UTEP Football's 27 Signings, 17 Three-Star Recruits Top CUSA Recruiting Rankings For 2025 Season

Maci Cottingham | Dec 5, 2024

Scotty Walden, UTEP head football coach, and his team celebrate their 42-35 win against NMSU in the Battle of I-10 rivalry football at Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces, NM, on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. / GABY VELASQUEZ/ EL PASO TIMES / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The UTEP Miners’ initial signing period for the 2025 season was a major success, with 27 athletes committing to the program, including 26 high school recruits and one junior college transfer. This achievement has placed UTEP at the top of 247Sports' Conference USA rankings for the 2025 class.

Since taking over as UTEP’s 27th head coach last year, 39-year-old Scotty Walden has made significant strides in revitalizing the team’s recruiting efforts.

Earlier in his career, at age 26, Walden became the youngest college head coach when he was promoted from offensive coordinator at East Texas Baptist University. Before joining UTEP, Walden was also the head coach at Austin Peay State University from 2020 to 2023 where he led the team to a No. 13 national ranking in the FCS.

Among the signees is safety Allen Gant of Lubbock's Coronado High School. With a 247Sports composite score of 0.8741, Gant is the highest-rated recruit in the history of that metric.

Also among the signees is 6'1", 160-pound wide receiver CJ Simon from Tuttle High School, ranked as the No. 30 in the state of Oklahoma. Initially committed to Nebraska in Dec. 2023, Simon decommitted in Feb. 2024 and later received offers from Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and Kansas before announcing his commitment to UTEP on Monday. For his senior year at Tuttle High School, Simon recorded 54 receptions for 876 yards and 11 touchdowns,. The Tuttle Tigers will compete in the 4A semifinals this Friday against the Bethany Bronchos.

The Miners will continue to sign players during the early signing period from Dec. 4 to Dec. 6, with traidtional National Signing Day scheduled for Feb. 5, 2025.

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