On NCAA Selection Sunday this past March, the UNM Lobos were left on the outside looking in.
They had 23 wins and built a NET ranking of 46 (out of 365 Division I teams). That ranking — derived by the NCAA from a formula attempting to place a value on every regular season game — is one that will be even harder for the Lobos to replicate this season due to a new-look Mountain West that lost several quality opponents in league play.
UNM went 2-7 in Quad 1 games last season (Quad 1 is considered the highest quality game) and 6-1 in Quad 2 games by Selection Sunday (Quad 2 is still good, but to a lesser degree than Quad 1).
Six of UNM's nine Quad 1 games were against teams formerly in the Mountain West and now in the Pac-12.
UNM did manage this season to schedule Pac-12 defectors Utah State and Boise State in the nonconference, and in league games against Nevada and Grand Canyon — home and on the road — project to be high quality games still.

#quad #quality #selection #mountain

As the Mountain West game between New Mexico and North Dakota State picked up steam on Saturday and Scottre Humphrey got his first carry for the Lobos, I thought:
That's another thing Montana State has done better than just about everyone else.
I don't know if any FCS team has been hit harder by the transfer portal through the years than the defending national champion Bobcats. But it certainly feels like the Cats absorb these losses better than most.
To date Montana State is 7-1, one win better than the 6-1 FBS Lobos who saw Humphrey — he rushed for 1,386 yards for the 2024 Bobcats and leads UNM with 453 this season — pick up 31 yards on 10 carries against the Bison. He scored a touchdown in the Lobos' 21-16 victory.
Earlier in the day the Bobcat tandem of Adam Jones and Jared White — the latter spelling Colson ***** , who was injured — tore off scoring runs of 27 and 57 yards in MSU's come-from-behind 38-33 win over Weber State.

#lobos #yards #humphrey

Three final thoughts from New Mexico's 21-10 comeback win Saturday at Hawaii:
1. Uncomfortable as it was, that might've been what the Lobos needed
All teams face adversity at some point, in some way. Sometimes it's self-inflicted. Sometimes it's due to circumstances out of their control.
In UNM's case, it was all of the above — and then some — against Hawaii.
To the latter category, the Lobos missed a pair of defensive starters in linebacker Jaxton Eck (shoulder) and cornerback Frankie Edwards III (concussion). Then, in the second quarter, backup quarterback James Laubstein came in for one snap, picked up 12 yards on a designed run up the middle and went down with an undisclosed injury.

#lobos #edwards

The Lobos will be howling soon.
UNM's men's and women's basketball teams will host a free-to-the-public Lobo Howl event in the Pit on Friday, Oct. 9.
The event has autograph signing opportunities, skills competitions and 3-point contests with both teams and the men's team also has a slam dunk contest, won last season by then true freshman and now returning sophomore point guard Uriah Tenette.
The 3-point contest last year was won by Kaia Foster, who is back for the women's Lobos roster, but has a broken left foot and will miss the beginning of the coming 2026-27 season. The Lobo men's player she beat in last year's final is also back: 2026 Mountain West Freshman of the Year Jake Hall.
More information on the Howl will be released by UNM in the coming weeks.

#howl

If Mercyhurst plans on upsetting the Lobos, it'll have to do so without a key starter.
Lakers starting quarterback Alex Gevaudan will not be available for Saturday's game against New Mexico, head coach Thomas Sydeski said Wednesday.
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound junior completed 31 of 52 passes for 359 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in losses to Youngstown State (43-10) and New Mexico State (51-14) this season. He was key in a competitive first half last week against the Aggies, passing for 147 yards before leaving with an undisclosed injury in the second quarter.
Without Gevaudan, Mercyhurst will play both junior Anthony Wolter and sophomore Tyler Tusai against UNM. Both saw time in the Lakers' loss to NMSU, Mercyhurst's first game against an FBS opponent in program history.
Neither Wolter or Tusai have started a collegiate game entering Saturday.

#mercyhurst #gevaudan #state #without

Nebraska 3-New Mexico 0: 25-12, 25-13, 25-15
Well that was a quick match to start out the Huskers' season at the Bob Devaney Center! Everyone was excited to be back in the Bob tonight to watch some Husker volleyball and they really kept it short and sweet for the fans tonight with a 3-0 sweep.
Former Husker Allie Sczech was on the call, for B1G+, tonight along with 2 others and they had said a couple times how New Mexico was getting into their rhythm after a win against their rival, New Mexico State, earlier this week. The Huskers kind of just squashed whatever confidence they had coming in by shutting them down.
We saw the same lineup we've been seeing since the first match so we should ******* ume this is the starting lineup that DBK is going with this year. Olivia Mauch got the libero jersey once again too. I wonder when, or if, we'll see Laney Choboy as the libero at all this season.
This is meant to be no shade whatsoever towards New Mexico, but the Huskers kind of made them look like a high school team. The first set especially was a hard one for the Lobos. New Mexico just didn't seem ready for what was to come.

#Huskers #season #first #libero

Reevaluate your ******* umptions about the Mountain West. Many thought the summer realignment would disband the league. Five established teams transferred to the Pacific, resulting in a conference with a stable core and several new members.
But after two weeks, led by head coach Jason Eck and his staff, who exerted their muscle in the first game of the year against Central Michigan, a new reality has taken shape, centered in Albuquerque with these Lobos.
After a dominant and impressive opening game in Albuquerque, the New Mexico Lobos have become the conference favorites.
With championship experience from Fargo and tough competition across the region, the new Mountain West has not only survived but looks to be a heck of a conference after all.
Stat Leaders: The Pulse of the Mountain West

#five #pacific

The Oklahoma Sooners have won 50 conference championships; however, the Sooners haven't won a conference **** le since 2020. That includes not winning the SEC, or even playing for an SEC **** le in the two years they've been in the league.
Oklahoma hopes to change that this season. It started with a strong 51-0 opening-game statement against the University of Texas at El Paso Miners. The Sooners still have the Michigan Wolverines and New Mexico Lobos before entering conference play. They start that journey by facing the back-to-back conference champion on the road, the Georgia Bulldogs. They then take on the Texas Longhorns in Dallas, who have dominated Oklahoma in three of the last four seasons.
After Oklahoma's strong showing against the Miners, its SEC championship odds have moved up. According to ESPN's Football Power Index, the Sooners have a 5% chance to win the conference **** le.
Oklahoma's 5% SEC championship probability may not seem high, but it ranks No. 6 in the SEC, and the most important part of the season is still ahead. Oklahoma comes in behind Texas, Georgia, LSU, Alabama, and Texas A&M.
Michigan will provide the first major test of whether the Sooners are as improved as they looked in the opener, while Georgia and Texas will offer Oklahoma two early opportunities to make a statement within the SEC.

#texas #title

Three takeaways from New Mexico's 38-7 season-opening win over Central Michigan on Saturday night at University Stadium:
1. It's worth keeping an open mind toward UNM's multi-quarterback offense
Full disclosure: I don't know if UNM's quarterback by committee approach will be what takes the Lobos to the next level.
For all the things that make sense about it — namely, it's hard to game plan for and gives UNM some insurance against injuries — we're hardwired to believe that great teams have one good quarterback that leads them to their loftiest goals. We're conditioned to crave the lone, heroic signal-caller who bounces back from big hits, makes bigger throws and keys game-winning drives in the final minutes. It's what we expect, and what we know.
It's awkward to imagine those big moments being spread out among two or three guys. And it's just as easy to dismiss the whole system as a gimmick offense — and who wins league ****** les with those?

#quarterback #central #saturday

New year, same expectations.
The UNM Lobos men's and women's cross country teams are each ranked No. 2 in the preseason USTFCCCA Coaches Poll that was released Tuesday.
VIEW MEN'S POLL | VIEW WOMEN'S POLL
While the women have been the preseason No. 1 before (2016 and 2018), and the men were also picked No. 2 in last year's preseason poll, this is the first time both men's and women's teams have had such lofty, Top 2 expectations entering the season at the same time.
The men's team did lose National Champion Habtom Samuel from last year's team, but finished as runners up at least year's championship and return most everyone else. The women finished fourth last year and have most of the roster back.

#year #women

Azariah Levells is back — and right on time, too.
A New Mexico district judge granted the Lobo cornerback's motion for an expedited temporary restraining order against the NCAA on Monday, allowing him to return to UNM for the time being.
While the fifth-year senior's restraining order is based only on preliminary findings, it made him eligible to rejoin UNM's roster ahead of Monday's cutoff date. Levells has since returned to practice and will be available to play Saturday in the Lobos' season opener against Central Michigan.
"The ordinary time required to notice and brief this motion would itself moot the relief sought and inflict the very harm (Levells) seeks to avoid," read the court order signed by Judge Beatrice Brickhouse of the 2nd Judicial District Court.
But unlike Brett Karhu — another Lobo granted a restraining order last week — Levells likely has more work to do. His motion was filed ex parte, meaning the NCAA has had no opportunity to respond.

#motion #lobo

Everything you need to know about New Mexico's season opener against Central Michigan:
Who: UNM (0-0) vs. CMU (0-0).
When and where: 8 p.m. Saturday at University Stadium, where the Lobos have won seven straight games dating back to Nov. 2024.
How to watch/listen: FS1 will carry UNM-CMU with Carlo Jimenez (play-by-play) and Petros Papadakis (analyst) on the call. Robert Portnoy (play-by-play), DonTrell Moore (analyst), Ned James (sideline) and J.J. Buck (pregame show) will broadcast the game via radio on the Lobo Radio Network (770 AM/96.3 FM).
Who's favored: UNM is listed as a 12.5-point favorite, per DraftKings. The over/under is set at 46.5 points.

#university

If you're an avid reader of Acme Packing Company, you know that I feel like the Green Bay Packers show their cards a bit when it comes to pre-draft visitors. Since 2022, when the Packers appeared to have changed their visit strategy from almost being used exclusively on undrafted free agent rookie recruiting to more of a mix of picks and free agent prospects, Green Bay has signed, traded for, drafted or claimed on waivers 36 players who were pre-draft visitors with the team.
Often, when these players become available (some of them never become available, because they were high draft picks who were picked before the Packers were on the clock), Green Bay ends up targeting them in some way or another. While players like Darian Kinnard, John FitzPatrick and Josh Whyle weren't originally picked by the Packers, they did find their way to Green Bay later in their careers.
So, when a pre-draft visitor becomes available, my radar always goes up, especially if it's the first time the Packers have had a shot at bringing them to Green Bay since draft weekend. That's the case right now with New York Giants running back Damon Bankston, who was waived by the team on Saturday.
Bankston took a pre-draft visit with the Packers this spring, but ended up signing with the Giants for $115,000 guaranteed, far more than Green Bay spent on their UDFA running back signing, Jaden Nixon — who was added to the offseason roster for $15,000 guaranteed.
The New Mexico product was an interesting sleeper prospect in the class of 2026, as he posted 635 rushing yards (5.6 yards per carry), five touchdowns on the ground and caught 31 ****** for 397 yards and three touchdowns (12.8 yards per reception, a very high number for backs) through the air in his one year of FBS football. The numbers don't exactly look incredible from a volume perspective, but he was very efficient in the 9-4 Lobos' running back by committee (and he led the team in yards from scrimmage).

#available #running

On the eve of the season, the Lobos brought in some extra help.
After being granted a fifth year of eligibility, Memphis transfer linebacker Jayden Flaker has joined New Mexico and began practice with the Lobos on Monday afternoon.
The 6-foot-2, 235-pound Scarborough, Maine native made 19 total tackles over the last two seasons with the Tigers. He started his college career at North Carolina Central University, where he led the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with 85 tackles as a sophomore in 2023.
Monday, head coach Jason Eck said Flaker will play as a Star (nickel, or fifth defensive back) in UNM's 4-2-5 base defense.
"He kind of gives us a bigger body at Star, which could be good against teams that want to run the ball — you know, Central Michigan, North Dakota State," he added. "You want to be more three linebackers than five (defensive backs) and things like that. He'll help on (special) teams as well."

#Monday #north

Eighty plays.
Fourteen drives.
All under the bright, shining lights only a mid-morning scrimmage in August could provide.
"Still not nearly as bright as a regular game," New Mexico head coach Jason Eck said Friday, "but brighter than a normal practice."
UNM held its first scrimmage of fall camp Saturday morning, the first opportunity for players to tackle without restrictions since the Lobos returned to practice last week.

#bright #august

Senior punter Daniel Hughes transferred from the New Mexico Lobos to play for Florida State in 2026. He's coming off a season in which he was an honorable mention All-Mountain West selection, which has landed him on the Ray Guy Award Preseason Watch List.
The Ray Guy Award is presented to the nation's top FBS punter. It was first given to Kevin Stemke of the Wisconsin Badgers in 2000. No FSU punter has ever won the honor, but Alex Mastromanno finished as the runner-up in 2023 and 2024.
Hughes had a very good season for New Mexico in 2025. He averaged 45.4 yards per punt on 41 attempts with 13 punts landing inside the 20-yard line. Hughes also booted 13 punts over 50 yards last season.
Florida State has a few other players that are on preseason watch lists. Wide receiver Duce Robinson is on the Maxwell and Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, and kicker Gabe Panikowski is on the Groza Award Watch List.
Contact/Follow us FSUWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida State news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Matthew on X StarConscience

#watch #punter #season

The "near future" still isn't very clear.
New Mexico head coach Jason Eck said Monday that quarterback Jack Layne still doesn't have a clear timeline to return from a nagging elbow injury.
The Lobos' fifth-year quarterback missed all of spring practice after undergoing offseason surgery to repair a torn tendon in his elbow. While Layne has been active in each of UNM's five practices, he has not been observed throwing with his right arm despite doing so earlier this summer.
Jack Layne still doesn't have a clear timeline to return, per Jason Eck.
"He's frustrated with it. Just trying to keep his head up." https://t.co/7LbTyFJSGl pic.twitter.com/nQUkJbDqK6

#layne #head

New Mexico closed its third practice of fall camp Friday, capping the Lobos' first week out under second-year head coach Jason Eck.
Here are two things I liked and one thing I didn't from the Lobos' first three days of practice:
Things to like
A promising youth movement at receiver
As the well-worn cliche goes, spring showers bring May flowers.

#Mexico #here

Kickoff times for New Mexico's homes games against Mercyhurst and UTEP have been released.
The Lobos will kick off against the Lakers (Sept. 12) and Miners (Oct. 3) at 2 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on MW+, the Mountain West's new subscription-based streaming service.
Start times for UNM's games at Hawaii (Oct. 17) and San Jose State (Oct. 31) have yet to be announced.
Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreiderabqjournal.com or via X at lenaweereider.
Lobo football 2027 schedule

#games #lobos #sept

Two Lobos landed on a pair of watch lists Tuesday.
New Mexico linebacker Jaxton Eck and defensive lineman Brian Booker were named to preseason watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Outland Trophy, respectively, the Football Writers **** ociation of America (FWAA) announced Tuesday.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is awarded annually to the national collegiate defensive player of the year.
The Outland Trophy is given to the best interior lineman – offense or defense – in college football.
Both are selected and presented in part by the FWAA.

#lists

One of southern New Mexico's best players intends to be a Lobo.
Las Cruces linebacker Denton Walter has committed to UNM, the Journal learned Tuesday.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound incoming senior is widely viewed as one of the most productive players in the state after tallying 360 total tackles (34 for a loss) and 12 sacks over the last two seasons. Offered by UNM on July 21, he chose the Lobos over Western New Mexico.
Walter's commitment was first reported by Couch Potato Sports. He would be the first Las Cruces player to join UNM since former Lobo safety Matthew Lashley did so in 2023.
Walter was named to the New Mexico High School Coaches' ***** ociation's All-State team after making 197 total tackles (20 for a loss) and seven sacks in 13 games last season with Las Cruces. As a sophomore, he made 163 total tackles (14 for a loss) and five sacks over 12 games.

#players

New Mexico opens fall camp on Wednesday, exactly one month before the Lobos start their second season under head coach Jason Eck. And perhaps no season in recent history has been subject to as much excitement and anticipation as the one ahead, after UNM finished a surprising 9-4 last year.
There are, however, a few questions amid the hype.
Here's five things I'd like to learn about UNM over the next month, from how its pass rush will look to whether a few veterans might be able to return:
1. Who will start at quarterback?
Last year, UNM held a quarterback competition between Jack Layne and James Laubstein, one that was a little closer than some might remember. But it always seemed that Layne had an upper hand — after all, he had played in this offense for three seasons at Idaho prior to arriving at UNM.

#might #wednesday

New Mexico State announced on Monday, Aug. 3 that Jaime Christian has been hired as the Aggies' new running back coach. Christian's addition comes just three days after former NM State running backs coach, general manager and ******* istant head coach David Cobb was fired for an unknown reason after being placed on administrative leave.
Christian began his coaching career in 2000 and has been an ******* istant coach or graduate ******* istant for six collegiate teams. He was most recently Oregon State's special teams coordinator from 2024-25 and New Mexico's special teams coordinator from 2020-23. He was also the Lobos' running backs coach in 2022.
Christian is familiar with Sanchez, having been UNLV's running backs coach during the first two seasons of Sanchez's tenure there from 2015-16. The Rebels rushed for 241.5 yards per game in 2016, which ranked 15th in the country and was UNLV's highest average since 1979.
Christian has spent some of this offseason with the Aggies in an ******* yst role, which has allowed for his quick transition to being the team's new running backs coach.
"We're excited to welcome Coach Christian to NM State," Sanchez said in a press release. "He is a proven coach with experience developing players and contributing to successful programs. I had the opportunity to have him on my staff at UNLV and I've seen the hard work and leadership he brings to a staff every day. His experience coaching running backs at multiple levels will be a great ******* et to our program as we get ready for the season."

#running

The Lobos' fall camp schedule is out.
New Mexico released dates and times for 13 practices over the next month, starting Wednesday at 9 a.m. on the practice fields adjacent to the Tow Diehm Athletic Facility.
Practices are open to the public at no charge. UNM is asking fans in attendance to not film practice and to sit in the stands when a session is in University Stadium.
The full schedule, with dates and times:
*

#practices #diehm

New Mexico offensive ****** yst Kiel McDonald is leaving to coach Texas State's running backs, head coach Jason Eck confirmed to the Journal on Thursday.
McDonald, 43, will coach the Bobcats' running backs after joining the Lobos' staff earlier this season as a volunteer offensive ****** istant. Prior to UNM, he served as the running backs coach at Southern Cal, Utah and the Los Angeles Chargers.
A former cornerback at Sacramento State and Idaho, McDonald played under Eck for one season with the Vandals in 2006. The latter served as Idaho's tight ends coach and run game coordinator at the time.
Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreiderabqjournal.com or via X at lenaweereider.

#coach #mcdonald #running

LAS VEGAS — For a defense as talented and deep as New Mexico's, one key question remains with fall camp less than two weeks away: After since-departed defensive linemen Keyshawn James-Newby and Brett Karhu terrorized opposing offenses to the tune of 16.5 sacks last season — nearly half of UNM's league-leading 36 — what Lobos can help replace that staggering level of production?
Last week, Brian Booker made one thing clear: He wants to be a big part of the answer.
Speaking at Mountain West Media Days, UNM's fifth-year interior defensive lineman said he's hoping to make more plays than last season while still serving as one of the Lobos' most effective run defenders.
A preseason All-Mountain West honoree, the 6-foot-3, 330-pound Booker made 19 total tackles and 1.5 sacks in a starting role last season after transferring to UNM from Texas Southern. But if the Mansfield, Texas native was more than adequate playing the run, Booker entered the offseason feeling he left a "lot of meat on the table."
"I could have had so much (more)," he said last Wednesday at Palms Casino Resort. "… I gave it all I could give, but sometimes it didn't pay off, you know what I'm saying? It's just a more personal thing for me — I left a lot of plays on the table, a lot of sacks, a lot of (tackles for loss), that kind of thing."

#sacks #lobos #west #defensive

LAS VEGAS — Hurt or not, Jack Layne isn’t making excuses after last season.
“Last year, I think we were good as an offense, but we can be better, and I think we will be better this year,” New Mexico’s fifth-year senior said last Wednesday at Mountain West Media Days. “And, you know, everyone’s dealing with injuries – it’s not just me. Everyone’s got something.”
By all indications, Layne shouldn’t be dealing with something soon.
After undergoing offseason surgery to repair a torn tendon in his elbow, Layne said his arm is “feeling good” entering what’s expected to be a four-player quarterback competition during fall camp.
The 6-foot-2, 209-pound former Idaho transfer tore his common flexor tendon last season during warmups ahead of a 35-10 win over UCLA, the Lobos’ fourth game of the season. But the injury went undiagnosed until Layne underwent a routine clean-up procedure in late December, with the significance of the tear surprising both him and his surgeon.

#think #better #dealing

From a Lobos great to a burgeoning Buffs star.
That's the path for our top women's college athlete from the Fort Collins area during the 2025-26 school year, as voted on by fans in the Coloradoan and Blue Federal Credit Union Summer Series poll.
Colorado soccer player and former Rocky Mountain standout Jace Holley took top honors after a sensational collegiate season on the pitch.
Holley was a first team All-Big 12 selection as a versatile forward for a strong CU squad.
The sophomore scored 12 goals, tied for third in the Big 12 during the fall 2025 campaign. She also added six ***** ists for 30 total points on the season, tied for fifth in CU women's soccer history in a single season.

It’s Monday, and we have made it to Mountain West Media Days week! Take a look at all our content coming out this week. As always, check out our original coverage and what we can find on the World Wide Web below.
Obviously, it’s too early for bowl projections, but Athlon released them to gear up for the season. The new FBS team NDSU is slated to compete in the Potato Bowl, while UNLV will be in the Armed Forces Bowl. Utah State competes in the Frisco Bowl and the New Mexico Bowl will see the Lobos and Washington State Cougars face off against one another. Hawaii is in the Hawaii Bowl and Fresno State is in the First Responder Bowl. Then, the Air Force is going to Arizona, and San Diego State will play in the new Poinsettia Bowl. If that all wasn’t enough, they place Boise State in the CFP,
College Football Network looks at the Aztecs in this preview post, as they aspire to win the Pac-12 this season. On offense, they are leaning on a heavy dose of the run game, and to great effect. Plus, they return their starting quarterback and top wide receivers, but the passing attack will need to find a way to be more effective, and the OL will need to take steps forward to help that. Over on defense, the strength is the interior defensive line and the veteran safeties in the back. They will need to replace most of the tacklers from last year and get better at stopping the run. CFN thinks that San Diego State will end up in the neighborhood of 7 wins, which is a bit disappointing after last year’s campaign.
The Aggies are seeing big jumps in their ticket sales, with their MBB already surpassing last year’s season ticket totals. They have also seen an increase in donations and corporate sponsorships, meaning the money is coming in at an all-time high for Utah State athletics. In the past fiscal year, they’ve actually increased their reported revenue from $55.8 to $75.4 million, and that 35.3% growth is the third-highest increase in the Pac-12. However, that doesn’t mean they are a major financial player in the conference, according to their AD. But they are keeping up, which is important.
Today: A new Recruiting Roundup featuring July Mountain West Recruiting Rankings.

This post is brought to you by FanDuel, proud partner of SBNation.
Apologies, as we were limited to one question this week; otherwise, we would have asked about the Mountain West and Pac-12 separately. That being said, about half of the voters believe that the Broncos are the best bet to get to nine wins or more in 2026. That's how many they got last year, for the record. About a quarter of fans gave the Lobos a chance to get to 9 wins as well, with the Rebels, Aztecs, and Bulldogs also getting votes, It's likely a few teams will reach that mark and we will see who gets there this year.