To add on to this, this is the list of seniors I had when the final roster dropped in August.
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Seniors 2024:
- Isiah Wright
- Jaden Smith
- Otis Pitts
- Julian Lopez
- Kevin Hurley
- Trey Goodman
- Corey Wren
- Mo Westmoreland
- Sione Tonga'uiha
- Bryton Thompson
- Tevita Tafuna
- Jalen Rayam
- Hunter Rapolla
- AJ Odums
- Oscar Moore
- KD Johnson
- Jayce Hunter
- Dorian Hopkins
- Jake Hall
- Yessman Green
- Devin Goree
- Tray Dunson
- Corey Chapman
- Chase Bibler
- Josiah Allen
- Angelo Tejada
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Jaden Smith got hurt early on and might be back next season. I don't know if a good chunk of these guys have played and might be eligible for redshirt.
There is a combination of factors as to why this season did not work out. Walden is new to FBS and is just young in general. No matter how you slice it, he is still learning on the job. I have read many complaints over the years that we never go with the young, up and coming coach. Well, we finally did. And this is the risk you take when you go young and relatively inexperienced, in comparison to guys like Dimel. And let's be honest, a GOOD experienced coach like Gary Patterson or Rich Rodriguez isn't coming to UTEP at the salaries UTEP pays. Walden had to take a payout to bring his coaching staff in. The MWC move will help with that atleast.
Walden has done a great job rebuilding the brand on the recruiting trail in Texas. This past class, the core of the class was HS kids with a lot of Austin Peay kids (they also had to all adjust to FBS together). The 2025 class will be even heavier on HS kids. The team will be built with HS kids, which means it'll take a couple years for them to get experience and get stronger and become key players. Kyran Duhon is a good example of a kid that is balling out as a freshman. Shufelt is another. Jaylin Jones is getting a lot of opportunities. As long as there isn't a mass exodus through the portal, I am liking the future of the defense through the young guys. The offense has a good core at WR and RB. TE is a mystery.
When you turnover a roster as much as Walden did, a slow/bad start was inevitable. Yep his offense is putrid. Bad OL and bad QB play. Walden needs to utilize the transfer portal to bring in an experienced QB and OL. Easier said than done, but I hope Walden pulls in a grad transfer QB. Someone that can be transitory for Chad Warner. Waldens playcalling is baffling at times, but he's limited by his QB and his OL (still completely Waldens fault).
I think he has until year 4 to turn this thing around (UTEP isnt paying a buyout unless its a year out from the end of his contract, which is 2028), and based on his recruiting, I think he will do it.