ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. --- Jaxton Eck, who was the Mountain West Co-Defensive Player of the Year, took home the top award as the Bill Brannin Most Valuable Player to highlight a festive afternoon as the Lobo football team held its season awards banquet at the Albuquerque Sheraton Uptown.
At the banquet, the Lobos learned they had been selected to play in the Rate Bowl at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The game will see the Lobos face the Minnesota Gophers on Friday, December 26, at 2:30 pm.
Eck is the first defensive player to win the Brannin Award for UNM since Jerrick Reed II was honored after the 2022 season, and he is the first linebacker to win it since Carmen Messina in 2011. Overall, Eck is the sixth linebacker to win the award, which has been presented since 1957.
The top awards for offense, defense, and special teams were all split. On offense, the Reese Hill Award went to Keagan Johnson and Damon Bankston. Johnson was an Honorable Mention All-Mountain West pick as UNM’s leading receiver, and Bankston was a First Team pick as a kick returner. The Hill Award was one of three that Bankston picked up.
He and Luke Drzewiecki split the Special Teams Player of the Year Award. Bankston ranks second nationally in kickoff return average, and Drzewiecki, as a kicker, was nearly perfect. He is UNM’s leading scorer for the season and set the Lobo record for career points by a kicker. He trails only DonTrell Moore on the all-time scoring list at UNM.
On defense, a pair of linemen split the award. Keyshawn James-Newby, who leads the Mountain West in sacks, and Brett Karhu, who is just one sack behind, split the Colonel H.J. Golightly Award for top defensive player. James-Newby was a first-team All-Mountain West selection, and Karhu was an honorable mention.
Record-setting quarterback Jack Layne was the First Team Award for unselfish devotion to the team. Layne, who missed all of spring practice with an injury, served as a mentor and coach, working with all of UNM’s quarterbacks in the spring. He recovered from that injury and will set the single-game completion percentage record this season.
Malik Aliane won the Chuck Cummings Award for morale and spirit. A natural center, Aliane moved to tackle and has been a rock-steady presence on UNM’s offensive line all season. Austin Brawley won the inaugural Raleigh Gardenhire Award, UNM’s coaches' award. Brawley played just four games due to injury but was twice the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week.
Record-setting tight end Dorian Thomas was the Clyde Hill Award winner for most improved player. Thomas set a UNM record for tight ends with 53 catches, and he has ranked among the top four tight ends in the FBS in catches and yards all season long.
Other award winners were Mercury Swaim, a nuclear engineering major and a starting linebacker who was the Championship Behavior Scholar-Athlete Award, Damon Bankston for Fastest Man, and JoJo Matautia for the Steak & Potatoes Lifter of the Year.
Scout team awards went to Jake DeVos for offense, Keshawn Monroe for defense, and Kyle Cherry for special teams.
2025 Lobo Football Award Winners
Jaxton Eck - Bill Brannin Award (Most Valuable Player)
Jack Layne - First Team Award (Unselfish Devotion to the Team)
Malik Aliane - Chuck Cummings Award (Morale & Spirit)
Austin Brawley – Raleigh Gardenhire Award (Coaches Award)
Keagan Johnson & Damon Bankston - Reese Hill Award (Top Offensive Player)
Keyshawn James-Newby & Brett Karhu – Colonel H.J. Golightly (Top Defensive Player)
Damon Bankston & Luke Drzewiecki – Special Teams Player of the Year
Dorian Thomas – Clyde Hill Award (Most Improved Player)
Mercury Swaim – Championship Behavior Scholar-Athlete Award
Damon Bankston – Fastest Man Award
Jake DeVos – Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year
JoJo Matautia – Steak & Potatoes Lifter of the Year
Keshawn Monroe – Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year
Kyle Cherry – Special Teams Scout Team Player of the Year