Through two coaches, three defensive coordinators and five years, Stephen Forester battled his way up through the UTEP linebacker depth chart, not so much waiting for his turn as forcing it to happen.
In retrospect, after finally winning a starting spot late last season and then taking a star turn, a reasonable question is why it took so long for his strengths to be acknowledged.
At any rate, as UTEP enters the home stretch of fall camp, the fifth-year senior isn’t just a starter, he’s an anchor on the defense. Along with returning starting senior linebacker Jayson VanHook and a mix of newcomers and transfers, the linebacker group holds much of the hope and the key for defensive improvement.