- LOCATION: Albuquerque, New Mexico (population 564,559)
- CONFERENCE: Mountain West
- 2023 RECORD: 4-8, 2-6 in MW
- 2024 PREDICTION: 12th
- HEAD COACH: Bronco Mendenhall, 1st season
- BYU, 2005-15 (99-43)
- Virginia, 2016-21 (36-38)
- New Mexico, 2024-present
- STADIUM: Turner & Margaret Branch Field @ University Stadium (opened 1960, capacity 39,224)
2023 RESULTS
- L, 10-52 @ Texas A&M
- W, 56-10 vs Tennessee Tech (FCS)
- L, 17-27 vs New Mexico State
- W, 34-31 (OT) vs Massachusetts
- L, 26-32 @ Wyoming
- L, 24-52 vs San José State
- W, 42-21 vs Hawai’i
- L, 24-34 @ Nevada
- L, 14-56 vs UNLV
- L, 14-42 @ Boise State
- W, 25-17 @ Fresno State
- L, 41-44 (OT) vs Utah State
2024 SCHEDULE
- Aug. 24 vs Montana State (FCS)
- Aug. 31 @ Arizona
- Sept. 14 @ Auburn
- Sept. 21 vs Fresno State
- Sept. 28 @ New Mexico State
- Oct. 12 vs Air Force
- Oct. 19 @ Utah State
- Oct. 26 @ Colorado State
- Nov. 2 vs Wyoming
- Nov. 9 @ San Diego State
- Nov. 16 vs Washington State
- Nov. 30 @ Hawai’i
Bold indicates MW game.
Key Mtn. West game: Wyoming (Nov. 2nd)
The Lobos don’t have many winnable home games, so their matchup against the Cowboys and first-year head coach Jay Sawvel could be an opportunity to secure a rare conference win.
Key non-conference game: Washington State (Nov. 16th)
A competitive outing against what should be a bowl-eligible Wazzu team would go a long way in recruiting as Bronco Mendenhall and his staff rebuild the Lobo program.
2024 Recruiting Class – High School
- Sa’Kylee Woodard, OG (Canyon Del Oro HS – Tucson, Arizona)
- John Sierra, LB (Centennial HS – Las Cruces, New Mexico)
- Elijah Brody, QB (West Mesa HS – Albuquerque, New Mexico)
- D’Angelo Mayes, WR (Syracuse HS – Utah)
2024 Recruiting Class – Transfer Portal
- De’jon Benton, DT (USC/Pittsburg, California)
- Javen Jacobs, RB (Arizona State/Scottsdale, Arizona)
- Baraka Beckett, OG (Campbell/Los Angeles, California)1
- Eli Sanders, RB (Iowa State/Chandler, Arizona)
- Isaiah Jones, WR (Syracuse/Cocoa, Florida)2
- Antoineo Harris Jr., DE (Indiana State/Chicago, Illinois)3
- Shawn Miller, WR (Illinois/Scottsdale, Arizona)
- Noah Avinger, CB (San Diego State/Anaheim, California)
- James Bailey, OG (Texas A&M/Katy, Texas)
- Okiki Olorunfunmi, DE (Weber State/Clovis, California)4
- Richard Pearce, OG (East Carolina/Hueytown, Alabama)
- Sol-Jay Maiava, QB (BYU/Kahuku, Hawai’i)
- Moso Tuitele, LB (Cal/Aurora, Colorado)
- Devin Brandt, DT (Old Dominion/Muskogee, Oklahoma)5
- Jawaun Singletary, C (Grambling/Houston, Texas)6
- Wallace Unamba, OG (Florida Atlantic/Rowlett, Texas)7
- Elvin Harris, OT (Campbell/Hollywood, Florida)
- McKenzie Agnello, OT (Texas A&M-Commerce/Copperas Cove, Texas)
- Tirek Austin-Cave, LB (West Virginia/Camden, New Jersey)8
- Cameron Watts, CB (Texas Tech/Tulsa, Oklahoma)5
- Nigel Williams, S (Northwestern/Richmond, Virginia)
- Lajuan Owens, OT (Tulane/Keller, Texas)
- Naquari Rogers, RB (Campbell/Virginia Beach, Virginia)
- Randolph Kpai, LB (Nebraska/Sioux Falls, South Dakota)
- Ish Burdine, S (TCU/Slidell, Louisiana)9
- Jahvante Royal, CB (Pittsburgh/Ft. Lauderdale, Florida)
- Dominic Tatum, S (Utah State/Culver City, California)
- Tevin Shaw, OG (Houston/Manvel, Texas)
- Griffin Schureman, OG (Arizona State/Queen Creek, Arizona)
1originally signed with UCLA
2also played at El Camino College
3also played at Iowa Central CC
4also played at Reedley College
5also played at Northeast Oklahoma A&M
6also played at Stephen F. Austin & Navarro College
7also played at Kilgore College
8also played at Miami (FL)
9also played at Missouri
2024 Recruiting Class – Junior College Transfers
- Pierre Kemeni Jr., CB (Garden City CC/Milton, Ontario, Canada)1
- Malik Aliane, OG (New Mexico Military Institute/Rouens, France)
- Bobby Arnold III, CB (Dodge City CC/Salem, New Jersey)
1also played at Ohio & Texas State
Assistant Coaches
- Jason Beck, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks
- 1st year at UNM
- Played for Bronco Mendenhall at BYU (class of 2007)
- Coached QBs for Mendenhall at BYU (2013-15) & Virginia (2016-21)
- Spent the past two years at Syracuse
- Also coached QBs at FCS Weber State (2009-11)
- Nick Howell, defensive coordinator
- 1st year at UNM
- Coached under Mendenhall at BYU (2007-15) and Virginia (2016-21)
- Spent the past two years as DC/defensive backs coach at Vanderbilt
- Coached in the Utah high school ranks from 2002-06
- Shane Hunter, linebackers/special teams coordinator
- 1st year at UNM
- Played for Mendenhall at BYU (class of 2011)
- Worked for Mendenhall as a grad assistant from 2013-15 at BYU and as safeties/inside linebackers coach at UVA from 2016-21
- Was most recently co-defensive coordinator & safeties coach at FCS Utah Tech under coach Paul Peterson (2022-23)
- Idaho native who began his coaching career at Snow College, a two-year JUCO in central Utah
- Famika Anae, offensive line
- 1st year at UNM
- Son of Robert Anae, who worked with both Mendenhall, Beck & Howell at BYU & UVa
- Played for Mendenhall at BYU before suffering a career-ending injury
- Spent two years at BYU and two at UVa before coaching at FCS Utah Tech, Division II Texas A&M-Commerce and FCS Campbell
- Kirk Garner, running backs
- 1st year at UNM
- Baltimore native who played at UVA for Mendenhall (class of 2017) and later served as a grad assistant for the next three years
- Spent two years in a quality control role at Vanderbilt before serving as the RBs coach at FCS East Tennessee State in 2023
- Matt Johns, tight ends
- 1st year at UNM
- Played for Mendenhall at UVA (class of 2016) and served as a GA in 2018
- Spent the past six seasons in various positions at FCS William & Mary
- Charles Mack, safeties
- 1st year at UNM
- Spent 2019-22 at UVA in various roles, including as a GA and a regional scout
- Atlanta native who graduated from the University of Richmond (class of 2017)
- Previously coached safeties at FCS VMI (2023)
- Donte Wilkins, defensive line
- 1st year at UNM
- Played for Mendenhall at UVA (class of 2017)
- Was most recently at FCS Lafayette in the same role
- Began his coaching career as a strength & conditioning coach at UCLA (2017-18)
- Micah Simon, wide receivers
- 1st year at UNM
- Played at BYU (class of 2019)
- Worked with Jason Beck at Syracuse as an off-field analyst in 2022
- Spent 2023 coaching WRs at Northern Colorado under head coach Ed McCaffrey
- Jan Jorgensen, edge rushers
- 1st year at UNM
- Played for Mendenhall at BYU (class of 2009) and coached as a GA there from 2015-17)
- Spent 2022-23 as a defensive analyst in his 2nd stint at BYU under head coach Kalani Sitake
- Was a defensive coordinator at two different JUCOs: Orange Coast College in California (2018) and Snow College, Utah (2019-21)
- Native of Price, Utah who still holds many of BYU’s all-time sack records
THREE KEY PLAYERS
- QB Devon Dampier (Sophomore)
He’s still unpolished as a passer (54% completion rate), but Dampier played in nine games as a true freshman dual-threat last season. He passed for 525 yards and rushed for 328, scoring a combined 10 touchdowns. During spring practice, new coach Bronco Mendenhall said that Dampier had done enough to tentatively hold the starting job.
- WR Caleb Medford (Senior)
The TCU transfer added some outstanding athleticism to UNM’s receiving corps last season, snagging 30 passes and averaging 18.4 yards per grab with a pair of touchdowns.
- S Christian Ellis (Junior)
The Jacksonville product returned to UNM after initially entering the transfer portal. He’s the team’s leading returning tackler with 58 and also broke up four passes.
THREE KEY LOSSES
- RB JaCorey Croskey-Merritt (transferred to Ole Miss)
In his first season as a transfer from FCS Alabama State, Croskey-Merritt rushed for 17 TDs at UNM, ranking second on the all-time single-season list. After initially considering Arizona, he instead chose to transfer to Ole Miss.
- QB Dylan Hopkins (graduated)
An offense that desperately needed a shot in the arm got one with Hopkins, an experienced UAB grad transfer who made the Lobos’ offense competitive. He passed for 2,074 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions last year.
- S Jer’marius Lewis (transferred to UTSA)
Lewis played two seasons with the Lobos, recording 45 stops in 2023 and leading the team with three interceptions. He transferred to the UTSA Roadrunners after the previous staff was dismissed.
THREE KEY ADDITIONS
- RB Eli Sanders (Redshirt Junior)
The Iowa State transfer posted 703 rushing yards and 135 receiving yards in three seasons with the Cyclones and will arrive at UNM hoping to lead a young running back group.
- WR Shawn Miller (Redshirt Sophomore)
Miller was a receiver who was singled out by the new coaching staff as having a solid spring, taking advantage of a clean slate after struggling with injuries at Illinois. A three-star recruit who finished his prep career at the famous IMG Academy, Miller has Southwest roots (he grew up with Lobo QB Devon Dampier in Scottsdale, Arizona)
- LB Moso Tuitele (Redshirt Sophomore)
Tuitele is a raw athlete with high upside; a former three-star recruit out of Colorado, he signed with Cal, but never played and later switched from tight end to linebacker, a position where the Lobos are very shy on depth at the moment. He’s the nephew of former UNM offensive line coach Saga Tuitele (now at Arizona State).
2024 Preview – Offense
After years of being one of the nation’s worst offenses, the Lobos showed signs of life in 2023, finishing 44th nationally in total offense behind a strong running game, but head coach Danny Gonzales was still dismissed.
Bronco Mendenhall—a former UNM assistant prior to his national rise to fame as the head coach at BYU and Virginia—takes over, and he brought onboard longtime assistant Jason Beck to run the offense in Albuquerque. Beck was most recently the OC at Syracuse.
It’s expected to be a three-way race for the quarterback position, with a starter penciled in, although nothing is set in stone.
Sophomore Devon Dampier got his feet wet as a true freshman and showed promise—passing for 525 yards and six touchdowns and zero interceptions while rushing for 328 yards and four more scores.
Justin Holaday has some limited experience (three starts in 2022) and looked improved in the spring, while BYU grad transfer Sol-Jay Maiava is another intriguing addition. He has only one career start to his name, but ironically enough, it was an MVP performance in Albuquerque at the 2022 New Mexico Bowl, in which BYU defeated SMU. After being moved to running back the following spring, Maiava hit the portal and landed with UNM.
As of press time, Mendenhall had seen enough from Dampier to tentatively name him the starter in spring practice.
At running back, Jacory Croskey-Merritt led the Mountain West with 1,190 yards rushing and 17 total TDs, but he’s gone. Backup Andrew Henry (350 yards, 3 TDs) returned after originally entering the transfer portal, while Iowa State transfer Eli Sanders and Arizona State transfer Javen Jacobs joined the mix in the spring. If the spring game was any indication, it’ll likely be a by-committee approach.
“I want to be a part of a good team and I don’t want to go nowhere where it’s nonchalant and we just do what we want to do,” Henry said, while speaking positively about the new staff’s approach. “I wanted somewhere with discipline and standard.”
Veterans Caleb Medford and Luke Wysong lead a Lobo receiving corps that’s shy on depth and production. The duo combined for 37 catches, 661 yards and three scores last season, and Wysong is healthy again after being limited to four games. Illinois transfer Shawn Miller is an underrated talent from the recruiting class who could help out, and he had a great spring, according to coaches.
Syracuse transfer Isaiah Jones is a 6’4″ target if he’s healthy, which hasn’t been often. Slot receiver Ryan Davis had 21 catches last fall after transferring in from UAB. Nic Trujillo and Evan Wysong (Luke’s younger brother) are raw talents who might blossom under new position coach Micah Simon.
Similarly, the offensive line is mostly new faces and will be a blank slate for new OL coach Famika Anae. Isaiah Sillemon, Jer’Marques Bailey and Travis Gray have starting experience, while East Carolina transfer Richard Pearce and Florida Atlantic transfer Wallace Unamba both tip the scales at over 320 pounds.
Two of Anae’s players at Campbell came to Albuquerque with him: veteran guard Baraka Beckett and redshirt freshman tackle Elvin Harris. Don’t be shocked if the entire starting five is composed of transfers.
2024 Preview – Defense
The Lobos gave up 35 points per game and recorded a paltry 15 sacks and four interceptions as a team in 2023. Veteran BYU and UVa coordinator Nick Howell will tackle this reclamation project in 2023, reuniting with Mendenhall after two years at Vanderbilt. He has several returning starters, plus 13 new transfers.
Leading returning tackler Christian Ellis (59) returns at safety after flirting with the transfer portal, but the Lobos have major depth issues at linebacker. Senior Dimitri Johnson made 48 stops in his first season as a Lobo, and Mihalis Santorineos is a capable ‘backer who posted 20 tackles in his first season after transferring in from junior college. The two of them were high school teammates in Rohnert Park, California and Santorineos was born in Greece, moving to the US as a teen.
Elsewhere, the two-deep is precariously thin. Cal transfer Moso Tuitele has a 6’4″, 250-pound frame and was a three-star kid out of high school in Colorado, but the converted tight end is still raw. Jayden Wilson and Hunter Haemker have mostly special teams experience on their résumés. Look for more portal additions here.
Cornerback also looked thin in the offseason, but San Diego State transfer Noah Avinger (25 career appearances, eight starts) is a key addition through the portal and wowed his new teammates with his physicality in the spring. Tavian Combs is an experienced safety who has a clean bill of health this year and will set the tone alongside Ellis.
The Lobos need more out of a D-line that didn’t produce much in 2023. Veterans Kyler Drake and Gabriel Lopez return on the edges after combining for 10 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks last season. Weber State grad transfer Okiki Olorunfunmi signed in December, while USC transfer De’jon Benton and Old Dominion transfer Devin Brandt might be the unit’s most experienced players.
2024 Preview – Special Teams
New special teams coordinator Shane Hunter, most recently at Utah Tech, will have an experienced unit. He returns senior Luke Drzewiecki, who converted 10-of-14 field goals last season, and reliable punter Aaron Rodriguez.
Summary
Mendenhall returns to Albuquerque for the first time since he was an assistant coach there in 2002, where he’ll hope to resurrect a program that showed signs of life during the tail end of the Danny Gonzales era, but still remains mired in mediocrity. The Lobos haven’t made a bowl game since 2016, the longest streak in the Mountain West, and they lost numerous playmakers to the portal during the coaching change.
The new mantra surrounding Lobo football is #EarnedNotGiven, with players gradually learning the ropes of Mendenhall’s player-first, detail-oriented mentality that has served him well over the course of his career.
“‘Earned not given’ is everything,” says Mendenhall. “It’s the foundation to the development of a human being. I think it reflects gratitude. I think it reflects work.”
Mendenhall assembled a staff that’s familiar with him and they brought in a solid transfer class to plug immediate holes on a roster that was shredded by the portal, but lack of depth and experience is bound to hold UNM back in 2024—as could a schedule that includes Arizona, Auburn, Washington State and FCS powerhouse Montana State.
Letters from Las Cruces 