UTEP football: Who's in? Who's out? Tracking Miners' moves in the transfer portal
The UTEP football finished its sixth and final season under coach Dana Dimel with a 3-9 record, then the day after the season-ending loss to Liberty announced a parting of ways with the coach.
That predictably started an exodus of players to the transfer portal, which is open from Dec. 4 through Jan. 2 and again from April 16-30. That's for players without a degree. Players who have graduated may have their names entered into the transfer portal at any time.
Who's in the portal
Running back Deion Hankins: UTEP's leading rusher this past season, who has rushed for 2,604 yards in five years as a Miner, was El Paso's all-time leading rusher as a high school standout at Parkland.
Receiver Kelly Akharaiyi: The junior notched 1,033 receiving yards this season to become the third different Miner in three years go surpass 1,000 yards.
Defensive lineman Kanious Vaughn: A transfer from Kilgore College, the tackle had six sacks in his only season with UTEP.
Offensive lineman Justin Mayers: He was an every game starter at guard the last two years, his fourth and fifth seasons with the program.
Safety Kobe Hylton: He started every game he was healthy for in the last two years and was a captain. He transferred to UTEP from Louisiana prior to the 2022 season.
Cornerback Trez Moore: He played early this season before opting to redshirt. A backup cornerback, he had one interception before taking the redshirt. This was his second season with UTEP after transferring from Iowa Western College and he started nine games last season.
Safety Ilijah Johnson: He played in the first six games this year before quitting the team.
Receiver Jostein Clark: He played in five games this season, catching three passes for 44 yards and a touchdown.
Linebacker James Neal: Neal was an every game starter at linebacker, totaling 81 tackles (second on the team) and an interception.
Offensive lineman Otis Pitts III: A top reserve on the offensive line, Pitts started two games at guard late in the season.
Defensive lineman Jalen Rudolph: A top reserve at defensive tackle, Rudolph started two games in the middle of the season. He had 10 total tackles.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: UTEP football: Who's in? Who's out? Tracking the transfer portal