ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. --- The preseason honors keep rolling in for Jaxton Eck. The returning All-America linebacker has picked up two more preseason Watch List honors, as he was named to the Lombardi Award Watch List and the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List.
The Lombardi Award is presented to the nation’s top linemen and linebackers from across all FBS conferences and independents. Among the members of the watch list are offensive linemen, defensive linemen, and linebackers, and Eck is one of 12 linebackers on the list.
The Wuerffel Trophy is emblematic of community service and athletic excellence. The Lobos have a long history with the award, with Teton Saltes winning the Wuerffel Trophy in 2020, still the only Lobo to win a major postseason award. Saltes was a semifinalist the year before.
Garrett Adcock was a semifinalist in both 2015 and 2016 and a Wuerffel Finalist in 2016.
Eck was a First Team CSC Academic All-American in 2025 and a Third Team All-American after finishing 10th nationally in total tackles (129) and tackles per game (9.9). He has volunteered for all public service with the football team, and he has been a regular reader at UNMH Children's Hospital. Additionally, he manned a table and spoke on campus for the "Be A Match" program; he has volunteered with Nusenda Credit Union on various social projects; and he led the squad in feeding people experiencing homelessness at the 2025 Rate Bowl.
The honors bring Ecks' preseason award total to four, as earlier in August he was named to the AFCA Good Works Team Watch List and the Bronco Nagurski Award Watch List for the nation's best defensive player.
New Mexico opens the season with a pair of home games, hosting Central Michigan on FS1 at 8 pm on Saturday, September 5 before hosting Mercyhurst at 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 12.
Season tickets are still on sale, and single-game tickets and mini plans are now available as Lobo season ticket numbers continue to rise in advance of the season.
For fans who can't make it to the Mercyhurst game, it will be the first Lobo Football game to be broadcast exclusively on MW+.
MW+ is the Mountain West's new direct-to-consumer digital subscription platform, powered by Kiswe, a leading streaming technology and services company. The platform marks a significant step forward in the Conference’s digital evolution, delivering expanded access to live and on-demand content, while creating new opportunities for fan engagement and revenue generation for member institutions. Most of each subscription purchased through a member school’s dedicated page will directly support that institution, creating a scalable and sustainable revenue opportunity aligned with fan engagement.
Lobo fans can register for their MW+ accounts right here. By registering through that link, UNM will reap the subscription benefits.