UTEP won’t walk into Michigan Stadium with the same kind of star power Michigan fans are used to seeing across from them, but the Miners do have a handful of names worth tracking closely. With Michigan favored by 34.5 points, this one is not expected to be tight. Still, Week 1 offered a reminder that heavy favorites can get dragged into uncomfortable moments, and UTEP has enough talent to demand real attention.
The name at the top of the list is EJ Colson Jr., the quarterback wearing No. 1.
He’s a 6-1, 190-pound dual-threat who began his college career at UCF before spending last season at Incarnate Word. Colson Jr. has been UTEP’s most active runner so far, and he already has a rushing touchdown this season.
Through the air, he’s been efficient enough to matter, completing 60.6% of his passes for 291 yards and four touchdowns. That combination of mobility and passing production makes him the kind of quarterback Michigan can’t afford to casually dismiss.
Another versatile piece is Kam Thomas, listed as MB, which stands for “Miner back.” That role sounds like exactly what it is: a little bit of everything.
His coach compared his skill set to players like Tavon Austin, LeSean McCoy and Deebo Samuel, which tells you how UTEP views him. Thomas has caught two passes for 92 yards and a touchdown, and he has also logged one carry.
The Miners haven’t found much rhythm on offense yet, but Thomas is one of the players Jay Hill will want on his radar.
In the backfield, Tavorus Jones has given UTEP steady production. The 5-9, 205-pound running back has carried the ball 21 times for 128 yards and a score through two games, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. He hasn’t ripped off a huge breakout performance, but he has been dependable and productive.
Defensively, Jayden Wilson is the player UTEP leans on most. The linebacker is viewed as the heartbeat of the unit after posting 92 tackles last season, including eight for loss.
This year, he has eight tackles so far. At 6-1, 218 pounds, Wilson is known as an inside run-stuffer who can also cover ground from sideline to sideline.
The last name to know is Justin Content, a 2nd-Team Preseason All-Conference defensive back and UTEP’s top shutdown corner. He regularly matches up with opposing WR1s, and last season he proved he could bring physicality to the position with 58 tackles.
At 6-1, he also defended six passes and picked off one. The matchup to watch is who Content lines up against, especially since Andrew Marsh was seen as WR1 before the season, but JJ Buchanan has emerged through two games.
In Other News...
Michigan Just Made An Early Move That Should Excite Basketball Fans
While the football team was entertaining Oklahoma, Michigan basketball used the same weekend to work its own recruiting circuit, bringing in several top prospects for campus visits. Among the headliners were 2028 five-star forwards Dylan Betts and Brady Pettigrew, a sign that the staff is already thinking far ahead as it tries to build relationships with the next wave of elite talent.
The visits also included time with head coach Mike Boynton and former players, giving the recruits a fuller look at what Michigan can offer beyond the practice gym. Pettigrew has sparked some buzz because of the possibility that he could move up a class, but that remains unconfirmed for now, leaving the bigger question open: how much traction did Michigan gain with two of the most coveted names on its early board? [Read more 🡒]
Michigan May Have Gained Real Recruiting Momentum After Beating Oklahoma
Michigans win over Oklahoma did more than improve the mood around the program. It also gave the staff a chance to put several high-profile visitors in the middle of the atmosphere, with five-star wide receiver Dakota Guerrant and four-star prospects Nasir Richardson, Mekhi McNair, Asa Burch and Armani Strong among the recruits on hand. The setting mattered, and the reactions afterward suggested the day landed the way Michigan hoped it would.
The buzz extended beyond the field, too, with recruits and their families speaking positively about both the game-day environment and the broader feel around the program. Guerrant, who is currently committed to Oregon, is among the visitors now taking a harder look after the trip, which is the kind of momentum Michigan has been trying to build on the trail. The game provided a backdrop, but the real question is how far that visit can move things in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Just Turned Its Oklahoma Upset Into A Recruiting Statement
Michigans win over No. 11 Oklahoma did more than push the Wolverines back into the AP Top 25 at No. 19. It also gave the program a showcase moment in front of a packed recruiting audience, with multiple high-end prospects in the building to see the atmosphere, the performance and the kind of stage Michigan can still command when it lands a marquee nonconference win.
Kamden Lopati, Antijuan Wilkes Jr., Armani Strong and Dakota Guerrant were among the recruits who took in the game, and their presence only sharpened the stakes around a result that carried meaning beyond the standings. Kyle Whittingham pointed to the boost the win gave Michigan on the trail, and for a program trying to turn big-game momentum into future classes, this one had the feel of a night that could linger with visitors long after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]