Back in February, we noted that UTEP had offered the Colony High QB Garrett Simpson.  Dave Campbells Texas Football now confirmes that the gunslinger has pledged to the UTEP Miners football team.

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Dominique Hamilton.  MJ McFarland.  Rufus Brown.   Jamar Ransom.  Jack Fields?  

It's not everyday that El Paso produces an elite high school football prospect.  But, Americas High School running back Jack Fields has all the tools to become an elite college running back and a coveted prospect.  The electrifying running back is primed to become the top recruit from the El Paso area this year.  According to Rivals.com's Brian Perroni,  the UTEP Miners are the first team to offer Fields a scholarship but the Baylor Bears and UTEP's C-USA West rival SMU Mustangs are already showing heavy interest.  

Fields is a 5'11, 200 lb. running back prospect with blazing 4.5 speed and the great vision to get the most out of each carry.   Here is some video of Fields embarrassing El Paso's finest as a sophomore.

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Sugar Land Dulles defensive back Zoey Williams, one of the three highest rated high school prospects left in UTEP's 2011 recruiting class, has decommitted from UTEP in favor of the New Mexico Lobos.  Williams visited with UNM last weekend and tonight word is out that he won't sign with UTEP tomorrow.

UTEP, of course, has already lost the commitments from stud QB/ATH Jonovan Griffin, Texas Top 100 prospect Brandon Durant, and wide receiver Lovett Gibson.  The first two chose Big 12 programs, Oklahoma State and Missouri respectively, but Gibson chose C-USA West rival Rice over UTEP.  Now, the Miners have lost a talented commit to lowly New Mexico.   Yes, that New Mexico.  The Lobos are just 2-22 during Mike Locksley's first two seasons at UNM.

This is horrible news for UTEP as Williams was the Miners highest ranked defensive back prospect and one of the 2-3 highest regarded members of the 2011 class.  Williams was UTEP's only recruit from the Houston area to be named a "Houston Top 100" player by the Houston Chronicle.  He had the following ratings from the national recruiting services:

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With national signing day just hours away, the UTEP Miners received some good news when Lancaster High outside linebacker Trey Brown verbally committed.  Brown is a ranked as a 2 star prospect by Rivals.com.   ESPN rates Brown a 3 star prospect and grades him at a 78 and considers him the 52nd best outside linebacker prospect in the nation.    MI was first to report the commitment and so far none of the national recruiting services have confirmed. 

Brown was on our radar last summer, but recruiting news on him went dark soon thereafter.  Texas recruiting expert Gerry Hamilton blogged last summer that UTEP offered Brown a scholarship. Brown, at that time, was ranked as the 78th best prospect in the state of Texas by Orangebloods.com (Rivals) in their Lone Star Top 100.

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This isn't a real shocker, but linebacker Wardell Crutchfield, formerly the second commit in UTEP's 2011 football recruiting class has officially committed to Georgetown.  Fred Robledo, of the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, has the full story here.  Robledo reported earlier in the week that UTEP pulled the scholarship offers to two Baldwin Park commits, Crutchfield and defensive back Demetrius Jackson, in hopes the pair would grayshirt and join the Miners football team next spring.  

The story prompted UTEP linebackers coach Robert Rodriguez to tweet "Anyone who knows Mike Price knows that he would NEVER just pull a kids scholly a week before signing day."  The tweet has since been deleted.  Robledo notes today that Crutchfield and Jackson were told by UTEP coaches that they "didn't have enough scholarships for him to enroll in the fall."  

Over the last several weeks, UTEP has signed or received verbal commitments from seven junior college transfers.  Those players will all become eligible next season which would explain why UTEP is short on scholarships.  The 2011 class is starting to tighten up as National Signing Day approaches next Wednesday.

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The UTEP Miners have reportedly received a verbal commitment from 6'9, 317 lb. offensive tackle Trint Jenkins.  Jenkins played for Victory Christian High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  The commitment was first reported by Matt Baker of the Tulsa World.  Jenkins first came across our radar here when Baker reported that UTEP was the first FBS school to offer Jenkins a scholarship just over a week ago.

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With National Signing day coming up next Wednesday, it's a good time to take a look at where UTEP's 2011 football recruiting class stands.  There's been a barrage of recruiting news over the last few weeks.  Mostly, we've seen UTEP raid the junior college ranks to shore up known areas of concern.  Also, as noted yesterday, two UTEP commits are now wavering since the Miners reportedly pulled their scholarship offers in hopes they'd grayshirt instead.  

As of Monday, January 24, 2011, UTEP's 2011 class consists of 20 players who are have either already signed, some of the JUCO's, or who have verbally committed.  Note that that number includes Cole Freytag who will grayshirt next fall.  Twelve of the tentative members of the class play offense and 8 play defense.  UTEP has not received a commitment from a tight end or any specialists (kicker, punter).

I figure this recruiting page will shift quite a bit in the next week, but this post is a heck of a way to start preparing for national signing day.  Remember that verbal commitments are non-binding.  

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Mike Price received some good news this morning when Coronado Thunderbird triple-threat weapon Cole Freytag committed to the UTEP Miners.  I spoke with Cole this afternoon and can confirm he has verbally committed to UTEP.  Freytag was recruited as an athlete and will likely play wide receiver in Aaron Price's 1-Back offensive scheme. He took an official visit to UTEP this weekend and was impressed with UTEP's facilities, offensive scheme, and academics.  

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