Aug. 24, 2008
New Mexico football training camp is officially over with the conclusion of Saturday afternoon’s practice. The Lobos closed the door on the preseason with a two-hour full pads workout between the practice fields and the pristine natural grass surface of University Stadium. UNM broke camp with its starting lineup virtually solidified on both sides of the ball and special teams one week from its nationally televised season-opener versus TCU on Saturday at University Stadium.
The following is a brief overview of the New Mexico starters heading into the opening week of the season:
OFFENSE
Quarterback –
Junior Donovan Porterie is back with two years of experience and is the clear starter heading into Saturday’s opener against TCU. Redshirt freshman Brad Gruner is listed as the second string quarterback, but junior Victor James had a strong training camp. Both could be used as options if needed.
Running Backs –
UNM has two talented senior running backs that will carry the load this season. Rodney Ferguson has enjoyed perhaps the best offseason of his career and will be the clear starter, but Paul Baker has been excellent as well and will see ample time as a change-of-pace back this season. Senior Matt Quillen is the top fullback once again, but Quillen and sophomore Josh Fussell will be used in a variety of ways this fall.
Tight Ends –
Senior Chris Mark overcame a minor hamstring injury early in camp to regain his place as the starter, displaying strong blocking ability and hands. Fellow senior Mitch Straub got plenty of work when Mark was slowed and will be a solid No. 2.
Wide Receivers –
New Mexico finished training camp with three first-year starters at wide receiver. Speedy senior Jermaine McQueen continued his resurgence, following a breakout spring, while sure-handed sophomore Chris Hernandez also put together a tremendous training camp. Sophomore transfer Bryant Williams edged junior Roland Bruno to claim the third spot in the starting lineup, though Bruno will see plenty of time in the rotation.
Offensive Line –
The right side of the offensive line remained intact throughout training camp with junior transfer Joshua Taufalele manning the right guard spot and redshirt freshman Byron Bell set to be the first Lobo freshman in 14 years to start at tackle. Senior Sylvester Hatten had locked down the starting job at left tackle, but a concussion late in training camp limited his reps a bit. Fellow senior Matt Streid emerged as the top player at left guard, allowing talented junior Erik Cook to stay at his natural position of center. Streid slid over to tackle when Hatten was injured, which moved sophomore Mike Cannon back into the starting five. Hatten, however, appears to be fully healthy entering the final week of TCU practice giving the Lobos two seniors, two juniors and a redshirt freshman starting for The Hitmen.
DEFENSE
Defensive Line –
The Lobos will open the season with their biggest defensive line in years, led by third-year starter Wesley Beck at nose tackle. The 6-1, 285-pound Beck will be flanked by a pair of first-year starters at defensive end in senior Kevin Balogun (6-4, 281) on the left side and junior Kendall Briscoe (6-1, 285) on the right. Briscoe was one of the top performers up front during training camp after appearing in 23 games over the past two years. As usual, the defensive line will rotate several players off the bench, including veterans Jeremiah Lovato and Phillip Harrison, and newcomers Jaymar Latchison and DeAndre Davis.
Linebacker –
As expected, seniors Zach Arnett and Herbert Felder both turned in strong training camp performances and appear ready for a productive 2008 campaign. Redshirt freshman Terel Anyaibe held onto his starting job on the right side, but junior transfer Tray Hardaway came on late in camp to push for time. Sophomore Seth Johannemann and redshirt freshman Carmen Messina will spell Arnett and Felder on gameday.
Cornerback –
No surprises here as seniors DeAndre Wright and Glover Quin were outstanding during training camp, ensuring that the pair will start together for a third straight season. Sophomore Jerome Jenkins was strong as well and will resume his 2007 role as the first corner off the bench to spell Wright and Quin.
Safety –
The starting safeties remained unchanged as well with senior Blake Ligon and junior Frankie Solomon holding onto starting jobs at the wolf spots and juniors Clint McPeek and Ian Clark splitting the lobo safety duties. Junior Frankie Baca and redshirt freshman Bubba Forrest will be the first options off the bench at wolf safety, while senior Jake Bowe and true freshman Joe Harris could see significant time at lobo after excellent training camp performances.
SPECIALISTS
Kickers –
After a tight training camp battle, freshman James Aho edged fellow rookie Drew Zamora for the starting PAT/FG job. Aho, who walked on to the team during the spring, displayed a bit more consistency throughout August to win the job in his training camp debut. Zamora, however, flashed the strongest leg of the two and will open the fall as the starting kickoff man.
Punters –
Junior Adam Miller locked up his starting job midway through camp and turned heads with his booming kicks. If he can continue to improve his consistency, the 6-2, 235-pound Miller could emerge as a surprising force this fall. He will also serve as the PAT/FG holder.
Deep Snapper –
This is the only starting job that could change hands again during gameweek as true freshman walk-on Tim Lutz continues to compete with senior defensive back Jake Bowe for the job. Bowe was the starter for much of camp, but Lutz displayed the best consistency of the two and moved into the top spot during the final week.
Returners –
Ian Clark and DeAndre Wright finished camp as the top two punt returners, though Frankie Solomon will also be in the mix. Solomon, Glover Quin, Roland Bruno and Wright will be the top choices for kick returns.