UTEP Football 2026: Walden’s year 3 test in year one of the Mountain West

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UTEP football has long been a program defined by stretches of irrelevance punctuated by brief flashes of glory.

Their high-water mark was in 1988 under head coach Bob Stull, when the Miners finished 10-3 in the WAC with their best overall record in program history. Decades later, Mike Price’s arrival produced the program’s other golden stretch; an 8-4 finish and a Houston Bowl trip in 2004 followed by another 8-4 season followed by a GMAC Bowl appearance in 2005.

Outside those windows, the story has been mostly losing seasons and a postseason drought that’s become a defining storyline of its own. UTEP hasn’t won a bowl game since 1967 which is the longest active drought in the FBS. 

Now, as the Miners leave Conference USA after 20 years, third-year head coach Scotty Walden is trying to build something more durable in UTEP’s inaugural year in the Mountain West.

Walden’s $80,000 statement

In February, Walden announced he would donate 10% of his 2026 salary toward UTEP’s NIL and revenue-share initiatives. With Walden earning $800,000 in 2025, that pledge amounts to roughly $80,000 going straight back into the roster; a notable gesture given UTEP’s financial gap with its Mountain West peers.

The number matters because of the context surrounding it.

UTEP AD Jim Senter has been candid about the department’s resources, noting fundraising produced $1.1 million for recruiting and retention last year with a target of $3.45 million for 2026-27; still a fraction of the $20.5 million national maximum.

In an era where roster retention often comes down to who can pay players to stay, Walden putting his own salary into that pool is as much a culture statement as a financial one.

It’s just another underlying dimension of being an underdog and probably one good reason to root for these Miners.

Another new staff, but same philosophy

For the third straight year, UTEP has a new offensive coordinator setup.

Mark Cala left after just one season, departing for Missouri State in early February, forcing Walden into what’s been described internally as a coordinated late-cycle reset. Co-coordinators Lanear Simpson and Joe Pappalardo now share the responsibility of installing Walden’s system with the stated goal of preserving the offense’s identity built on pace, spacing and quarterback rhythm despite the staff turnover.

The Miners’ defense offers more stability.

DC Kyle Beyer isn’t an outside hire, he’s someone who’s been with Walden the past two seasons and knows the unit well. Kelvin Sigler enters year three as the lone coordinator-level holdover from Walden’s original 2024 staff, giving the defensive room added continuity.

Looking back: A step back in year two

Walden’s debut produced a 3-9 finish in 2024.

It was a step in the right direction in terms of competitiveness if not in the win column. Year two was supposed to build on that, except UTEP regressed to 2-10 overall and 1-7 in conference play; marking the program’s first double-digit loss season since 2019. 

Quarterback Skyler Locklear was the lone consistent bright spot in an otherwise forgettable season. Locklear set career highs with 396 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns while completing 55.5% of his passes. Eight rushing scores set a program record for a quarterback in a single season.

It was a season that showed flashes of the identity Walden wants, but not nearly enough execution to translate into wins.

A near-total roster overhaul

The Miners’ 2026 roster barely resembles their 2025 season.

UTEP lost its top two receivers, leading rusher and both quarterbacks to the transfer portal and all 11 offensive starters must be replaced with almost zero continuity heading into their Mountain West debut.

At quarterback, the Miners brought in EJ Colson from Incarnate Word and Raymond Moore III from Morgan State after a complete overhaul of the room. Colson, a productive FCS starter who’s already shown leadership early on, looks like the early favorite. 

Skill positions lean heavily on injury returns rather than new additions: Kam Thomas, the “Miner back” hybrid, missed all but the opener in 2025 with an ACL injury but produced 532 receiving yards in his healthy 2024 season, while Jaden Smith, who missed all of 2025 after two 750-yard FCS seasons, becomes a top target with the receiver room otherwise gutted.

On defense, returning starters Justin Content, Shakaun Bowser, Ekow Taylor, Jayden Wilson and Vashon Brunswick II give Beyer’s unit a head start.

By all early accounts, the defense looks “further along than the offense” this spring, which could prove critical if the new quarterbacks need time to adjust.

The bottom line

UTEP arrives with the 4th-best 2026 recruiting class in the Mountain West, evidence that Walden’s recruiting pitch is working even when the win totals haven’t followed. 

But a brutal non-conference slate against Oklahoma, Michigan, and Oregon State, combined with their total offensive turnover makes a rocky start likely in the program’s first Mountain West season. 

It might be safe to say Walden isn’t chasing any short-term blips vs. trying to build a program with a stable culture, a deep portal pipeline and a defense that can hold the line while the offense finds its identity.

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