New Mexico Lobos College Football Preview 2026

New Mexico Quick Hits

• Head Coach: Jason Eck (2nd year at New Mexico, 9-4)
• Best Case / Worst Case: Win the Mountain West/Suffer a losing season
• Key Player: Jack Layne, QB Sr.
• 2025 Record: 9-4
• Biggest Question: Can the Lobos find the depth, kickers, and skill parts to win all the close games?

New Mexico Key 2025 Stats

• No. 1 run defense in the Mountain West (112.8 yards per game)
• UNM 3rd Quarter Scoring: 43, UNM 4th Quarter Scoring: 103
• Fumbles: New Mexico 17 (lost 13), Opponents 21 (lost 8)

- 2026 New Mexico Schedule Analysis

Offense

It’s not like the Lobos did anything that special.

Two years ago, Bronco Mendenhall ran a high-octane thrill show with current Utah star Devon Dampier at quarterback.

Last year’s Lobos were more controlled, partly because they had a defense that didn’t give up points by the truckload.

There were too many mistakes, the running game wasn’t nearly as dangerous as it was in 2024, and the passing attack was more serviceable than sensational. It’s a good, sound attack.

What’s Working

Jack Layne established himself as a solid passer and playmaker. He’s not explosive, and he doesn’t bring the power of James Laubstein, but he overcame a few too many turnovers with decent midrange throws.

As long as he’s hitting 65% of his passes, he’s fine. Oregon transfer Luke Moga is a nice pickup for the mix.

The offensive line should be a rock. It’s rare that a Group of Six conference team keeps most of its good linemen, but the Lobos did. Center Kaden Robnett is among the best in the Mountain West, and tackles Tyler Lawrence and Malik Aliane are veterans now.

Scottre Humphrey. The former superstar at Montana State got in a little work last season, but he was banged up for a stretch. He’s a good enough back to be the workhorse, and he’ll get his chances.

What Needs Work

The receiving corps needs more stars. Just about every key pass catcher is gone, starting with All-Mountain West tight end Dorian Thomas to Cal.

FUMBLES - they have to stop. Only Old Dominion lost more fumbles than New Mexico, giving away 14 instead of 13. Fortunately, the Lobos won the big lost fumble games - going 4-0 when giving away a total of ten - but they got away with it.

Run the ball really, really well, or else. This isn’t going to be a high-powered passing team, so there’s a problem when the Lobos don’t run well. They went 9-0 when running for more than 120 yards, 0-4 when they didn’t

Player to Watch

Kaden Robnett, C, Soph.
The former Idaho transfer is an undersized 6-2 and 296 pounds, but he turned in a massive first year for the Lobos as the all-star center and quarterback for the front. The rest of the line is terrific, but he’s the young guy everything works around.

Defense

How did New Mexico get so good so fast?

The 2024 Lobo defense was the fourth-worst in the nation, giving up 492 yards per game. Last year, it was 41st in college football, giving up 342 yards per outing.

The defense was No. 1 in the Mountain West against the run, the pass rush was outstanding, and there’s enough talent back to do it all again.

What’s Working

Jaxton Eck leads the linebacking corps. The coach’s son manned the inside and led the way with 129 stops and 6.5 tackles for loss.

He’s arguably the Mountain West’s best linebacker, Mercury Swaim is a strong tackler on the outside, and these two will get in on everything.

The pass rush will continue. The top pass rushers - Keyshawn James-Newby (Philadelphia Eagles) and Brett Karhu - are gone, but the style of defense doesn’t change.

There’s talent ready to step up on the outside, starting with Darren Agu and Elijah Brody.

The run defense dares teams to throw, and then the pass rush kicks in. Only four teams - Michigan, UCLA, San Diego State, and Utah State - managed more than 4.5 yards per carry.

What Needs Work

There’s not a whole lot coming in from the transfer portal. Edge rusher Jalen Charles from Memphis and linebacker Clay Martineau from Boise State were good signings, but there’s not a ton of help for the secondary.

The pass rush was hit-or-miss. There were plenty of sacks overall, and the defense found its groove late in the season. But against a mediocre San Jose State team, the pass rush disappeared, and the secondary got lit up.

Nine of the 36 sacks came against New Mexico State.

There’s not a ton of size on the inside. 325-pound Brian Booker is an all-star on the nose, and Jalen McIver is 281 pounds, but these two have to hold up.

Player to Watch

Jaxton Eck, LB Sr.
The 6-1, 224-pounder came in from Idaho to play for his dad, and he turned into the Mountain West co-Defensive Player of the Year with 129 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 6.5 tackles for loss. He’s a guided missile and tone-setting star of the team.

Keys to the Season

New Mexico won’t be great in shootouts, and it will have a hard time making a big comeback if it gets down early, but it has to keep doing what it did last year, and it’s really, really basic - block, tackle, make a good play when it’s needed, repeat.

The starting 22 will be fine, but the depth has to be in place. As long as the team has the same hunger and fight of last season, it’ll be great.

Player Who Needs To Shine

Nick Romero, PK Soph. and/or Konner Olson, PK Soph.
Or Christian Mugula, or Grant Glasgow. New Mexico - as we speak - has four kickers on its roster, and one of them has to become an instant star to replace Luke Drzewiecki.

All the former starting kicker did was hit 18-of-19 field goals, all 36 extra points, and turn out to be the difference in three wins. Which leads to …

Biggest Concern

Special teams, in general
Okay, so the lost fumbles are the biggest problem that has to be fixed, but the margin for error will be minor. The Lobos have to hit their field goals, and they have to win the field position battle.

Punter Daniel Hughes averaged 45.44 yards per punt, and now he’s at Florida State.

Biggest Game

at Hawaii, October 17
It’s too much to say that the trip to Honolulu is a make-or-break moment in the Mountain West, but it’s close.

This starts a run of three road games in four weeks, and four in six weeks. The two home games aren’t a breeze, either, against North Dakota State and UNLV.

Transfer Portal

There wasn’t a lot happening through the transfer portal. The Lobos are in better shape than most Group of Six programs.

Best Signing

Clay Martineau, LB (Boise State)
He was a special teamer and backup for the Broncos over his first two seasons, but he’s a nice young player who should fit into the Lobo linebacker rotation right away. He’ll shine when he gets a bigger shot.

Biggest Loss

Dorian Thomas, TE (Cal)
An interesting prospect who was a big deal get for Arizona a few years ago, and then came to New Mexico and was a 56-catch star. He’s now taking off to be a terrific weapon for QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele at Cal.

Other Names to Know

• Jalen Charles, EDGE (Memphis)
• Bear Tenney, TE (Sacramento State)
• Luke Moga, QB (Oregon)

CFN Season Prediction

The Lobos will come up with a little more magic - Jason Eck is just that good.

He’s still around, but he’s one more great season away from being one of the hottest coaches on the offseason carousel - cough … Wisconsin (Eck is a former Badger) - cough.

Even with a lighter Mountain West with so many good teams off to the Pac-12, it’ll be a fight to match the nine wins of last year.

It’ll be another winning season - that’s never a given at New Mexico - but every game will be a fight. The Lobos will be on the right side of most of those.

CFN Prediction: 8-4

New Mexico has an easier schedule than last year’s slate. It played Michigan and UCLA last year; this year, there’s just one Power Four date against Oklahoma.

Beat Central Michigan, and with Mercyhurst, at New Mexico State, and UTEP, getting a base of four wins shouldn’t be a problem. Something will have to go terribly wrong for the Lobos not to win at least four Mountain West games.

And, once again, few teams will look like they’re having more fun.