The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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124 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY CLAYTON SAYFIE UTEP endured its fourth straight losing season in 2025, going 2-10 overall and 1-7 in Conference USA, and the 2026 cam- paign isn't shaping up to be any easier. The Miners are slated to play road non- conference games at Oklahoma (Sept. 5) and Michigan (Sept. 19) in their first year in the Mountain West amidst a transition from Conference USA. Geographically, UTEP is a better fit for the Mountain West, which features the likes of New Mexico, Wyoming and Air Force, and the increased television revenue matters a great deal, too; let's be honest, it's probably the biggest reason for the move. But the Miners have a long way to go to compete in any league, having had losing seasons in 18 of the last 20 years. Head coach Scotty Walden, a 36-year- old entering his third season at the helm, has only won five games over the last two seasons and has made sweeping changes to the program, with new coordinators on both offense and defense and 32 incoming transfers. The biggest upgrade is needed at quar- terback, where there was a revolving door of rotation last season. Skyler Locklear (transfer to Missouri State), Malachi Nel- son (transfer to Syracuse) and Shay Smith (moved to linebacker) all saw time behind center in 2025, and the results were subpar. UTEP passed for only one more touchdown than interception (21 to 20) and was tied atop the nation in picks thrown. Redshirt sophomore transfer quar- terback EJ Colson comes from Incarnate Word, an FCS program that also produced 2025 No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick quarter- back Cam Ward (Washington State, Miami) and QB Zach Calzada (Kentucky). A native of Byron, Ga., Colson began his career at Central Florida in 2024. UTEP is looking for stability, and Walden believes Colson is the best option, naming him the starter after spring practices. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder started 10 games for Incarnate Word last season, producing 19 total touchdowns (16 passing, 3 rushing). He completed 70.9 percent of his passes (210-of-296) for 2,142 yards. Notably, Colson threw only 4 in- terceptions. His ability to take care of the football will be key, and he'll need a solid supporting cast to help him. The Miners have no returning starters on of- fense, but there's optimism that the group can grow. Colson is one of several potential starters that came from the transfer portal, and there are others who missed part or all of last season with injury that could slide in, such as center Jayden Trapp (transfer from Division II Texas A&M-Kingsville) and 6-foot-8 redshirt freshman right tackle Tyler Roberts, who was limited to three contests due to injury in 2025. As a redshirt freshman in 2025, wide receiver Jaylan Brown, who spent the 2024 campaign at Michigan State, hauled in 10 catches for 103 yards and will be one of Colson's top targets along with redshirt junior tight end Cash Cheeks, who put up 171 receiving yards at Northern Colorado in 2024 prior to missing last season with injury. Kyle Beyer is in his third season on staff and was promoted to de- fensive coordinator this offseason. He's imple- mented a 3-3-5 defense that has four starters coming back, including three in the secondary. Redshirt senior safety Xavier Smith — a trans- fer who followed Walden from Austin Peay — is the leader, having recorded 60 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 4 pass breakups and 1 intercep- tion a year ago. Shay, the quarterback turned linebacker, has a steady presence beside him to help with the position switch to linebacker. Senior Jayden Wilson exploded for 92 total tackles in his first season at UTEP following two years at New Mexico. He added 8 tackles for loss and 3 forced fumbles. UTEP ranked tied for 110th nationally by allowing 30.4 points per game last season and is looking to take a big jump forward. Sophomore Nik Henry is one to look out for on special teams. The 2025 C-USA All-Freshman Team honoree averaged 12.8 yards per return on kickoffs and 6.3 on punts. ❑ 2026 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2025 Result Sept. 5 at Oklahoma — Sept. 12 TEXAS SOUTHERN — Sept. 19 at Michigan — Sept. 26 OREGON STATE — Oct. 3 at New Mexico — Oct. 10 NEVADA — Oct. 17 SAN JOSE STATE — Oct. 31 at North Dakota State — Nov. 7 HAWAI'I — Nov. 14 WYOMING — Nov. 21 at Air Force — Nov. 28 at Northern Illinois — UTEP Is Mining For Success In Mountain West GAME 3 • UTEP MINERS • SEPT. 19 Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jaylan Brown hauled in a season- long 34-yard reception against New Mexico State. PHOTO COURTESY UTEP ATHLETICS REASONS FOR OPTIMISM • Upgrade at quarterback • All-new offensive personnel • Experienced secondary EJ Colson will add legitimacy and ball se- curity at quarterback if he can successfully make the jump from FCS to FBS, and the defense has a lot back in the secondary. REASONS FOR CONCERN • Tough nonconference slate • Transitioning to a more challenging conference • Digging out of a deep hole this century UTEP hasn't had a consistent winner since a stretch in the 1950s and is making the move to the Mountain West, which will feature more competition. QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: None Head Coach: Scotty Walden, 5-19 at UTEP (third year), 32- 34 overall (seventh year) 2025 In Review: 2-10 overall, 1-7 Confer- ence USA Final 2025 Ranking: Unranked Returning Starters: 4 (0 offense, 4 de- fense, 0 specialists) Last Bowl Appearance: 2021 (New Mexico Bowl vs. Fresno State, L 31-24) RETURNING LEADERS Passing: Shay Smith (14 yards) Rushing: Elijah McCoy (47 yards) Receiving: Jaylan Brown (103 yards) Tackles: Jayden Wilson (92) Sacks: Shakaun Bowser, Ekow Tayor (2) Interceptions: Justin Content, Xavier Smith, Jayden Wilson (1)