Who is UTEP's best bet at all-conference? It might be punter Joshua Sloan
This isn't the most exciting thing to point out in August, but UTEP's best shot at a first-team All-Conference USA selection this year might be its punter.
As Joshua Sloan enters his fourth year since arriving from the punter factory in Melbourne, Australia, he has become a big-time weapon, a happy El Pasoan and as much as any player at his position can be, a legitimate star. He's the top returning punter in C-USA, and with a little more consistency this year, could be one of the top punters in the country, which is his realistic goal.
"Punting: You don't want to do it, but when you do do it, you want to be dang good at it," coach Dana Dimel said. "He's so important to us."
Along the way, Sloan, who never played a game of American football before stepping right in as UTEP's starting punter in 2020, has become a leader of the special teams unit. That comes with being a fourth-year starter.
"I feel like I've had to become a leader," Sloan said. "We've got a lot of young blokes in our group so someone has to step up and round them all around. We've had a couple step up, we've got a few oldheads around — (kicker) Mark Ramos and (deep snapper) Angelo Tejada.
"We've had to step up, stick together as a group."
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What's most exciting about Sloan is that he put up big numbers last year — 44.4 yards a punt — despite a few glitches. If he can eliminate those, which has been a major focus for him heading into the year, he could be a 47-yards-per-punt player.
"It's evolving a lot, I've gotten a lot of confidence since working with (special teams coach Aaron) Price," he said. "I have a lot of confidence in myself to be one of the tops in the country. Last year I had a few mishaps which dragged me down.
"With those taken away and with the work I've done in the offseason, I've really gotten a lot of belief in myself to push up there. First-team all-conference is the first thing I have on my mind. I have to lock that in, then All-American, the Ray Guy Award. I want to be top three this year."
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This is everything UTEP wanted when it ordered a punter from ProKick Australia in 2020 to replace their previous Australian punter, Mitchell Crawford. Last year there were 56 punters from ProKick Australia in the FBS, so almost half of major college football teams have an Australian.
Sloan admitted his first months at UTEP weren't smooth — nothing in 2020 was — but has moved that way.
"This has been awesome," Sloan said. "It started off slow in the COVID year, I wasn't sure … I got a little homesick. But it's really grown on me. I've got family out here now, all my mates, we're so close, I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else."
Dimel is glad he doesn't have to.
"It's been nice to see how he's continued to improve," Dimel said. "We know he's got thunder for a leg but consistency's been the big thing with Josh. Last year he got more and more consistent, this year in camp he's gotten more and more consistent throughout and that gives us more versatility with what we can do with him."
UTEP's hope, obviously, is that they don't have to use Sloan much, but when he does come on the field, there is no lack of confidence he'll get the job done.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at 915-546-6359; bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Who is UTEP's best bet at all-conference? It might be punter Sloan
