When UTEP opens camp in August, all eyes can be on the quarterback room.

Second-year head coach Scotty Walden is trying to settle the place early in fall camp, he mentioned this week in San Antonio on the annual THSCA Teaching College & Conference. The Miners went 3-9 in his first season, however 4 of these losses got here by a mixed 24 factors. Walden mentioned getting constant quarterback play can be key if UTEP needs to take a step ahead in 2025.

One of many high names within the combine is Malachi Nelson, a former five-star prospect who transferred to UTEP from Boise State within the winter. Nelson was the No. 5 total recruit within the 2023 class and initially signed with USC out of Los Alamitos (Calif.) Excessive College.

Nelson’s school journey hasn’t been clean. A shoulder damage late in highschool delayed his improvement at USC. He was handed on the depth chart and transferred to Boise State, the place he completed second to Maddux Madsen within the 2024 QB battle. In 2024, he appeared in three video games and accomplished 12 of 17 passes for 128 yards and one interception.

Now at UTEP, Nelson is competing with returners Cade McConnell and Skyler Locklear, together with redshirt freshman Shay Smith.

“Folks say three, but it surely’s dang close to 4,” Walden mentioned of the QB battle. “We have Cade coming off damage who began for us, Skyler and Shay who’ve been in this system, and now Malachi. It is an actual competitors.”

Walden mentioned he hopes to call a starter by the center of fall camp, a change from final yr when the quarterback resolution went all the way down to the wire.

“I most likely waited too lengthy final yr,” he mentioned. “I need to give the man a little bit extra time to settle in.”

Nelson’s pure expertise — he has the best recruiting pedigree of any soccer participant in UTEP historical past — is what stands out probably the most. The 35-year-old Walden, who arrived from Austin Peay, known as Nelson “as gifted as anybody I’ve ever coached.”

“His arm expertise is unbelievable,” he mentioned. “The sport is beginning to decelerate for him, which has been good to see.”

Nelson held presents from a lot of the high applications within the nation popping out of highschool. He was seen as USC’s quarterback of the long run, after which he was anticipated to be Boise State’s starter in 2024 after he transferred there. Neither of these stops have gone based on plan. UTEP is hoping to assist him discover his rhythm.

There have been rumors about Nelson’s perspective and work ethic earlier in his profession, however Walden hasn’t seen any of that in El Paso.

“I can not converse on what occurred at USC or Boise,” Walden mentioned. “However I have been impressed with how he is dealt with issues. He is acquired loads of humility. He loves ball. He works laborious. He is been nice within the weight room.”

Walden reached out to a number of coaches Nelson performed below through the recruiting course of.

“Once we recruited him, I known as Kliff Kingsbury, Lincoln Riley, and Spencer Danielson,” Walden mentioned. “I instructed them we run mat drills and a tricky boot camp right here. I requested if Malachi would deal with it. All of them mentioned we would not have an issue, they usually had been proper.”

Walden additionally mentioned Nelson is coachable and responds effectively to powerful love.

“He is acquired a confidence about him, which you need at quarterback,” he mentioned. “However he additionally takes teaching. Should you get after him, he listens.”

Regardless of his struggles the final two years, the bodily instruments stay. Nelson was praised as one of the vital pure throwers in his class. The employees at UTEP believes he nonetheless has that potential and simply wants time to get comfy.

“When he is on, his arm is subsequent stage,” Walden mentioned. “He is a stable runner too. The largest factor helps him get comfy within the pocket. We need to create conditions the place he does not must be excellent and might develop with expertise.”

UTEP hasn’t had a profitable season since 2021. The Miners are 11-25 during the last three years.

Walden mentioned the objective is to compete for bowl video games and convention titles yearly, and having a steady quarterback scenario is an enormous a part of that.

“We’ve not arrived but, however we’re constructing,” he mentioned. “I believe we have got loads of expertise and depth. The quarterback room is in place, and Malachi is an enormous a part of that. The sky is the restrict for that child.”

Nelson has performed in simply 4 profession video games up to now, however UTEP is hoping that modifications this fall. With a robust camp, the previous five-star might lastly be in line for the beginning job — and an opportunity to get his school profession again on monitor.