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UTEP named EJ Colson Jr. its starting quarterback for 2026 and identified Raymond Moore III as the backup in a September preview. That establishes the reported quarterback succession—not that Colson was injured. The public UTEP sources cited here do not confirm a Colson injury, diagnosis, medical decision or expected return date.
What is known about UTEP’s quarterback situation
UTEP’s May 4, 2026 announcement named EJ Colson Jr. the Miners’ QB1. The announcement also reported his 2025 season at UIW: 2,142 passing yards, 16 passing touchdowns, four interceptions, 287 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. Those are past-season statistics, not information about his health. UTEP’s QB1 announcement
In its September 10 preview, UTEP called Raymond Moore III the backup and reported that he had played against Oklahoma. The article does not say Moore entered because Colson was hurt, or explain the circumstances of Moore’s appearance. A backup designation, a player appearing in a game and a medical decision about a starter are different facts; one does not establish the others. UTEP’s September 10 preview
Who is the backup, and what does the roster establish?
| Evidence | What it establishes | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| UTEP’s May 4 starter announcement | Colson was named the 2026 starter. | His availability or health on a later date. |
| UTEP’s September 10 preview | Moore was called the backup; UTEP reported that he played against Oklahoma, completing 3 of 5 passes for 26 yards and carrying nine times for 49 yards. | Why he appeared, whether Colson was injured, or whether Moore would start in a later game. |
| UTEP’s live 2026 roster, accessed October 4, 2026 | Colson, Moore, Bodey Weaver, Chad Warner and Braesen Leon are listed at quarterback. Joe Pappalardo is listed as co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks. | A current game-week order or who would enter in a particular situation. |
| Dave Campbell’s Texas Football spring preview, April 30, 2026 | Its spring reporting said Moore appeared to be the backup, with Warner and Weaver in the mix. | An official, current game-week depth chart. It is a spring projection, not a substitute for later team reporting. |
UTEP’s 2026 football roster is useful for confirming who is listed at the position, but a roster is not a depth chart. The team’s September 3 season preview also described the opening-starter changes across seasons: Skyler Locklear received the 2024 opening nod, Malachi Nelson the 2025 call, and Colson was the 2026 newcomer under center. That is a record of season-opening choices, not evidence of injury replacements. UTEP’s September 3 preview
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What happens if a starting quarterback is injured?
The available public reporting supports a limited answer: UTEP named a starter, later described Moore as the backup, and reported his game action. It does not publish a case-specific account of an injury trigger, who would make a particular substitution, or whether a starter had been medically evaluated or cleared. A listed backup may be the next football option, but that alone cannot establish that the starter is injured or cleared to return.
UTEP’s Sports Medicine page describes the department’s general remit. It says certified athletic trainers serve as primary caregivers for student-athletes and describes coordination with team physicians around prevention, recognition, evaluation and assessment, emergency care, treatment, rehabilitation and reconditioning. The page states that the aim is to return injured athletes to sport “as quickly and safely as possible.” This is UTEP’s published general description, dated June 7, 2017—not a current, step-by-step quarterback protocol or a public record of any individual decision. UTEP Sports Medicine
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Can public reporting establish a recovery timeline?
No recovery estimate for Colson can be drawn from the sources cited here because they do not establish that he is injured or identify an injury. UTEP reporting reviewed here does not provide a statistic for quarterback injury incidence, average recovery time or injury-related replacement outcomes. Recovery depends on the individual’s condition and medical assessment; a depth-chart listing or another player’s experience cannot supply that missing information.
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One UTEP recovery story is not a quarterback forecast
UTEP’s September 26, 2026 feature described wide receiver Kam Thomas’s separate experience: he sustained a season-ending injury one game into 2025, worked for months, faced slower-than-hoped progress and self-doubt, and played again in 2026. Thomas said, “This past year has been hard mentally, especially dealing with the injury.” That is one player’s account, not a medical statement or a basis for predicting Colson’s status or timeline. UTEP’s feature on Kam Thomas
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