Aaron Jenkins Named Preseason All-Mountain West

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —- UNM offensive guard Aaron Jenkins has been picking up plenty of preseason accolades for the Lobos, earning first team kudos from Athlon, Lindy’s and the Mountain West Wire.  Now he can add one more to the list.
 
Jenkins, UNM’s top returning lineman, was named Preseason All-Mountain West in a vote of league media members that was announced on Tuesday morning as the 2018 Mountain West Football Summit commenced in Las Vegas, Nevada.  The league released the preseason team along with the predicted order of finish.
 
Jenkins was the lone Lobo to make the list, but it was his second straight year making the league’s official preseason team.  Last year he was joined by running back Tyrone Owens and defensive end Garrett Hughes.
 
Jenkins has a shot at several longevity records for UNM in 2018.  Jenkins has played in 40 games in his career, counting two in 2014 when he earned a medical redshirt.  If he plays in 11 games this season, he will break the UNM record for games played with 51.  He also enters the season with 38 straight starts, which means he could set the UNM a consecutive starts record at 50 as well.
 
For the team, UNM was predicted last in the Mountain Division with 23 points, but the Lobos can look at that with some degree of confidence.  In each of the last two seasons, a team picked last in one of the two divisions has won it and made it to the championship game.  In 2016, Wyoming was picked last and advanced to the Mountain West Championship game, and then last year Fresno State was selected last in the West Division, and finished first, facing Boise State in the title game.