TJ Tillman

The UTEP Miners defense will lean on a group of experienced returners in 2026 going to the Mountain West. Here are the top five defensive players to watch: Junior cornerback Justin Content started 11 of 12 games last season and ranked sixth on the team with 58 tackles. He added 5.5 tackles for loss, one interception and six pass breakups. Content posted a career-high 13 tackles against Louisiana Tech. Redshirt senior safety Xavier Smith started 10 games and recorded 60 tackles. He contributed 1.5 tackles for loss, an interception and four pass breakups while helping lead the secondary. Senior linebacker Jayden Wilson played in all 12 games with nine starts. The El Paso native ranked second on the team with 92 tackles, including 8.0 for loss. Wilson also forced three fumbles, recovered one for 34 yards and had an interception. He tied for second in Conference USA with three forced fumbles last season. Redshirt senior safety Kode Lowe appeared in all 12 games with four starts after transferring from West Florida. He tallied 38 tackles, four tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Sophomore cornerback TJ Tillman played in 11 games with three starts as a true freshman. The Amarillo product recorded 11 tackles, including a season-high six at Delaware.