The UTEP Miners now have last year’s starting quarterback back in the fold after a tumultuous offseason. Kai Locksley had been suspended since June after being arrested and charged with four offenses by El Paso County police, but the school made the decision to reinstate him just as practice for the upcoming season got underway.
UTEP lifts suspension to senior QB Kai Locksley, son of Maryland coach Mike Locksley, & reinstates him to UTEP football team
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 2, 2019
After it was announced that Kai Locksley had been reinstated, the school was quick to note that the quarterback was on a zero-tolerance policy. Additionally, the administration feels that the charges against Locksley will be reduced, and that also factored into the decision to reinstate him.
Athletic Director Jim Senter released a statement espousing this sentiment:
“While the legal process has not come to a complete conclusion, we believe that the final charges against Kai will not be as severe as what has been reported. Young people make mistakes and it is important that they learn from these mistakes. We believe in restorative justice and feel that Kai will benefit more in the long run by getting the necessary support and guidance from his coaches and teammates, rather than being dismissed from the team.”
It’s been a rough last two years in El Paso, and Locksley provides some optimism. UTEP went a combined 1-23 in 2017 and 2018 and second-year head coach Dana Dimel is hoping that Locksley will turn around the team’s fortunes.
https://twitter.com/PatrickKFOX14/status/1157431455594766336
Kai Locksley started eight games for the Miners in 2018, and he gave the offense some big play ability because of his athleticism. However, he is hoping to put up much better numbers than he did last year. Locksley completed just 49.1 percent of his passes and threw three times as many interceptions as he did touchdowns. He was the second-leading rusher on the team with 340 rushing yards.
UTEP will kick off its season four weeks from now against Houston Baptist on August 31.
H/T Stadium
