For two thirds of last season, the UTEP defense held up well.
The Miners played well enough on that half of the ball to be better than 2-10, though eventually being on the field too much while the offense struggled led to an understandable decline late.
What was never good enough, even when matters were going well, was the defense's ability to take the ball away. The 12 turnovers forced in 12 games ranked them 104th nationally and created an obvious point of emphasis for a 2026 season when UTEP again seems to have the ammunition to be solid defensively.
"That's something we preach as a defense as a whole," senior safety Xavier Smith said. "So it's not just me doing that. The entire defense is
getting more shots on ball, more and more and more. That's what we've been preaching this whole camp — just getting shots on ball and getting the turnovers, because the turnovers is what gets the defense paid."
Who are some players UTEP will look to create turnovers? Here are two at all three defensive levels:
Linebackers Garrett Hawkins, Jayden Wilson
At any given practice there will be segments where the linebackers Garrett Hawkins and Jayden Wilson are off together, working on techniques while special teams drills go on behind them. That's a normal look, as the two are inseparable.
"It's the same thing off the field, we're together 24/7," said Wilson, who is 6-foot-1, 223 pounds. "He's over at my house all the time, I go to his place every weekend. He's a brother to me.
"It's been a year since he's been out there with me; he can fly around and go sideline to sideline and in the box. I can do that too. I can play Sam or play Mike. We're both interchangeable and it's great to have that diversity and great to know I have someone next to me I can believe and trust in."
This is two the point they can probably complete each other's sentences. They sound similar.
"That's my best friend, we're with each other all the time," Hawkins (6-2, 227) said. "When we get a break we'll watch film together. We're always doing something together like we're doing out on the field."
Both came to UTEP last season off transfers, Wilson, an Austin High grad, from New Mexico and Hawkins from Austin Peay. They quickly bonded, but Hawkins was lost to the season for an injury in the Texas game after a promising start to his UTEP career.
Wilson, meanwhile, moved into a starting role for the final nine games and took a star turn, as his 92 tackles was second on the team and makes him the top returner there this year. He's a returning leader in many other ways. Hawkins and Wilson are the defensive captains.
"Those guys are what you're looking for in a linebacker, the definition of run and hit," defensive coordinator Kyle Beyer. "They are also smart and spatial, they have great leadership qualities. They are the most vocal leaders we have on the defense and you feel that out there."
Defensive linemen Austin Coker, Elijah Fields
Other than returning some injured players who missed much of last year, the big addition to the defense who will make the first impact is Elijah Fields, a 6-1, 262-pound transfer from Stephen F. Austin.
He has already gone through one of the biggest number changes in the history of American sports, as after coming to UTEP as No. 99, he has been switched into No. 1, in his case an honorary number given to a "Trench Warrior." When asked who has stood out the most this camp on defense, he's been the first name coach Scotty Walden mentions.
"Elijah Fields, over the winter, he's a guy I've been able to trust very, very well," said his running mate on the defensive line, Austin Coker (6-2 ,277). "He does his job at a high level."
Fields didn't put up huge numbers at SFA last year when he had two sacks and 23 tackles in nine games, but he put enough on tape that UTEP knew they wanted him and his play for the Miners in August has shown star potential.
"I wanted to make a name for myself," Fields said of his decision to come to UTEP. "This is a place they treat me like family as soon as I came. I knew I wanted to be a part of this and build relationships in the locker room."
One of those is with Coker, who is also one of the most experienced UTEP players. He came to UTEP straight out of Katy Taylor High as one of the big names in Walden's first, highly-touted recruiting class and as lived to billing, winning a starting job as a true freshman in 2024 and becoming a full-time starter last year when he had 25 tackles.
Coker says what makes this team different is its closeness.
"Being able to spend time with all the guys, it's been truly special," he said. "We have a lot of brand new guys on this team, so being able to bond with them on a deeper level, being here all day and becoming good friends with them. I feel like that was the most special thing about fall camp year."
Defensive backs Xavier Smith and Kode Lowe
Perhaps the most experienced player on the team is the fifth-year senior safety Xavier Smith (6-0, 195), as this will be his fourth season as a full-time starter and his third at UTEP. He came over with Walden from Austin Peay. His highlight last season was an end zone interception of Texas quarterback Arch Manning. He also had 60 tackles despite missing the last two games to an assortment of injuries.
He's healthy now.
"The end of last season," Smith said. "I had a couple of injuries that I had to just take care of, now I'm very excited to be back on the field. It's a dream come true."
As for how he's progressed, "I feel like I've taken steps forward in my leadership role," Smith said. "Demanding more, commanding more, not just from my room, but just from the whole team and the defense."
The secondary has quite a bit of experience and includes a player who emerged late last year and is now a special teams captain, senior Kode Lowe (6-1, 205). Defensively as a spur, which is basically a safety with some linebacker crossover, he forced a fumble and recovered another one, so he can be part of that turnover equation.
Lowe feels the spur position, which allows him to mix the physicality of a linebacker with the coverage and ball hawking of a safety, is the best use of his skill set.
"I love it," he sad. "I feel like, that's the way I liked to play the game for as long as I can remember. I just feel like it fits me personally."
The hope is that these six pieces all add up to help a defense looking to make another step forward.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Can these six defensive player elevate UTEP Miners football in 2026?
