Struggling College Football Program Turns To Transfer Portal QB For Fresh Start

One of the worst FBS programs in the last three years is hoping to bounce back.

Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; A general view of a 2026 logo before the CFP National Championship college football game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images | James Lang-Imagn Images

Sometimes it takes just a single player to get a college football program moving back in the right direction.

Over the last three seasons, only six FBS schools have recorded fewer than ten victories; UMass, Kent State, Purdue, Nevada, UTEP, and Charlotte.

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UTEP has only qualified for a bowl game two times in the last 15 years. During that time, four different head coaches have tried to turn the program around. So far, none have been able to consistently get the job done in El Paso.

The Miners are hoping one of their top transfer additions will play a key role in achieving success as the program prepares to transition to the Mountain West Conference for the 2026 season.

UTEP Names Transfer QB As Starter For 2026 Season

UTEP’s EJ Colson runs the ball during the UTEP Spring Game at the Sun Bowl in El Paso on Saturday, April 18, 2026. | Gaby Velasquez/ El Paso Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

UTEP head coach Scotty Walden watched his quarterback room change in a major way this offseason. Former starter Malachi Nelson transferred to Syracuse following the 2025 season, and backup signal-caller Skyler Locklear made his way to Missouri State.

Along with that, the program converted redshirt sophomore Shay Smith to linebacker.

That led to a complete overhaul as the Miners brought in a pair of quarterbacks via the NCAA Transfer Portal; EJ Colson (Incarnate Word) and Raymond Moore III (Morgan State).

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Following a spring competition between Colson and Moore III, the Miners have found their man. The program publicly announced Colson as its starter ahead of the season.

Colson joined UTEP in January following a year at the FCS level. He appeared in ten games and started the final eight outings for Incarnate Word, completing 210/296 passes for 2,142 yards with 16 touchdowns to 4 interceptions. He also rushed 108 times for 287 yards and 3 more scores.

The Georgia native threw for 250+ yards in five appearances, including a season-high 29/45 passing for 339 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception in a 56-28 loss to UT Rio Grande Valley on October 25. He rushed for a score in the defeat as well.

A three-star prospect in the 2024 class, Colson initially signed with UCF out of high school. He redshirted during his lone year with the Knights, hitting the transfer portal after former head coach Gus Malzahn took a position at Florida State. Malzahn has since retired.

Colson had an extremely productive prep career at Cedar Grove High School. He delivered a pair of state championships and was named the Georgia Region 5-3A Player of the Year in 2023. Colson reclassified to the 2024 class, so he's still young with plenty of potential to tap.

Overall, Colson threw for nearly 6,000 yards with 68 touchdowns to 9 interceptions at Cedar Grove. He accumulated 1,354 rushing yards and 16 more scores on the ground in just three years.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound quarterback has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

Colson will have to find his rhythm at UTEP quickly. The Miners travel to Oklahoma and Michigan, while hosting Oregon State, before the end of September.

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