Skyler Locklear Named UTEP Starting Quarterback Ahead of Week 1

After a tight quarterback battle, head coach Scotty Walden goes with the Austin Peay transfer

UTEP head football coach Scotty Walden at the spring game on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the Sun Bowl stadium in El Paso, TX. / GABY VELASQUEZ/ EL PASO TIMES / USA TODAY NETWORK

At one point, first-year head coach Scotty Walden described it as one of the tightest quarterback battles that he's had. Just under 48 hours away from the start of his first season as head coach of the UTEP Miners, ESPN's Pete Thamel breaks the news that Walden will go with Austin Peay transfer Skyler Locklear as his starter.

Sources: UTEP will start redshirt sophomore Skyler Locklear at Nebraska on Saturday. He earned the starting nod during camp, beating out Cade McConnell, a JUCO transfer who redshirted at UTEP last year. pic.twitter.com/l3Cx20IcAz

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 29, 2024

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Locklear, a redshirt sophomore spent two years at Austin Peay under Walden's direction. Locklear was familiar with Walden's offense seeing some brief game time for the Governors.

Locklear threw for 59 yards completing three of four passes in 2023. In 2022, Locklear only threw for 11 yards, completing one of three passes.

Walden noted that Locklear would finish play-calls during practice as well, showing his experience. On the other end, Chase McConnell, who will now back up Locklear, started the back half of the 2023 season after starter Gavin Hardison went down with an injury.

The Miners will open the season up against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Nebraksa freshman Dylan Raiola make his first FBS start the same game that Locklear makes his on Saturday, August 31st.