Early National Signing Day 2023 Tracker: UTEP

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – National signing day is here. Wednesday marked the beginning of the early signing period, which will run through Friday. This is the first signing class Scotty Walden will reveal as UTEP’s new football head coach.

Here’s a list of UTEP signees so far, per UTEP.

Quarterbacks

Skyler Locklear

Transfer from Austin Peay. In 2023, as a redshirt freshman, Locklear played in two games. Might be contending for the starting quarterback position at UTEP.

Shay Smith

Smith is a product from El Paso, Texas and will head to UTEP from Franklin High School. Smith quarterbacked the Cougars for three of his four high school seasons, first as a freshman in 2020, then as a junior and senior in 2022 and 2023. As a senior, Smith completed 57% of his passes for 1,750 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions for an injury-plagued Franklin offense. Smith also rushed for 1,195 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior.

JP Pickles

Pickles will come to UTEP from North Florida Christian High School in Tallahassee, Florida. In his senior year, Pickles completed 55% of his passes for 2,891 yards, 27 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. He also rushed for 1,249 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Wide Receivers

Kenny Odom

Odom comes to UTEP from Austin Peay. In 2023, as a redshirt freshman, Odom played in 12 games, caught 28 passes for 301 receiving yards and had three receiving touchdowns.

Trey Goodman

Goodman comes to UTEP from Austin Peay. In 2023, as a junior, Goodman played in 12 games, caught 34 passes for 721 receiving yards, and reeled in seven total touchdowns. Goodman averaged 60.6 receiving yards per game last season.

Ashton Nickelberry

Nickelberry comes to UTEP from Austin Peay. After three seasons at Jones College, Nickelberry transferred to Austin Peay and 2023 was his first season there. Nickelberry, a redshirt junior last season, did not log any action.

Kam Thomas

Thomas comes to UTEP from Austin Peay. Thomas, as a redshirt sophomore in 2023, played ten games, had 50 receptions for 629 receiving yards and five touchdown catches. Thomas also earned a spot on the 2023 FCS Football Central First Team All-America (Punt Returner).

Jaden Smith

Smith, an Atlanta, Georgia native, comes to UTEP from Eastern Kentucky. In 2023, his junior year season, Smith caught 73 passes for 781 receiving yards and reeled in five touchdown catches. In three seasons at EKU, Smith totaled 173 catches, 1,922 receiving yards, and 14 touchdown catches.

Running Backs

Ashten Emory

Emory comes to UTEP from Rockwell High School in Rockwell, Texas. Emory committed to UTEP after getting offers from Eastern Michigan, Alabama A&M, Bowling Green, and CSU-Pueblo.

Marquez Taylor

Taylor comes to UTEP from Austin Peay. Taylor, a McKenzie, Tenn. native, spent his freshman year in 2023 at Austin Peay and did not log any action. Taylor has five years of eligibility heading into UTEP.

Offensive Line

Isaiah Wright

Wright comes to UTEP from Austin Peay. Wright, a Columbia, S.C. native, earned a spot on the 2023 First Team All-UAC (OL). Wright will spend his last year eligibility at UTEP.

Brennan Smith

Smith comes to UTEP from Austin Peay. Smith played in 12 games last year at Austin Peay as a redshirt sophomore.

Jake Riggs

Riggs, a member of the Class of 2024, comes to UTEP from Oakland High School in Murfreesboro, TN. Riggs picked UTEP over Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky, Liberty, and Louisville.

Isaac Hawkins

Hawkins comes to UTEP from Snow College after he spent his sophomore season. Hawkins is listed as a 6-foot-8, 280 pound offensive lineman and played left and right tackle at Snow College.

Tight End

Josh Schuchts

Schuchts, a member of the Class of 2024, comes to UTEP from North Florida Christian High School in Tallahassee, FL. Schuchts caught 60 passes for 885 yards and nine receiving touchdowns his senior season of high school.

Linebackers

Tray Dunson

Dunson, a Franklin, Ga. native, comes to UTEP from Gardner-Webb University. Last season, as graduate student, Dunson collected 23 tackles (13 solo, 10 assisted) and two tackles for loss. Duncan will head to UTEP with one year of eligibility left.

Trace Meadows

Meadows, a member of the Class of 2024, comes to UTEP from A&M Consolidated High School in College State, Texas. Meadows selected UTEP over Austin Peay, Utah Tech, Arkansas State, and Louisiana Tech. Meadows played in 11 games, collected 50 total tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, and 6.0 sacks in his senior season at A&M Consolidated High School.

Defensive Backs

Kory Chapman

Chapman, a Hoover, Alabama native, comes to UTEP from Austin Peay. In 2023, his senior year, Chapman had two interceptions, one of them an interception for a touchdown return, and five pass break ups at Austin Peay. Chapman also collected 73 total tackles and four tackles for loss in the 2023 season.

Kam Herring

Herring, a member of the Class of 2024, comes to UTEP from Collierville High School in Collierville, TN. Herring had 19 total tackles and seven pass breakup in eight games played in his senior season of high school.

Justin Content

Content, a member of the Class of 2024, comes to UTEP from Mill Creek High School in Hoschton, GA. Content selected UTEP over WKU, Air Force, Akron, Alabama State, and Army. Content played both ways at Mill Creek. He collected 546 receiving yards and five touchdowns as a wide receiver. On defense, Content had 41 total tackles, a tackle for loss, and an interception his senior year of high school.

Special Teams

Adam Jacklin

Jacklin, a punter, was the first signing of the Scotty Walden era at UTEP. Jacklin, a native of Melbourne, Australia, spent his freshman season at North Texas. Jacklin graduated high school in 2019, trained with The Punt Factory in Australia, rated 4.5 stars by ProKicker, and grew up playing Aussie Rules Football

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