Last Monday, two-star Rockwall (Texas) tight end Jackson Stoner decided he'd had enough of the recruiting process. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound DFW-area standout knew he'd found home out west.

So he locked in his pledge to UTEP, becoming the third commit of the 2026 cycle for the program (they've since added a fourth commitment from three-star OL Eric Perkins). And in explaining his decision, Stoner cited the love he'd felt from Scotty Walden and the staff out in the Sun City.

“They recruited me hard," he told Rivals. "I love the coaches. Coach [Joshua] Eargle, he really understands the game; he’s been around it for so long. Coach Walden is the most energetic coach I’ve ever met, probably in my life. Just sitting down with him and [hearing] him talking to my parents, it really felt like we all had a connection to him and UTEP football.”

And as UTEP prepares for the transition to the Mountain West in 2026, Stoner's confident that there's a recipe for success in the 915. What gives him that confidence?

“The players," he explained. "I was talking to the players, and they are extremely serious about winning a conference title and winning a national championship. And that’s one thing I like to surround myself [with], is players who want to win — and not just want to be a good football player, but want to be a better person. Surrounding myself with those kinds of players just puts me in a better position to go out there, feel confident, have trust in my teammates, be a leader.”

As for his fit in Walden's offense, Stoner's enthused about the variegated nature of the tight end's role, and it's a role he's ready to embrace once he touches down in El Paso.

“It’s very well rounded," said Stoner of the Miners' tight end spot. "They line you up at the tight end position, line you up as a sniffer, line you up as a receiver sometimes. It’s just very well-rounded and very balanced, I feel like. That’s what I love about it.”

Stoner held offers from Bowling Green, UNLV, North Texas and San Diego State, but no school showed the level of investment in him that UTEP did. In the end, the Miners' hard push for his services culminated in a commitment, and he joins Perkins, Daveon Singleton and Chase Elrod in a fourfold nucleus for UTEP's 2026 class.

What's got Stoner most excited to be a Miner?

“The energy that the coaches bring, and the players," he remarked. "Being able to become a better football player and a better student as well. I love football; football is my dream. I want to make it to the NFL and all that stuff, but I also want to get a degree.”

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