They come into 2017 looking to improve on a defense that ranked 117th in sacks last year, 120th in turnovers gained and 105th in scoring defense. The bar they are shooting at is rarely high.
They will look to fix that with secondary and middle linebacker units that are full of veterans, but with a defensive line that will have new starters at two of the three spots and with a linebacking corps that will begin the year mostly new on the outside.
All those newcomers at the pass rushing spots, however, are what have UTEP more optimistic in the second year of coordinator Tom Mason's defense.