Feb. 7, 2007
Quotes From Long’s signing day press conference
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – University of New Mexico head football coach Rocky Long has announced the signing of 25 student-athletes.
2007 NEW MEXICO FOOTBALL SIGNEES
| Transfers (9) | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Class | Hometown (Last School) |
| Jacob Bane* | LB | 6-1 | 230 | Jr-Tr | Rogers, Texas (Trinity Valley CC) |
| Tyler Boyett | OL | 6-5 | 285 | Jr-Tr | Greenville, Miss. (Mississippi Delta CC) |
| Trey Buckley* | TE | 6-4 | 231 | So-Tr | Long Beach, Calif. (El Camino College) |
| DeAndre Davis | TE | 6-2 | 245 | Jr-Tr | Meadville, Miss. (Copiah-Lincoln CC) |
| Sylvester Hatten* | OL | 6-3 | 331 | Jr-Tr | Quincy, Fla. (Dodge City CC) |
| Brandon Johnson* | S | 5-10 | 200 | Jr-Tr | Greenville, Miss. (Mississippi Delta College) |
| Aaron Lenard* | CB | 5-11 | 175 | So-Tr | Midland, Texas (Cisco JC) |
| Tim Merrill | TE | 6-5 | 270 | So-Tr | Anaheim, Calif. (Fullerton College) |
| Josh Waller* | OL | 6-5 | 275 | So-Tr | Louisville, Ky. (Coffeyville CC) |
| High School (16) | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Class | Hometown (Last School) |
| Byron Bell | OL | 6-5 | 296 | Fr-HS | Greenville, Texas (Greenville HS) |
| Bubba Forrest | RB/S | 6-1 | 205 | Fr-HS | Carlsbad, N.M. (Carlsbad HS) |
| Brad Gruner | QB | 6-2 | 225 | Fr-HS | Chandler, Ariz. (Hamilton HS) |
| Justin Hickman | LB | 6-3 | 230 | Fr-HS | Chicago, Ill. (Hubbard HS) |
| Brett Kennedy | DL | 6-3 | 260 | Fr-HS | Albuquerque, N.M. (La Cueva HS) |
| Jaymar Latchison | DE | 6-3 | 240 | Fr-HS | New York, N.Y. (Long Beach (Calif.) Jordan HS) |
| Carmen Messina | LB | 6-2 | 210 | Fr-HS | Addison, Ill. (Addison Trail HS) |
| Mike Muniz | OL | 6-3 | 260 | Fr-HS | Albuquerque, N.M. (La Cueva HS) |
| C.J. Oakley | RB | 6-1 | 210 | Fr-HS | Alamogordo, N.M. (Alamogordo HS) |
| Blair Peterson* | QB | 6-4 | 210 | Fr-HS | San Antonio, Texas (Churchill HS) |
| Jonathan Rainey | LB | 6-2 | 210 | Fr-HS | Houston, Texas (Northbrook HS) |
| Michael Scarlett | WR | 6-2 | 170 | Fr-HS | Albuquerque, N.M. (Sandia HS) |
| Willie Watkins | OL | 6-3 | 298 | Fr-HS | Dallas, Texas (Cedar Hill HS) |
| Bryan Wightman | OL | 6-7 | 296 | Fr-HS | Mesa, Ariz. (Red Mountain HS) |
| Mica Williams | S | 6-2 | 195 | Fr-HS | Lakeland, Fla. (Lake Gibson HS) |
| James Wright | RB | 5-11 | 210 | Fr-HS | Dallas, Texas (South Oak Cliff HS) |
* already enrolled and attending UNM
RECRUITING CLASS BREAKDOWN
By State
Arizona: 2
California: 2
Florida: 2
Illinois: 2
Kentucky: 1
Mississippi: 3
New Mexico: 5
New York: 1
Texas: 7
By Position
Offensive Line: 7
Defensive Back: 4
Linebacker: 4
Running Back: 3
Tight End: 3
Defensive Line: 2
Quarterback: 2
Receiver: 1
COMMENTS FROM UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HEAD COACH Rocky Long
(overall thoughts) — “We signed the junior college guys to fill holes; positions where we need help immediately. If they fill the holes well then we should have a pretty good football team in the fall. When you compare this year’s freshman class to some that we have had in the past, then it might be one of the best classes we’ve ever signed. We’ve got size and speed and some very good skill guys. No one will really know that for a few years, but we really think we did well with the freshmen. The junior college players have to prove it right now to see if we have a good class.”
(on signing seven offensive linemen) — “We were a little short on offensive linemen for a lot of reasons, plus we lost two starters from last year’s team. As for the three junior college linemen we signed, we’re trying to find starters for the guys we lost, or at least solid depth. We like to have 15 or 16 offensive linemen in the program and we had to sign that many to build up our numbers.”
(on signees from the state of New Mexico) — “We try to find as many as we can that can play Divison I football and those guys fit our needs. There are some real good skill players in that group and we’re counting on couple of the linemen to develop into really good football players.”