked at each other. The two groups had come together. The seed had sprouted.

“That day, that was the first time we got the number,” Walden said. “I’ll never forget, it was that time when Mo and Sione stepped up. It was cool to see the whole thing come together.”

 

CEILING/FLOOR

Ceiling: UTEP takes Colorado State by surprise and uses the momentum to win three of its first four conference games, putting the Miners squarely in bowl contention as opponents struggle to keep up with the offense’s frenetic pace. Maurice Westmoreland blossoms into a war daddy pass rusher that rushes quarterbacks into testing a five-man secondary.

Floor: A salty Southern Utah team upsets UTEP in its home opener and rattles a team that’s only had one offseason to gel together, leading to an extensive losing streak to start the year. The offense stacks three-and-outs in rapid fashion, leading to a tired defense that gets run on in conference play. UTEP finishes with two wins. 

 

DCTF'S TAKE

Make no mistake, UTEP is in rebuild mode. Even with the Transfer Portal, total rebuilds rarely happen in one year. But that doesn’t mean the foundation can’t be laid. Walden has the charisma to turn El Paso into a Group of Five football darling eventually. UTEP is the center of the city with one of college football’s most underrated stadiums in the Sun Bowl. His positive energy needs to unite a hodgepodge mix of players through what could be a challenging first season. The roster makeup makes a winning record unlikely; FCS transfers on both lines of scrimmage will have a tough adjustment. This team, however, will set the tone for the Walden era with its attitude.

 

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

El Paso is embracing its new head coach, but he’s going to be away on business most of the first month. Three of the the first four games are on the road, including the season-opener against Nebraska and the Conference USA debut against defending champion Liberty. The opening gauntlet is daunting, which means the October slate of mid-week games are critical for UTEP’s bowl hopes. Most coaches know what to expect after last year’s schedule format debut, but this is Walden’s first crack at it. Three of the four opponents in that stretch finished in the bottom four of the conference standings. 

2023 Results

Aug. 26 – at Jacksonville State – L, 14-17

Sept. 2 – vs UIW – W, 28-14

Sept. 9 – at Northwestern – L, 7-38

Sept. 16 – at Arizona – L, 10-31

Sept. 23 – vs UNLV – L, 28-45

Sept. 29 – vs Louisiana Tech – L,10-24

Oct. 11 – at. FIU – W, 27-14

Oct. 18 – vs. New Mexico State – L, 7-28

Oct. 25 – at Sam Houston – W, 37-34

Nov. 4 – vs Western Kentucky – L, 13-21

Nov. 18 – at Middle Tennessee – L, 30-34

Nov. 25 – vs. Liberty – L, 28-42

Record: 3–9

 

2024 Prediction

Aug. 31 – at Nebraska – L

Sept. 7 – vs Southern Utah –W

Sept. 14 – at Liberty – L

Sept. 21 – at Colorado State – L

Oct. 3 – vs Sam Houston – L

Oct. 10 – at Western Kentucky – L

Oct. 16 – vs. FIU – L

Oct. 22 – at Louisiana Tech –W

Nov. 2 – vs. Middle Tennessee – L

Nov. 9 – vs. Kennesaw State – W

Nov. 23 – at Tennessee – L

Nov. 30 – at New Mexico State –W

Record: 4–8