Seven Lobos Named to Phil Steele's 2025 Preseason MW Team

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— A new season brings new excitement and accolades as seven New Mexico players were named to the Phil Steele’s 2025 Preseason Mountain West Team.

Entering head coach Jason Eck’s first year at the helm, UNM landed two on the first team in running back Scottre Humphrey and kick returner Abraham Williams, as well as two on the second team in wide receiver Keagan Johnson and linebacker Jaxton Eck. Keyshawn James-Newby earned third team preseason accolades for the defensive end spot and Israel Mukwiza and Tevin Shaw round out the Lobo contingency on the list at the fourth team offensive guard and offensive tackle positions, respectively.

Humphrey highlights a talented running back group and is coming off of a season in which he ran for 1,386 yards, gaining at least 100 yards in eight of the 12 regular season games, and his 6.96 yards per carry led the Big Sky and was third in the FCS. He doubled his touchdown production from his freshman to sophomore season with 16 touchdowns in 2024. The running back earned All-America honors and First Team All-Big Sky in his sophomore season.

From Salt Lake City, Utah, Williams earned a spot on the preseason list as a kick returner, showcasing his elusiveness throughout his collegiate career. Prior to being sidelined for most of the 2024 season due to injury, Williams returned four kickoffs for 89 yards at Idaho, which came on the heels of his redshirt junior season in which he finished fifth in the nation in kickoff returns with an average of 29.7 yards per return, compiling 535 yards on 18 returns for Weber State. During his time at Weber State, Williams tallied five 100-yard kickoff returns for a touchdown, four in 2022 and one in 2023. He earned multiple All-America honors, including six different All-America outlets in 2022.

A wide receiver who spent two seasons at Kansas State and two seasons at Iowa before joining the Lobos, Johnson played in 22 games in his stint with the Wildcats, recording 53 receptions for 586 yards and three touchdowns.  In the 2024 season, the Omaha, Nebraska native finished with four games of 50 yards or more with a season-high 76 yards on six receptions. During his freshman season at Iowa, Johnson hauled in 18 receptions for 352 yards and two touchdowns with a career-high 92 yards on two catches against Colorado State.

Eck enters his junior season after earning FCS All-America honors and First Team All-Big Sky honors in 2024 at Idaho. The linebacker recorded 134 tackles, 55 solo, for 3.5 tackles for loss and an interception last season. Of note, Eck recorded eight games of double-digit tackles, including in each of the final six games of the season and 14 tackles and a half-tackle for loss against No. 1 Oregon. Through his two seasons as a Vandal, Eck was credited with 171 tackles, 70 of which were solo, and 6.5 tackles for loss in 26 games.

James-Newby played in 13 games last season at Idaho, finishing with 65 tackles of which 36 were solo, and recorded 14.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, 13 quarterback hurries and a pass breakup. The Helena, Montana native earned First Team All-Big Sky and was an AFCA FCS All-American following the 2024 season. During his two seasons with the Vandals, he recorded 103 tackles, 48 being solo, as well as 21.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks, doubling both his number of tackles for loss and sacks between his freshman and sophomore seasons.

Mukwiza is coming off his redshirt senior season in which he didn’t allow a sack in nine offensive starts and earned First Team All-Southern Conference at Mercer. In addition, in his junior season, the Bronx, New York native started 13 games at left guard and allowed one sack and one quarterback hit in 390 snaps.

In his first season as a Lobo, Shaw played in two games at left tackle in the 2024 season before suffering a season-ending injury, and previously played in 10 games through his first two seasons of collegiate football at Houston.

The Lobos open the 2025 season and the Eck era on Saturday, Aug. 30 at 5:30 p.m. MT against Michigan on NBC with the home opener set for Saturday, Sept. 6 against Idaho State. Season tickets can be purchased at golobos.com/tickets.