Five questions as spring practice begins

For teams with a returning head coach, there are two different kinds of college football spring practices: Those with a settled quarterback situation, and those without.

UTEP falls into the “without” category.

The Miners hit Scotty Walden’s second spring, which begins with the first of 15 workouts on Monday, March 17, with three healthy quarterbacks who played last year, plus the potentially huge addition of Malachi Nelson, a transfer from Boise State and a former five-star prospect who is the highest-rated recruit in UTEP history.

There are also two new coordinators in Bobby Daly (defense) and Mark Cala (offense) and 35 new players, part of the highest rated recruiting class in program history.

The Miners are turning over the defensive line, but have a nucleus of returners back across most positions.

The timetable is condensed this year, as after the first week UTEP will have four practices per week instead of the normal three, trimming a week off the normal schedule. That all angles toward an April 12 spring game.

Here are five questions UTEP is sorting out.

1. Who’s the quarterback?

With Cade McConnell still out after wrist surgery, Skyler Locklear is the incumbent and begins the spring as the No. 1.

Obviously, all eyes will be on Nelson. Every position is a competition, etc., Nelson won’t begin on the top line, he wasn’t promised a starting job when he signed, but a player with plenty of options chose UTEP and he probably didn’t chose it thinking he’d be a backup.

Early returns are positive.

“I’ve been super impressed with his ability to relate to the team and adapt to our culture,” Walden said. “When you recruit a guy as high profile as him, we did extensive research. I have been so impressed with how he’s come in and bought into our culture and how hard we work. It’s been fun.

“He’s extremely intelligent, from a talent standpoint he has elite arm talent. It’s evident why he was highly recruited. Now it’s a matter of training his eyes and his feet to be in alignment with where his progression needs to be. He’s a very, very smart kid. I’ve been really impressed with him.”

Walden’s impressed with all his quarterbacks, which also include Franklin alum Shae Smith and JP Pickles, who played last year, and newcomer Chad Warner. Walden also lauded the leadership of McConnell, who will be at spring practice, albeit in a non-practicing role.

“It’s by far the most competitive room in our building, it needs to be,” Walden said.

Nelson’s progress will be the focus of spring, at least from a fan and media interest standpoint.

2. How big of an adjustment will there be for UTEP’s new coordinators?

Perhaps surprisingly, not much. Walden is still the play caller on offense, this is his offense and while the addition of Cala puts a new voice in the quarterbacks room, the offense is going to look the same.

So is the defense, which goes back to Walden’s philosophy that a new coach learns the existing system, not all of the defensive players learn his.

“Defensively our structure is going to remain the same,” Walden said. “Five years ago we started running this defensive system. Coach Daly has a little different background but he understood in the interview process we’re not changing our terminology or our structure, but the coordinator has the right to put his spin on it.

“You’ll see some new things he’ll add that will be pretty cool and be helpful for our guys.”

3. What will the Miners defensive line look like?

This was the hardest hit part of the team to graduation and transfer, though UTEP did get one break when KD Johnson was given an extra year of eligibility as a result of a lawsuit that gave players back the years of eligibility they spent in junior college.

The Miners, though, have to replace all-conference star Maurice Westmoreland and Kyran Duhon, who was so good as a true freshman he’s now at Oklahoma State.

“It’s a focus,” Walden said. “We had eight seniors on the D-line. Anytime you have that many seniors in the room it’s going to hurt. I like the guys we brought in. We’re going to assess what we have, but from a roster standpoint we’re going to need to have one or two more bodies.”

Players who stood out in the offseason include Johnson, redshirt freshman Elijah Baldwin, New Mexico State transfer Derek Burns and junior college transfer Shakaun Bowser.

4. Who are new names to watch?

Walden cited offensive lineman Mark Robinson, defensive back Neil Campbell and punter Noah Botsford. Robinson is a transfer from NAIA school Southeastern University and he comes to an offensive line with three returning starters. He will be expected to fill the hole left by departing tackle Isaiah Wright.

Campbell is another NAIA grad, as he was an All-American last year, his fifth, at Indiana Wesleyan. UTEP is starting over at punter and Botsford, who comes from Valdosta State, is the likely one.

5. Which UTEP football returners are going to make the jump?

Among players who were on the roster last year but should play bigger roles this year, Walden listed offensive lineman Jaquan Toney, linebacker Stratton Schufelt and deep snapper Joshua Hancock.

Schufelt made an impact last year as a true freshman when he arrived as the No. 1 recruit from the state of New Mexico and ended up on the two-deep. He looked like a future star and that future could start this year.

Toney started in the first two games at right tackle last season but was a top reserve the rest of the year.

UTEP is looking for a new holder and Hancock will begin in that capacity.

Questions at the end of spring usually look different from the ones asked at the beginning, but count on quarterback to be the running theme of the next six months.

That all begins Monday at the Sun Bowl.

Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.