Shay Smith was at one point considered the future of college football at UTEP. However, the redshirt sophomore quarterback recently decided to make a major position change to the other side of the ball.
He is going to be the hammer and not the nail!
Smith decided he was tired of getting hit and wanted to contribute so he is going to continue his college football career at linebacker. It will be his first time playing on defense in more than four years.
Who is Shay Smith?
Shay grew up in El Paso as the son of UTEP legend Paul Smith. His father played four years at running back for the Miners. He ran for 1,200 yards as a senior in 1999. That got him drafted into the NFL, where he spent eight years with the 49ers, Lions, Rams and Broncos.
Shay Smith followed in his father’s footsteps. The three-star quarterback prospect in the recruiting Class of 2024 received six scholarship offers. That list included Houston, Texas Tech, SMU, Texas State and North Texas. He ultimately committed to his dad’s alma mater.
There was a lot of excitement about what Smith could bring to a program that has had just four winning seasons since the turn of the millennium. Four years above .500 since 2000.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound signal-caller ran a 200-meter time of 23.47 seconds and long jumped 18-6.5 in high school. His athleticism was going to make the Miners fun again!
Despite all of the hype, Shay Smith did not win the starting quarterback job as a true freshman in 2024 or as a redshirt freshman in 2025. He only recorded a few snaps here and there, mostly out of the wildcat.
Smith completed six passes in two seasons with 19 carries for 20 total yards and two touchdowns.
But that was it!
Malachi Nelson and Skyler Locklear split time as the starter in 2025. Incarnate Word transfer EJ Colson is expected to start in 2026. That leaves Smith as the odd man out… again.
UTEP’s quarterback prodigy is moving to defense.
Even though Shay Smith was offered the chance to compete for the starting job as a redshirt sophomore, he and the staff decided to switch things up. His freakish athleticism and football IQ are way too impressive not to get him on the field for a team that finished at 2-10 last season.
UTEP needs its best ball players to play ball.
With that in mind, Smith is actively making the transition from offense to defense. He was tired of getting hit and wants to do the hitting.
“I just got tired of getting hit so I wanted to do the hitting.”
— Bea Martinez (@beamartinezabc7) March 30, 2026
Franklin graduate Shay Smith is making a big transition, moving from quarterback to linebacker for the upcoming season with UTEP. pic.twitter.com/pyOmtCTWsd
It was ultimately his decision to make the switch. Smith felt like he could give more to his team.
"I just felt like it would be good for me to switch and help this team out any way I can."
— Sam Guzman (@SamGuzmanTV) April 3, 2026
From QB to linebacker. Franklin High grad Shay Smith is making a position switch at #UTEP this spring, aiming to get on the field more and make an impact on defense in 2026.#PicksUp pic.twitter.com/Mnn2bAZYmC
His head coach told KTSM it has been a perfect fit so far.
“Talking with him and his family, the number one objective with Shay Smith was to find a way to get him on the field,” Scotty Walden said. “We know that he can run, hit, and he’s got that tenacity.”
People don’t understand just how fast and physical he really is.
UTEP's Shay Smith has made the switch from QB to Linebacker @KFOX14 #PicksUp
— Chas Messman (@ChasMessmanKFOX) March 31, 2026
Scotty Walden on the switch: "He's always had a defensive mindset. It's what I loved about him at quarterback"
Full story: https://t.co/tcM6Vv6InX pic.twitter.com/l5fwZ2nunD
His defensive coordinator agrees.
"He's an incredible player…I'm really excited for how he's developing at linebacker."
— Sam Guzman (@SamGuzmanTV) April 3, 2026
UTEP defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Kyle Beyer on Shay Smith making the transition from QB to LB.#PicksUp pic.twitter.com/XwO3oEGJ8l
Interesting enough, this exact same thing happened in high school!
Shay Smith got his first varsity experience at quarterback as a freshman but the starting job was not open as a sophomore so he played linebacker. The El Paso Franklin star recorded 77 tackles, three sacks and three forced fumbles. He now hopes to replicate that success at UTEP. Remember the name!