Transfer portal · 2026
UTEP Miners
Both windowsProjected two-deep impacti
+30
Projected two-deep roles added · 2026 arrivals
UTEP added 30 transfers projected into the two-deep (16 as starters) against 18 departures whose next roles aren’t tracked here. Every number on this page is counted, not modelled — no composite portal grade is published because no defensible one exists yet.
34
Arrivals
+16
18
Departures
0.84
Avg rating in
-0.00
0.84
Avg rating out
30
Proj two-deep in
—
—
Out roles untracked
5 of 34
’25 production in
—
11 of 18
’25 production out
How the roster changed
52 moves · 13 rooms touchediOffense+5 net players
Upgraded+3 players
TE
+3 in · −0 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
No departures
M
Cash Cheeks in from Northern Colorado drives the room.
Replaced+1 player
WR
+4 in · −3 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
L
C
?
Kenny Odom out to South Florida drives the room.
Replaced+1 player
OL
+7 in · −6 out · 4 proj starters in
InOut
H
?
?
?
Jake Utley out to unannounced drives the room.
Replaced—
RB
+2 in · −2 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
?
Ashten Emory out to California drives the room.
Upgraded—
QB
+2 in · −2 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
Skyler Locklear out to Missouri State drives the room.
Defense+6 net players
Replaced+3 players
S
+3 in · −0 out
InOut
No departures
T
Donavan Howard in from Virginia State drives the room.
Upgraded+2 players
CB
+2 in · −0 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
No departures
LaTristan Thompson in from Utah drives the room.
Upgraded+1 player
DL
+3 in · −2 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
T
?
Preston Hickey in from Northwestern State drives the room.
Upgraded—
EDGE
+2 in · −2 out · 2 proj starters in
InOut
G
Udoka Ezeani out to North Texas drives the room.
Replaced—
LB
+1 in · −1 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
Stratton Shufelt out to Missouri State drives the room.
Specialists+5 net players
Upgraded+2 players
K
+2 in · −0 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
No departures
Cade Hechter in from UT Martin drives the room.
Upgraded+2 players
P
+2 in · −0 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
No departures
P
Brady Braun in from Gardner-Webb drives the room.
Upgraded+1 player
LS
+1 in · −0 out · 1 proj starter in
InOutNo departures
T
Carson Loeb in from Texas-Permian Basin drives the room.
ArrivalDepartureHeavy ring · proj starter inThin ring · rotation inDotted · depth role or no ’25 recordMarker size = ’25 production percentile (smallest = none recorded)
Did UTEP replace what it lost?
Role slots, not player-for-playerReplaced3 chains
WR
Starting slot
Out · to South Florida
Kenny Odom
rating 0.85 · 88th pctl ’25 production · 62 rec · 582 yds · 6 TD
Replaced
Medium confidence
In · from Northern Colorado
Carver Cheeks
no ’25 production record · x1 starter
—
▾ Detail
EDGE
Starting slot
Out · to UTSA
Elijah Baldwin
rating 0.84 · 84th pctl ’25 production · 23 tkl · 5.5 TFL · 3.5 sk
Replaced
Medium confidence
In · from Garden City CC
G
Shakaun Bowser
no ’25 production record · de1 starter
—
▾ Detail
DL
Starting slot
Out · to Sacramento State
Will Weber
rating 0.80
Upgrade
Low confidence
In · from Northwestern State
Preston Hickey
rating 0.85 · dt1 starter
Jan 22
▾ Detail
Partially replaced8 chains
QB
Starting slot
Out · to Missouri State
Skyler Locklear
rating 0.84 · 72nd pctl ’25 production · 117/211 · 1,418 pass yds · 13 TD · 11 INT · 396 rush yds
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Incarnate Word
EJ Colson
rating 0.86 · qb1 starter
Jan 17
▾ Detail
QB
Rotation slot
Out · to Syracuse
Malachi Nelson
rating 0.85 · 64th pctl ’25 production · 104/190 · 1,163 pass yds · 8 TD · 9 INT
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Morgan State
Raymond Moore III
rating 0.84 · qb2 rotation
Jan 20
▾ Detail
RB
Starting slot
Out · to California
Ashten Emory
rating 0.85 · 81st pctl ’25 production · 569 rush yds · 4.8 ypc · 4 TD · 16 rec
Partial replacement
High confidence
In · from Missouri
Tavorus Jones
rating 0.86 · 29th pctl ’25 production · 3 rec · 26 yds · rb1 starter
Jan 17
▾ Detail
WR
Rotation slot
Out · to Wake Forest
Wondame Davis Jr.
rating 0.87 · 86th pctl ’25 production · 25 rec · 604 yds · 6 TD
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Oklahoma State
Royal Capell
rating 0.84 · 34th pctl ’25 production · 10 rec · 47 yds · sl2 rotation
Jan 13
▾ Detail
WR
Rotation slot
Out · to unannounced
?
Toric Goins Jr.
60th pctl ’25 production · 13 rec · 206 yds · 1 TD
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from City College of San Francisco
C
Jeremiah Nash
no ’25 production record · x2 rotation
—
▾ Detail
OL
Starting slot
Out · to unannounced
?
Jake Utley
18th pctl ’25 production · 2 tkl
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Jackson State
Brian Williams Jr.
rating 0.84 · c1 starter
Jan 16
▾ Detail
EDGE
Starting slot
Out · to North Texas
Udoka Ezeani
rating 0.84 · 95th pctl ’25 production · 41 tkl · 9.5 TFL · 5 sk
Partial replacement
High confidence
In · from Eastern Michigan
Sterling Miles
rating 0.84 · 82nd pctl ’25 production · 34 tkl · 4 TFL · 1 sk · bandit1 starter
Jan 18
▾ Detail
LB
Starting slot
Out · to Missouri State
Stratton Shufelt
rating 0.84 · 50th pctl ’25 production · 18 tkl · 2 PD
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Texas Southern
Isaiah Bogerty
rating 0.82 · mlb1 starter
Jan 18
▾ Detail
Not replaced1 chain
RB
Production lost
Out · to unannounced
?
Marquez Taylor
29th pctl ’25 production · 43 rush yds · 2.5 ypc
Unresolved
Room restocked · slot open
In
No further two-deep addition
1 two-deep arrival answers other losses · 1 depth arrival in room
Jan 2
▾ Detail
Quality vs experience
Portal rating
0.750.800.850.900.951.00
No ’25 production record
High-upside betProven impactDevelopmentalExperienced depth0th pctl25th pctl50th pctl75th pctl
’25 production · national position percentile
26 unrated moves not plotted — see the ledger
How much UTEP depends on transfers
Projected 2026 two-deep · 58 slotsQuarterback100%
2
Skill (RB/WR/TE)90%
1
3
6
Offensive line58%
5
7
Front seven (EDGE/DL/LB)50%
7
1
6
Secondary (CB/S)60%
4
2
4
Specialists50%
5
5
Returning signeesPrior-cycle transfers2026 transfers
62%
Projected two-deep from transfers
36 of 58 two-deep slots
21 of 29
Projected starters from transfers
16 from the 2026 cycle, 5 held over
100th
Mountain West percentile · transfer share
1st-most transfer-dependent two-deep of 10 Mountain West teams
Returning portal corePrior-cycle transfers still in the two-deep
Jaden Smith
WR · from Eastern Kentucky · 2024 cycle · SL1 starter
—
no ’25 record
Kam Thomas
RB · from Austin Peay · 2024 cycle · RB2 rotation
31st pctl
’25 production · UTEP
Xavier Smith
S · from Austin Peay · 2024 cycle · FS1 starter
91st pctl
’25 production · UTEP
W
Kode Lowe
S · from West Florida · 2025 cycle · SS1 starter
75th pctl
’25 production · UTEP
Jayden Wilson
LB · from New Mexico · 2025 cycle · WLB1 starter
94th pctl
’25 production · UTEP
Jaylan Brown
WR · from Michigan State · 2025 cycle · Z1 starter
46th pctl
’25 production · UTEP
Where UTEP’s transfers came from — and where they went
Sources · 34 arrivals18 departures · destinations
Arrived from · 34
Non-FBS
28 players
Big 12
2 players
Mid-American
2 players
American Athletic
1 player
SEC
1 player
Departed to · 18
+
Unannounced
6 players
American Athletic
3 players
ACC
3 players
Conference USA
3 players
Non-FBS
1 player
SEC
1 player
+
Other
1 player
28arrivals came from Non-FBS programs — the single largest source.
30arrivals are projected straight into the two-deep (3 of 34 arrivals came from P4 leagues).
0departures stayed inside the Mountain West.
How the window developed
Cumulative net moves · in − out13 undated moves not plotted
All portal moves
52 of 52 moves match · 25 shownShow
Role in
Sort
PlayerPosDirectionOrigin / destinationRating’25 productionEligProjected roleDate
EC
Winter window · 3★
TJ
Winter window · 3★
DH
Winter window · 3★
KM
Winter window · 3★
PH
Winter window · 3★
RC
Winter window · 3★
BW
Winter window · 3★
JL
Winter window · 3★
SM
Winter window · 3★
RM
Winter window · 3★
LT
Winter window · 3★
LS
Winter window · 3★
OA
Winter window · 3★
IB
Winter window · 3★
JB
Winter window · 3★