Position Breakdown: Safeties
This is the ninth in a series in which each position will get broken down prior to the start of the 2021 season.
Tuesday, August 17: Offensive Line
Wednesday, August 18: Quarterbacks
Thursday, August 19: Cornerbacks
Friday, August 20: Running Backs
Saturday, August 21: Linebackers
Monday, August 23: Receivers
Tuesday, August 24: Defensive Line
Wednesday, August 25: Tight Ends
Thursday, August 26: Safeties
Friday, August 27: Specialists
Starters Returning (3): Patrick Peek (5 starts), Jerrick Reed (4 starts), Tavian Combs (7 starts)
Starters Lost (0): None
Other Returning Letterwinners (3): Shaddrick Lowery (2 starts), Antonio Hunt (1 start), Nic Wilson (1 start), Quinn Potts
Other Letterwinners Lost (0): Nico Bolden, Letayveon Beaton
Redshirts (1): Mathias Bertram
Incoming Transfers (0): None
Incoming Freshmen (4): Xavier Hailey, Damon Gentry, Ronald Wilson
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — When fans and folks talk about UNM’s safeties, the conversation usually starts with Jerrick Reed II. Why wouldn’t it? He’s a Jim Thorpe List member as one of the top 40 safeties in the nation, he was top 5 in the NCAA in interceptions last season and he is one of UNM’s best assets on the field and in the media, regularly handling out great quotes and interviews like Oreos at Camp Northstar in 1980.
But that’s only where the conversation starts, because it sure doesn’t end there. UNM has a fantastic situation with three starting safeties all returning and two other part-time starters back as well. It adds up to a very experienced position group for the Lobos and position coach David Howes.
Also with Reed is Patrick Peek and Tavian Combs. Peek is somehow still playing football after he played the first four games of 2019 and then was shutdown for a redshirt as a senior. He played last year and came back for a super senior season, giving him potentially 19 more college games to hone his craft (and pick up an extra degree). Combs held the Lobo spot all season as a true freshman, and is ready to take the next step. Shaddrick Lowery started a pair of games in 2020, and both Antonio Hunt and Nic Wilson started games last year at corner and have transitioned nicely to safety.
As for the guys without a ton of experience? Mathias Bertram is a name folks around Albuquerque should be familiar with. The brother of lineman Ben Bertram, Mathias has been a quick study and is in the backup slot at Lobo is the lone redshirt in the position group. Three true freshmen are also looking to break into the lineup, and the leader of that group might be Ronald Wilson, who can play both the safety and Lobo positions, making him a versatile cog in the defensive machine.
Damon Gentry and Xavier Hailey are also highly touted by the coaching staff who feel they got three signing day steals with the talented trio.
Tickets: Season-game tickets are still available via golobos.com/tickets, and fans can now get in on mini-plans as well. UNM is currently ahead of the 2019 season ticket totals.
There are two mini-plans for fans to get in on, the Cherry Plan and the Silver Plan. The Cherry Plan gets you a three-game set of the opener against Houston Baptist, New Mexico State and UNLV. The Silver Plan gets fans tickets for New Mexico State, Air Force and Utah State.
Single game tickets are available by clicking the game below:
9/2 Houston Baptist
9/11 New Mexico State
10/2 Air Force
10/16 Colorado State
11/6 UNLV
11/26 Utah State