UTEP has its second commit of the 2025 cycle, and it comes from one of the more underrated defenders in the Lone Star State.

Three-star DB Grant Stewart, a native of Manvel, is on board with the Miners and joins two-star LB Royce Wilson in the class. Prior to announcing his commitment to UTEP, Stewart spoke exclusively with MinerInsider to discuss his pledge. Unsurprisingly, he cited relationships with Scotty Walden's staff as the first factor in his decision.

“Just the fact that they talk to me often," remarked Stewart. "Somebody texts me every day. And also with that, we did research on the school. And the coaches were telling us, ‘We have three seniors leaving this year. We need somebody that’s gonna be able to come and play.’ Me being able to come and play early, that’s a big thing. I’ll be able to cover my man one-on-one, be on an island by myself and still make big plays in big moments when we need it. And I can help out in the run game.”

Stewart had been a target for UTEP since the very beginning of their collective tenure, as the Miners offered him less than two weeks after Walden was introduced as the program's new head coach. Stewart was on campus in late April for UTEP's spring game, and that visit gave the versatile defender adequate reason to elevate the Miners to the top of his list.

“They have a lot of energy there," he observed. "And the campus is beautiful. Even before I went to the [spring] game, we drove through campus to get to the football field. I seen the buildings and how they’re shaped, the unique designs and stuff. I was like, ‘Oh, yeah.’ And they showed us where you’re able to see Mexico from one of the hills. Stuff like that, you can’t get that anywhere else. That’s the one thing you can get at UTEP.”

Moreover, Stewart says he's a firm believer in the direction of the program under the new staff, which has quickly shifted the program's recruiting philosophy and emphasized in-state relationships. The Miners want to win with talent from the state of Texas, and given Walden's track record, Stewart believes it can happen with players like him.