UTEP Miner Secondary stands out for its size on a team that values speed
UTEP receivers stand out in fall camp
UTEP receivers stand out in fall camp
This season, there will be spots on the field where this UTEP football team will not be as big as its opponents. Overall, Scotty Walden’s first team is built for speed rather than size.
The Miners have everything in the defensive backfield.
A group made up of holdovers, Austin Peay transfers and various other newcomers is diverse, but across the board they are tall. The two players are between 6’3″ and 5’10” tall, with seven of those 10 players being 6’0″ or taller.
That’s a far cry from UTEP’s old norm, but there’s a sea change happening this year, and the secondary is as clear a place to see it as any.
“I’m excited about the entire defense, but I’m even more excited about our second team,” Walden said. “I’ve been here longer than I’ve ever been, and maybe I’ve been more competitive overall than I’ve ever been.”
“We have a great combination of length and size. This is a group that really, really excites me. They have all the potential in the world and they have a great training camp.”
Every position is a battle, but the starting lineup hasn’t changed in the last two weeks. Here it is:
More: How to buy UTEP football tickets? See prices for games on the 2024 schedule
CB AJ Odums, 5-11, senior returns from last year
He came to UTEP from New Mexico with the expectation of filling a cornerback spot, and indeed he started all 12 games and was a highlight on a defense that had a good year. Odums led the team with eight pass breakups, which ranked third in Conference USA.
S Xavier Smith, 6-0, sophomore transfer from Austin Peay
Smith began his career at Colorado in 2022, where he redshirted and then exited the portal during the mass turnover there that followed a coaching change and Colorado’s hiring of Deion Sanders. Walden won the recruiting battle for Smith, who was sensational as a starter in every game at Austin Peay last season.
Of all the transfer players, Smith is one of the youngest and also one of the most successful. Last year he had 75 tackles, seven pass defenses and was named an FCS Freshman All-American. Now he’s at his third school in three years – welcome to the transfer portal era – but not in a new system. When Walden said he was coming to UTEP, Smith was one of the first to follow.
“I put my faith in coach Walden,” Smith said. “I already knew what kind of coach he was, what kind of person he was, his values. I knew that no matter what team he played on, it would be a reflection of who he was, and I wanted to remain a part of his family.”
“The adjustment to new weather and new people was smooth. I was always able to adapt and never had a problem going far from home (he’s from Atlanta). Adjusting to a new environment was smooth.”
In high school, Smith played quarterback, running back and defensive back, and although his future was always in the secondary, his offensive background paid off.
“He has a chance to be as good as he wants to be, he has a chance to be an NFL defensive back,” Walden said. “He has the length, he has the size. What I love is that he’s put on really good weight and he’s strong at the point of attack.”
“He’s mobile, he can cover the whole field, but he’s physical enough to tackle you. He’s got a high football IQ. As a former quarterback, he understands what the guy back there is reading.”
S Oscar Moore, 6-1, senior returns from last year
As part of the connection to Kilgore College, which was UTEP’s more productive recruiting ground under the previous team, Moore worked his way up to be a top backup last season, appearing in 11 games and leading the team with two interceptions.
He had 24 tackles and was praised by Walden from the first day of spring and was a top starter all fall.
Spur Kory Chapman, 5-10, senior transfer from Austin Peay
The fifth-year senior was nearly at the end of his college career when he got the chance to follow Walden to El Paso. He’s now at his second school, but this year has a rarity: He’s only had one head coach in college, and when it came time to make a decision, this is the one he chose.
“I wouldn’t say it was a matter of choosing a coach over a school,” said Chapman, whose position with the Spurs is a mix of safety and linebacker. “It was more a matter of culture. I’ve been at Austin Peay my whole career, Coach Walden has been there since my freshman year and I saw what he had planned for us, what he was like as a coach and as a person.”
“I fell in love with the team and the culture and I wanted to bring that culture here and instill it in my teammates. I see how it’s gone, we won two championships there and if I can instill that culture in my teammates, we’ll be successful.”
What is different this year is his environment and most of his teammates, but that was not a problem.
“I’m a sociable person, meeting new people is no problem for me,” said Chapman. “I love making people smile, meeting new people has never been difficult for me. The new location – look at that, it’s great. I never imagined being here, but now that I’m here, I never want to leave. It feels bad that this is my last year and I can only be here for one year.”
CB Jaylon Shelton, 6-2, junior transfer from Texas State
Shelton is, in some ways, the most traveled player on the team. He started college at Tyler Junior College and then transferred from there to West Virginia. He played one game there in 2022 and then transferred to Texas State. Last year, he suffered an injury in training camp that limited his playing time to four games, including a bowl game against Rice.
Last year’s injury and lack of playing time in 2022 have somewhat obscured what a promising player he is – West Virginia signed him straight out of junior college for a reason. The East Texas native (New London West Rusk High) quickly worked his way to the top of the rankings and has maintained that position throughout training camp.
All of his trips had one thing in common: Walden was involved.
“I recruited him back when I was at Southern Miss and he was at East Rusk,” Walden said in 2020. “He went to West Virginia, then to Tyler Junior College, then we recruited him again when I was at Austin Peay. We kept asking him. Twice he said no, and the third time he said yes.”
“Jaylen is a great player, a damn good player. He has the mentality you need, he’s physical on the perimeter, he’s as strong as a linebacker and as fast as a receiver. He’s a 4.4-yard sprinter, he’s a prototypical NFL corner.”
Shelton said the move wasn’t that difficult.
“It gets easier every time as you go through each phase and each year, taking in new things and learning new things,” Shelton said. “It gets easier as you go through the schools.”
The difference compared to his previous two appearances this time is that he is a starter.
“It feels different because you’re held to a higher standard,” Shelton said. “You can’t screw up, you can’t do anything wrong. You have to put in the work, put in the time. It also changes your perspective, any goals you want to achieve. You have to uphold a standard, you have to be more of a leader. I’m blessed to have this role.”
The second line
CB Amier Boyd-Matthews, 6-1, sophomore returning from last year
S Dillion Williams, 5-11, junior transfer from North Texas
Spur Lantz Russell, 6-3, junior transfer from Mount San Antonio College (Junior College)
S Landon Hullaby, 6-0, sophomore transfer from Texas Tech
CB Josiah Allen, 5-10, senior, returns from last year
Reach Bret Bloomquist at [email protected]; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.
