UTEP Miners News Page 2 - College Football

SEC this week: No. 4 Texas hosts No. 1 Buckeyes in a high-stakes Saturday night rematch

Ohio State heads to Texas for a Saturday night rematch of last year’s season opener

SEPTEMBER 10 • Associated Press

LSU cracks top 10, Oregon slips and Wolverines fall out of AP Top 25 after second-chance Hail Mary

LSU jumped back into the top 10 in the first Associated Press Top 25 college football poll of the regular season

SEPTEMBER 8 • Associated Press

2026 College Football Rankings: Oregon, Notre Dame Slip After Week 1 Performances

The season is young, but teams are already shifting up and down Joel Klatt's top 10 rankings.

SEPTEMBER 7 • FOX SPORTS

2026 College Football Rankings: Oregon, Notre Dame Slip After Week 1 Performances

EJ Colson Jr. - Rough UTEP debut Colson completed 6 of 12 passes for 52 yards during Friday's 51-0 defeat to Oklahoma. He also had 16 rushes for 25 yards.

Impact It was a tough start to the season for Colson and the Miners, as they totaled just 198 yards of total offense against one of the nation's toughest defenses in Oklahoma. Colson returned to the FBS ranks after he threw for 2,142 yards with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions at Incarnate Word last season. The redshirt junior should have an easier time next week in UTEP's home opener against FCS Texas Southern.

SEPTEMBER 6 • ROTOWIRE

No. 10 Oklahoma opens vs UTEP as playoff-hungry Sooners chase a cleaner start

No. 10 Oklahoma and UTEP meet Friday night in a season opener that looks like a major mismatch

SEPTEMBER 3 • Associated Press

Tavorus Jones - Earns co-starting role Jones is listed as a co-starter on UTEP's Week 1 depth chart alongside Lamar Sperling, per Adrian Broaddus of 600 ESPN El Paso.

Impact Jones is coming off two quiet seasons at Missouri, but the tailback has worked his way up to the top of the Miners' depth chart this season. Both Jones and Sperling should see plenty of carries this season, although the opener at Oklahoma doesn't bode well for a productive ground game.

SEPTEMBER 1 • ROTOWIRE

Lamar Sperling - Co-starting at RB Sperling is listed as a co-starter on the Miners' Week 1 depth chart alongside Tavorus Jones, per Adrian Broaddus of 600 ESPN El Paso.

Impact Sperling ran for 234 yards and a touchdown on 39 carries last season with Buffalo. He'll get plenty of carries for UTEP this season, but he'll open the year technically sharing the backfield with the Missouri transfer Jones.

SEPTEMBER 1 • ROTOWIRE

Liberty's Chadwell eyes a Conference USA rebound after surgery and a 4-8 stumble

Liberty coach Jamey Chadwell has been looking forward to the upcoming season perhaps more than any other

AUGUST 12 • Associated Press

Judah Ezinwa - Ready for fall camp Ezinwa (knee) is available for training camp, according to Bret Bloomquist of El Paso Times.

Impact Ezinwa suffered a season-ending injury in Week 6 against Liberty in the 2025 season, and he needed several months of rehab to be ready for the new season. Ezinwa will compete for snaps and touches at TE with Cash Cheeks. Prior to the season-ending injury, Ezinwa caught four passes for 76 yards in 2025.

AUGUST 4 • ROTOWIRE

Cash Cheeks - Available for summer Cheeks (ankle) has recovered and is available for training camp, according to Bret Bloomquist of El Paso Times.

Impact Cheeks should be one of the primary options in the Miners' offense since he's slated to open the 2026 campaign as the team's TE1. He missed the entire 2025 campaign due to an ankle problem, but in his most recent healthy season, Cheeks logged 18 catches for 171 yards at FCS Northern Colorado in 2024.

AUGUST 4 • ROTOWIRE

Jaden Smith - Fully healthy and ready to go Smith (lower body) is healthy for training camp and should be ready to go for the season opener against Oklahoma on Friday, Sep. 4, according to Bret Bloomquist of El Paso Times.

Impact Smith was widely expected to be healthy for the start of the 2026 season, and the fact that he's ready to roll for training camp bodes well for his chances of playing in the opener against the Sooners. Smith missed the entire 2025 season, but if he's healthy for 2026, he could be a key player on offense for the Miners. During his last healthy season in 2024, Smith had 21 catches on 31 targets for 177 yards across four games.

AUGUST 4 • ROTOWIRE

Kam Thomas - Healthy for camp Thomas (knee) is healthy for fall camp, according to Bret Bloomquist of El Paso Times.

Impact Thomas was widely expected to be 100 percent healthy for training camp before the start of the season, and the star RB will be able to get ready for the campaign with no limitations after leaving his knee issues behind. Thomas had 13 carries for 36 yards last season, as well as four catches for 26 yards, but he played just one game. If he stays healthy throughout the 2026 season, he has amazing potential.

AUGUST 4 • ROTOWIRE

Way Too Early Michigan Football Opponent Preview: Week 3 vs. UTEP After games against Western Michigan and Oklahoma to begin the season, Michigan will remain in Ann Arbor and take on the UTEP Miners. Along...

JULY 29 • SI.COM

Kam Thomas - Should be 100 percent by summer Thomas (knee) should be 100 percent by summer workouts, Bret Bloomquist of the El Paso Times reports.

Impact Thomas is expected to enter fall camp healthy, which should allow him to begin the 2026 season in that status as well. He suffered a knee injury early in the 2025 campaign, and the problem has not resolved itself despite more than half a year having passed since the issue first occurred.

MAY 5 • ROTOWIRE

Cash Cheeks - Should be available for summer Cheeks (ankle) is expected to be a full go for the Miners' summer workouts, per the El Paso Times.

Impact Cheeks logged 18 catches for 171 yards at FCS Northern Colorado in 2024, missing last season due to an ankle ailment. Now, the tight end is slated to be a factor for the Miners' offense in 2025, and it's a good sign that he's expected to be at 100 percent prior to fall camp kicking off.

MAY 5 • ROTOWIRE

Jaden Smith - Expected to be full go by summer Smith (lower body) is expected to be at 100 percent by summer workouts, per the El Paso Times.

Impact Smith missed the entire 2025 season, but the wideout is expected to be back at full health by the Miners' summer workouts. That means Smith should be a full go at UTEP's ensuing fall camp, and the receiver appears primed to make an impact as long as he can stay healthy. In 2024, he reeled in 21 catches for 177 yards.

MAY 5 • ROTOWIRE

Judah Ezinwa - Will be full-go for fall camp Ezinwa (knee) will be a full go for the Miners' fall camp, per the El Paso Times.

Impact Ezinwa was lost for the season after blowing out his knee in Week 6 against Liberty last season. Prior to that, he caught four passes for 76 yards. Now, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound tight end is slated to be fully healthy for the Miners' fall camp and should be 100 percent by the time Week 1 rolls around.

MAY 5 • ROTOWIRE

EJ Colson - Wins starting job Colson has won the starting job at quarterback, Pete Thamel of ESPN.com reports.

Impact After limited opportunities with Central Florida in 2024, Colson transferred out of the FBS for 2025 by signing with Incarnate Word. There, he completed 70.9 percent of 296 pass attempts for 2,142 yards and 16 touchdowns. Colson subsequently transferred to UTEP, who struggled under center last year. This year, the Miners are not hesitating to name their starting quarterback, and he hopes his non-FBS play will carry over on his return to college football's top level.

MAY 4 • ROTOWIRE

Louisiana Tech clear for move this summer to Sun Belt after settlement with Conference USA

Conference USA and Louisiana Tech have agreed on a settlement that will allow the Bulldogs to depart that league for the Sun Belt Conference this summer instead of having to wait a...

APRIL 28 • Associated Press

Kam Thomas - Ramping up, not quite 100 percent Thomas (knee) is ramping up his recovery from his knee ailment but still isn't at a full 100 percent, per KTSM 9 News.

Impact Thomas had 13 carries for 36 yards last season, as well as four catches for 26 yards. The versatile, all-purpose back, who's listed at "Miner Back" on UTSA's roster, is working his way back from his knee ailment but isn't quite 100 percent. However, he's certainly trending towards being fully healthy for the Miners' opener at Oklahoma.

APRIL 21 • ROTOWIRE

Lamar Sperling - Signs with UTEP Sperling has signed with UTEP, according to the team's X account.

Impact Sperling will transfer from Buffalo. During the running back's 2025 season, he logged 39 carries for 234 yards (6.0 averaged per carry) and a rushing touchdown, all his updated career-bests. Also considering UTEP's backfield depth, Sperling may be RB1 during 2026.

FEBRUARY 4 • ROTOWIRE

Tavorus Jones - Headed to UTEP Jones will transfer to UTEP, per a post on his personal X account.

Impact Jones has been unable to unlock a regular role on offense in his four seasons at Missouri, but he did compile 27 carries for 111 yards and a touchdowns over the past three seasons. He'll head back home to El Paso to finish out his college career with hopes of claiming a bigger role in the offense.

JANUARY 17 • ROTOWIRE

EJ Colson - Signs with UTEP Colson has signed with UTEP, according to the team's announcement Friday.

Impact As part of Central Florida's 2024 team, Colson logged nine completed passes for 64 yards and one touchdown. After the limited year, he transferred colleges to an FCS team. While part of Incarnate Word, Colson recorded 210 completed passes for 2,142 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also logged three rushing TDs. Ideally for Colson, signing with UTEP is how he can be an FBS-college team's primary quarterback.

JANUARY 17 • ROTOWIRE

Royal Capell - Commits to UTEP Capell has committed to UTEP, Pete Nakos of On3 reports.

Impact Ideally for Timmons, him transferring to a non-P4 college will improve his stats. Despite logging 10 receptions on 13 targets, the wide receiver recorded fewer than five yards per catch.

JANUARY 12 • ROTOWIRE

Jeremiah Coney - Transfers to UTEP Coney is transferring to Texas-El Paso, per 247sports.

Impact Coney appeared in three games for Virginia Tech during the 2-25 campaign, carrying the ball eight times for 47 yards. He has two years of eligibility remaining and will likely serve as a depth running back for UTEP next season.

JANUARY 10 • ROTOWIRE

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SEC this week: No. 4 Texas hosts No. 1 Buckeyes in a high-stakes Saturday night rematch

LSU cracks top 10, Oregon slips and Wolverines fall out of AP Top 25 after second-chance Hail Mary

2026 College Football Rankings: Oregon, Notre Dame Slip After Week 1 Performances

No. 10 Oklahoma opens vs UTEP as playoff-hungry Sooners chase a cleaner start

Liberty's Chadwell eyes a Conference USA rebound after surgery and a 4-8 stumble

Louisiana Tech clear for move this summer to Sun Belt after settlement with Conference USA