← the board · drewhoover.com · 2024–2026
UTEP's best defenders since 2024
Xavier Smith leads with 173 tackles in 29 games at UTEP; Micah Davey had 131.
Every defender with 5 or more games at UTEP since 2024, ranked by tackles; the lines are each player's tackles game by game, the top 8 drawn. A link opens the player's page, where he has one, or his row on the board.
82 defenders with 5+ games at UTEPtackles
| # | player | seasons | games | tackles | sacks | tackles for loss | interceptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xavier Smith | 2024–2026 | 29 | 173 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 2 | Micah Davey | 2025 | 11 | 131 | 1 | 11 | 0 |
| 3 | Jayden Wilson | 2025–2026 | 19 | 130 | 0.5 | 13 | 1 |
| 4 | Justin Content | 2024–2026 | 22 | 94 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| 5 | Dorian Hopkins | 2024 | 11 | 87 | 1 | 9 | 2 |
| 6 | Nate Dyman | 2024 | 12 | 84 | 1.5 | 12 | 0 |
| 7 | Kory Chapman | 2024 | 11 | 76 | 3 | 15 | 2 |
| 8 | Solo Barnes | 2025 | 12 | 66 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 9 | Kode Lowe | 2025–2026 | 15 | 63 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| 10 | Neil Campbell | 2025 | 9 | 56 | 2 | 8 | 0 |
| 11 | Ashton Coker | 2024–2026 | 21 | 50 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 12 | Udoka Ezeani | 2025 | 11 | 45 | 5 | 10 | 0 |
| 13 | Kyran Duhon | 2024 | 12 | 43 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| 14 | Isaiah Bogerty | 2026 | 7 | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | Shakaun Bowser | 2025–2026 | 16 | 40 | 2 | 10 | 0 |
| 16 | Garrett Hawkins | 2025–2026 | 9 | 40 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 17 | Bryton Thompson | 2024 | 11 | 39 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| 18 | Dillion Williams | 2024 | 9 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 19 | Stratton Shufelt | 2024–2025 | 10 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Donte Thompson | 2025 | 11 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 21 | Esteban Guillory | 2026 | 7 | 28 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 22 | Elijah Baldwin | 2024–2025 | 12 | 27 | 3.5 | 7 | 0 |
| 23 | Jaylon Shelton | 2024 | 8 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Ashaad Hall | 2025 | 11 | 24 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| 25 | Landon Hullaby | 2024 | 9 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 26 | Yessman Green | 2025 | 6 | 20 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 |
| 27 | Cole Gustafson | 2025 | 10 | 19 | 1.5 | 5 | 0 |
| 28 | Elijah Fields | 2026 | 7 | 19 | 1.5 | 5 | 0 |
| 29 | Darnell Williams | 2025–2026 | 7 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Donavan Howard | 2026 | 7 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Marcell Blocker | 2025 | 7 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Adarius Hutchinson | 2026 | 5 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 33 | Ekow Taylor | 2024–2025 | 11 | 17 | 2.5 | 3 | 0 |
| 34 | Decorian Thompson | 2026 | 7 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Kaleb Miles | 2026 | 7 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 36 | Tray Dunson | 2024 | 8 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 37 | TJ Tillman | 2025–2026 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Tyler Scott | 2025 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 39 | Vashon Brunswick II | 2025–2026 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 40 | Jaylin Jones | 2024 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 41 | Royce Wilson | 2026 | 6 | 10 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 |
| 42 | Sterling Miles | 2026 | 6 | 10 | 3.5 | 4 | 0 |
| 43 | LaTristan Thompson | 2026 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 44 | Derek Burns | 2026 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 45 | Jaime Guerrero | 2024–2026 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 46 | Devin Goree | 2024 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 47 | Alex Szczesniak | 2025 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 48 | Dycin Davis | 2026 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 49 | Hunter Rapolla | 2024 | 5 | 6 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 |
| 50 | KD Johnson | 2023–2025 | 26 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 51 | LaQuintus Dowell | 2012–2015 | 25 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 52 | Lantz Russell | 2023–2025 | 22 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 53 | Josiah Allen | 2022–2024 | 20 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 54 | Mo Westmoreland | 2022–2024 | 19 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 55 | Praise Amaewhule | 2019–2023 | 17 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 56 | Tyrice Knight | 2020–2023 | 16 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 57 | Dennis Barnes | 2020–2022 | 15 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 58 | Oscar Moore | 2023–2024 | 15 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 59 | Sione Tonga'uiha | 2021–2024 | 14 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 60 | Tevita Tafuna | 2021–2024 | 13 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 61 | Damian Payne | 2014 | 12 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 62 | Duron Lowe | 2019–2020 | 12 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 63 | Amier Boyd | 2022–2024 | 11 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 64 | Justin Rogers | 2016–2019 | 10 | — | — | — | 6 |
| 65 | Keenan Stewart | 2021–2023 | 10 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 66 | AJ Odums | 2023–2024 | 9 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 67 | Torey Richardson | 2021–2023 | 9 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 68 | Dy'vonne Inyang | 2019–2021 | 8 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 69 | James Neal | 2021–2023 | 8 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 70 | Kelton Moss | 2020–2022 | 8 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 71 | Jadrian Taylor | 2021–2022 | 7 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 72 | Jalen Rudolph | 2021–2023 | 7 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 73 | Kobe Hylton | 2022–2023 | 7 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 74 | Nik Needham | 2015–2018 | 7 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 75 | Ty'Reke James | 2021–2022 | 7 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 76 | Deylon Williams | 2020–2022 | 6 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 77 | Gary Theard | 2021–2022 | 6 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 78 | Breon Hayward | 2021 | 5 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 79 | Dashone Smith | 2013–2016 | 5 | — | — | — | 5 |
| 80 | Josh Caldwell | 2019–2021 | 5 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 81 | Justin Prince | 2019–2021 | 5 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 82 | Tyson Wilson | 2021–2022 | 5 | — | — | — | 1 |
Also at UTEP: quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, kickers, punters. Every school and conference: schools, conferences. The games are ESPN's box scores since 2004 (the Method says where they fall short); a position is the roster's, else read off the box score, so a tight end from before 2014 may be listed with the wide receivers.