July 16, 2007

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After opening the last two seasons to great expectations, UTEP enters 2007 as a mystery team.

When the Miners launch their 90th season of football at home against New Mexico on Sept. 1, they will not only have a new quarterback under center, but a quarterback who will be making his first collegiate start as well.

Gone are record-setting signal-caller Jordan Palmer and wide receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr., along with 25 other seniors who were largely responsible for UTEP winning 21 games over the last three years.

Fresh faces will be prevalent on both sides of the ball in 2007. The defense, in particular, will be overhauled with only three starters coming back.

The Miners' offensive line returns virtually intact, and UTEP has a talented nucleus of returning skill players including tight ends Jamar Hunt and Jake Sears, wide receiver Joe West and running backs Donald Buckram, Marcus Thomas and Jason Williams.

The defense is expected to receive a major boost from the return of linebacker Jeremy Jones, who missed most of the 2006 season with a broken leg. Jones was a second team All-Conference USA selection in 2005, when he led the Miners with 130 tackles and 14.5 tackles for losses. UTEP also has one of the nation's top free safeties in Quintin Demps.

UTEP finished 5-7 last season. If the Miners are to contend for their third bowl bid in four years this fall, they will need to upgrade their ground game. UTEP ranked 116th out of 119 Division I-A schools last season, averaging 57.6 yards rushing per game.

Defensively, UTEP would like to do a better job of pressuring the quarterback. The Miners' sack totals have dropped from 42 in 2004 to 29 in 2005 and 22 last year.

The Miners also need to re-establish their dominance in the Sun Bowl. After posting a 10-2 record in the venue during Mike Price's first two seasons as head coach, UTEP was 3-3 in the stadium a year ago.

UTEP will face a demanding 2007 slate that features seven bowl teams. Five of those teams -- New Mexico, Tulsa, East Carolina, Houston and Southern Miss -- will be visiting El Paso.

The Miners answered a lot of questions in spring ball, showing off a much-improved offensive line and, as a result, an improved rushing attack. UTEP also appeared to be solid defensively despite ushering in a host of new players. One mystery that wasn't resolved was who won the team's five-man quarterback derby. That battle will resume in August two-a-day drills.

Running Backs
Price is excited about UTEP's depth at the running back position. Four players -- senior Thomas, junior Terrell Jackson and sophomores Donald Buckram and Williams -- will challenge for playing time in the backfield.

Thomas has run for 1,304 yards the last two seasons and is the projected starter. The former Parade prep All-American led the Miners with 513 yards rushing in 2006, averaging 3.3 yards per carry. With improved offensive line play, Thomas can return to his sophomore form of 2005, when he set a school record by rushing for 100+ yards in four consecutive games. His season-high for rushing in 2006 was 81 yards versus New Mexico State. Thomas was second on the team in receptions with 39 last season.

Originally a candidate for redshirt, Buckram appeared in seven games as a true freshman last season. The lightning-fast Copperas Cove native rushed 21 times for 76 yards. He also averaged 18.2 yards on 12 catches, including an 80-yard touchdown at UAB.

A power back, Williams appeared in all 12 games as a true freshman. He compiled 85 yards on 29 carries.

A University of Oregon transfer, Jackson will have two years of eligibility with the Miners. He was regarded as one of the nation's top recruits at Centennial High School in Moreno Valley, Calif. Jackson ran for 2,664 yards as a prep senior, scoring 43 touchdowns, to earn PrepStar and SuperPrep All-American honors.

Quarterbacks
Palmer leaves UTEP having set school records for passing attempts (1,427), completions (851), yardage (11,084) and touchdowns (88). The Miners' three returning quarterbacks -- Lorne Sam, James Thomas II and Kyle Wright -- combined to throw only seven passes last season.

Sam and Thomas are fast and shifty, option-style quarterbacks. Wright, sophomore Brandis Dew and freshman Trevor Vittatoe are more prototypical drop-back signal-callers. Depending on who is in the game, the UTEP offense could present opponents with a myriad of different looks in 2007.

Despite seeing limited action last season, Sam played an integral role for the Miners. UTEP was 4-2 when he went down with a knee injury at midseason; the Miners went 1-3 in his absence and never recovered. Sam had only six pass attempts, but rushed 16 times for 103 yards. He led UTEP with a 5.7 yards per carry average.

Will Sam see action at quarterback, wide receiver or a little of both in 2007? He caught 12 passes for 172 yards a year ago.

Wright has impressed the coaching staff with his moxie and quick mastery of the playbook. The former walk-on played in two games last season.

Thomas was pulled out of redshirt to give the Miner offense some added spice after Sam got hurt. He rushed 10 times for 22 yards, had one reception for 10 yards and was incomplete on his only two pass attempts in 2006.

Dew is hoping to rebound from a shoulder injury and revert to the form that made him a PrepStar All-American at Hemet (Calif.) High School. Dew threw for 2,909 yards and 42 touchdowns as a prep senior.

Vittatoe passed for 1,999 yards and 20 scores as a senior at Trinity High School in Bedford, Texas. He possesses a rifle arm and proved to be a quick study of the Miner offense during his redshirt year.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
The loss of Higgins is significant. He ended his career as UTEP's all-time leading receiver with 3,218 yards, and was second nationally in receiving last season. UTEP also lost Daniel Robinson, who reeled in 37 catches for 606 yards a year ago. But Price believes the Miners will be in good shape in this area in 2007.

A big reason for his optimism is the introduction of a talented group of redshirt freshmen -- Kris Adams, Evan Davis, Pierce Hunter and Brandon Jordan. Hunter is 6-5, Adams is 6-3, Jordan is 6-2 and Davis is 6-1.

Senior Joe West headlines the list of returnees. He could be primed for a breakthrough year after totaling 27 receptions for 496 yards in 2006. West has finished strong each of the last two seasons. In 2005, he had 14 receptions for 206 yards over the final six games. In 2006, he posted 12 catches for 245 yards during a three-game stretch in November.

Also back are sophomores Jeff Moturi and Tufick Shadrawy. Both possess big play capability. Junior Chris Day will also be in the mix for playing time.

Adams was rated a top-100 player in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex as a senior at Everman High School. Davis compiled 1,143 yards receiving as a senior at Oceanside High School in Los Angeles. Hunter earned All-League and All-County honors at Bonita Vista High School in National City, Calif. in 2005. Jordan was regarded as a top-300 player in the Lone Star State at Hightower High School in Missouri City.

UTEP fans are excited about the arrival of Fred Rouse. The Florida State transfer will have three years of eligibility with the Miners. The 6-3, 195-pound Rouse left Lincoln High School in Tallahassee, Fla., listed as the top wide receiver in the country by most publications.

The Miners return their top two tight ends from last season, senior Sears and junior Hunt. Sears had 17 catches for 173 yards in 2006, while Hunt snagged 21 balls for 218 yards. Backing them up will be redshirt freshman Jonny Moore, a Texas Top-300 player as a senior at John Marshall High School in San Antonio.

Offensive Line Big improvement is needed from a line that was extremely young in 2006. UTEP did not have a player rush for 100 yards in a game last season for the first time since 1992.

Not only did the O-line make dramatic strides during the spring, it did so with three of last year's starters out due to injury -- left guard Cameron Raschke, right guard James Riley and right tackle Tyler Ribitzki.

Anchoring the line once again will be center Robby Felix, one of the nation's best at his position. He was an honorable mention Freshman All-American by The Sporting News in 2005, and a third team All-Conference USA selection a year ago. Redshirt freshman Tanner Cullumber, an All-State pick at Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz., will be Felix's primary backup.

Sophomore Mike Aguayo and redshirt freshman Alex Solot will man the left tackle slot. Aguayo gained valuable experience as a rookie, starting the last four games. The massive 6-8, 320-pound Solot was listed as one of the top offensive linemen in the West by PrepStar while at Rincon High School in Tucson, Ariz.

With Raschke sidelined while recovering from ACL surgery in October, sophomore Anthony McNac and freshman Troy Henckel received the bulk of the reps at left guard in the spring. McNac started the last four games of the 2006 season. Henckel played his prep ball at Franklin High School in El Paso.

Riley is the veteran of the Miner offensive line, having started 23 games in his career. He missed spring ball after undergoing ankle surgery in November. Sophomore Colby Meek, who filled a reserve role for much of 2006, will push Riley to start. Freshman Rod Huntley will also be in the mix at right guard. He was rated one of the top offensive linemen in the Midlands region by PrepStar as a senior at Sam Houston High School in Arlington, Texas.

Senior Oniel Cousins will push Ribitzki for the starting nod at right tackle. Cousins made eight starts at left tackle in 2006. Ribitzki, who started 11 games at right tackle a year ago, was out for spring ball as a result of knee surgery in November. Adding support will be sophomore Ty Stout, who is also coming back from a knee injury that sidelined him for all of 2006.

Linebackers
Jones will provide veteran leadership and big-play capability to a new-look UTEP defense in 2007. He recorded 24 tackles in the first two games last season before breaking his leg in practice. He missed spring ball while continuing his rehab, but is pencilled in as the starting WILL linebacker this fall.

Jones' backups -- senior Torrey Huckaby and sophomore Aaron Sims -- are inexperienced. Huckaby was credited with 97 tackles as a member of Glendale (Ariz.) Community College's national championship team in 2005. Sims played in 11 games as a reserve last year, tallying three tackles.

Adam Vincent, the starter at MIKE linebacker, comes to UTEP after playing in 11 games for Arizona State two years ago. He practiced with the Miners in 2006 while sitting out the season per NCAA transfer rules. A highly-decorated recruit out of Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz., Vincent registered seven tackles versus Rutgers in the 2005 Insight Bowl.

Sophomore Brian Wilkins and junior Nuuese Punimata are listed behind Vincent in the preseason depth chart. Wilkins produced 15 tackles and an interception while coming off the bench for all 12 games last season. Punimata was a first team All-Conference honoree last season at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif.

Punimata is atop the two-deep at SAM linebacker. Adding support will be senior T.J. Monroe, who appeared in five games as a reserve in 2006.

Defensive Line
UTEP's rebuilt defensive line will feature four new starters. Of the 11 players listed in the pre-spring depth chart, only five appeared in games last season. Junior James Olalekan leads all returning defensive linemen with 13 tackles a year ago.

Olalekan is the projected starter at left tackle. Newcomers Charles Ofili and Elijah Goldtrap will back him up. UTEP's biggest lineman at 6-3, 295 pounds, Ofili is a transfer from New Mexico Military Institute. He anchored an NMMI defense that allowed only four teams to rush for over 100 yards in 2006. Goldtrap has been moved from tight end to defensive line. He did play some defensive end in high school.

The right tackle spot is occupied by returnees Chris Moore and Steve Riddick, and junior college import LaBoy Leomiti. Moore played in 10 games last season, totaling four tackles, and Riddick had five stops in 11 contests. Leomiti led all defensive linemen at Fullerton (Calif.) College with 28 tackles. Sophomores Dane O'Neill and Landon Goodwell are listed at left end. Both saw limited action a year ago, with Goodwell appearing in 12 games and O'Neill five.

Right end will be filled by three newcomers -- redshirt freshmen Will Osolinsky and Robert Soleyjacks, and junior college transfer Jason Boyce. Osolinsky earned first team All-State honors at North Canyon High School in Phoenix, Ariz. Soleyjacks was a four-time All-District 7-2A player at Highland Park High School in Amarillo, Texas. Boyce garnered first team All-Conference recognition in 2006 after picking up 17 quarterback pressures, eight sacks, three forced fumbles and five pass break-ups at Mount San Jacinto Community College in San Jacinto, Calif.

Defensive Backs
Price thinks the Miners have the makings of a fine secondary. Two starters return -- Demps and senior right cornerback Josh Ferguson.

A starter in 35 games during his Miner career, Demps is entrenched at free safety. He had 67 tackles last season, the top total among 2007 returnees. Demps' 12 career interceptions put him seven behind Charlie West, UTEP's all-time leader. Demps will be flanked by junior Roddray Walker and freshman Anthony Morrow. Walker is coming off a 45-tackle season at New Mexico Military Institute a year ago. Morrow played running back, safety and outside linebacker as a senior at Fallbrook (Calif.) Union High School. He enters fall two-a-day drills listed as a backup at both safety spots.

Sophomore Braxton Amy returns to safety, his natural position, after starting five games at WILL linebacker last season. Amy was highly productive in his initial year in a Miner uniform. One of the team's best tacklers, he put up 41 stops in five starts -- including 15 versus Rice. He missed spring drills after undergoing shoulder surgery in December. Sophomore Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith will battle Amy for the starting nod at strong safety. He racked up 21 tackles in 12 games last season.

Ferguson will start at right corner after tallying 58 tackles and two interceptions last year. Melvin Stephenson II, who appeared in 11 games as a true freshman, will spell Ferguson.

Senior Tim McCullouch and sophomore Cornelius Brown are listed 1-2 at left corner. McCullouch, who played in 12 games in 2005, is expected to benefit from a redshirt year in 2006. Brown had a solid freshman season, playing in 12 games and leading the team with three fumble recoveries.

Special Teams
UTEP has some rebuilding to do on special teams, considering that punter Ryan Hotchkiss, long snapper Aaron King and kicker Reagan Schneider have all moved on.

Jose Martinez, who is expected to handle kickoffs and field goals this fall, was out for the spring due to ACL surgery in February. He made 13-of-16 field goals at Bakersfield (Calif.) College in 2005.

Redshirt freshman Kyle Petersen is the first-string punter. He averaged 34.3 yards per boot as a senior at South Hills High School in Alta Loma, Calif. His primary backup will be sophomore Greg Hiett. He was a second team All-District player as a senior at William Howard Taft High School in San Antonio.

Possible kickoff return candidates include Buckram, Demps and Ferguson. Punt return possibilities are Demps, Ferguson and Rouse. Demps averaged 23.9 yards on kickoff returns last season with a touchdown, and Ferguson compiled a 20.0-yard average.