ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. --- A few years ago, the Lobos went the entire preseason of Fall Camp with two players being honored on a preseason list. The 2026 Lobos tied that on day one.
A pair of watch lists were announced at 10 a.m., and the Lobos had a player on both. Jaxton Eck, a fourth-year linebacker, was named to the Bronco Nagurski Preseason Watch List for Defensive Player of the Year, and Brian Booker, a fifth-year defensive lineman, was named to the Outland Trophy Watch List for the top interior lineman in the nation.
Eck is the first Lobo to be named to the preseason Nagurski list since 2010, when Carmen Messina was named to the list. He led the Lobos with 129 total tackles (65 solo), averaging 9.9 tackles per game, while adding 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and two pass breakups. His 129 tackles ranked 10th nationally, and he helped New Mexico finish 46th nationally in scoring defense (22.3 points allowed per game).
Eck was named the Mountain West's Defensive Preseason Player of the Year after being named the Co-Defensive Player of the Year last fall. Earlier in the preseason, he was also named a nominee for the Wuerffel Trophy, the nation's top award for community service and athletic excellence.
Booker, who was named to the preseason All-Mountain West team, is UNM's player named to the Outland Trophy Preseason Watch List since 2020, when offensive lineman Teton Saltes was named to the list before the COVID season. He gets the honor after anchoring a defensive front that helped New Mexico allow just 112.8 rushing yards per game, ranking among the top 40 rushing defenses in the FBS. The Lobos also held opponents to 3.4 yards per rushing attempt and finished the season 9-4 while earning the program's first bowl appearance since 2016
The Lobos open Fall Camp on Wednesday at 9 am on the South Practice Fields. The Lobos open the season with a pair of home games, facing Central Michigan on September 5 at 8 pm and against Mercyhurst on September 12 at 2 pm.