UTEP's recruiting class is currently composed of 22 total commits, and every single one hails from the state of Texas.

But Scotty Walden and his staff have begun to look north to the Sooner State as they try to fill the remaining gaps in their 2025 roster, and one talent that caught their eye midseason was Prague (Okla.) DE Jaxon Smith. The Miners offered the 6-foot-7, 245-pound defensive end on Halloween, and he made his way to the Sun City this weekend for an official visit.

“It was a lot of fun," said Smith, who's currently committed to Illinois State. "It was a lot different than I expected it would be, if I’m being honest. I was just kind of expecting it to be a desert, but the city was huge and it was really pretty there. The city had a lot to offer, and the stadium was beautiful, and the facilities were nice. I had no idea that was what was out there.”

UTEP is the only FBS offer right now for the hulking trench defender, and his versatility is a perfect match for UTEP's varied fronts within defensive coordinator JJ Clark's scheme.

“The front they run, they can see me playing 4, 4i, 5 — it could be a multitude of different spots," Smith remarked. "They said it just depends on what front they’re in. So definitely still on the edge, not nose or anything.”