First Look At New Mexico’s Offense This Spring
First Look At New Mexico’s Offense This Spring
New coaches and a new quarterback
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Lobos looking for some juice
We checked in with the New Mexico Lobos spring practice in Albuquerque to see what this year’s Lobo football team was about.
Coach Danny Gonzales enters his fourth year as UNM Head Lobo coach 4th-year coach and has made dramatic changes in his staff for the up-and-coming season.
Talk about flipping a script for UNM Lobo football; this is what Danny Gonzales has done for this year’s squad in his player acquisition.
The Lobos signed 34 players, 12 transfers, 11 JUCO, and 11 high school players. This is a good balance for short-term production and long-term development.
Overall, the Lobos have picked up 18 new players on offense (eight receivers, four quarterbacks, two offensive linemen, two tight ends, and two running backs) and 11 on defense. (six safeties (some of whom can play corner), three linebackers, and two defensive linemen).
Danny Gonzales said getting players via the portal can help them instantly.
“Adding transfers from winning programs like TCU and UAB will benefit us, and having 23 new players enrolled and in school getting the benefit of spring practice will jump-start us for 2023,” he said. “We have already seen their work ethic in lifting, running and meetings, and I’m excited to get on the field with them.”
With the transfer portal here to stay with some adjustments by NCAA along the way, the days of developing mostly high school players and getting them bigger, faster and stronger to compete at the D1 Level are gone.
You can hardly blame coaches for getting players who are game ready but just not happy with their current role on another team and them being able to play right away (given their performance on the spring ball)
Gonzales fired his entire offensive coaching staff except for quarterbacks coach and former local Cleveland High School coach Heath Ridenhour.
On the offensive side, the Lobos hired Bryant Vincent to run the offense. Vincent was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at UAB for the past five seasons as Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks coach.
He led UAB to a 7-6 season and a win in the 2022 Bahamas Bowl. He has been a Division 1 offensive coordinator since 2014.
Considering how bad the Lobo offense was last season, this was a no-brainer, finishing 125th of 131 in FBS programs.
“I’m thrilled to have someone with the caliber and experience of Coach Vincent joining our staff,” said Gonzales. “To step into the interim role as head coach last year at UAB and lead the team to a win in the Bahamas Bowl is a credit to how well prepared he is and how well prepared his team at UAB was.”
The Blazers ranked in the top five in scoring offense within Conference USA in five of his six seasons with the program as the offensive coordinator. In his time with UAB, the offense broke over 20 school records.
So along with Coach Bryant’s hire, the Lobos acquired his starting Quarterback, Dylan Hopkins, for one year as Hopkins entered the transfer portal and followed Bryant to the land of enchantment.
Hopkins led the Blazers to a 17-9 record and the 2019 C-USA west division title as starting quarterback.
Appearing in 33 total games for UAB, Hopkins passed for 4,750 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions while adding 348 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground
So the Lobos get a very experienced quarterback who knows this offense very well and has the numbers to prove his worth as a potential starter.
Add to that the current quarterback Dustin Holiday and the Lobos added another big arm quarterback 6-4 QB 3 Star DC Tapscott from Appalachian State.
Tabscott, before committing to Mountaineers, got offers from Boston College, Kentucky, and Marshall. Like Dylan Hopkins, both have powerful throwing arms.
The Lobos have also returned Dustan Holiday and 3 Star Freshman Quarterback Devon Dampier from Saguaro high school in Scottsdale, Arizona. Both look very good in practice.
Dampier is a freaky quick fast, twitch quarterback who can throw the ball on the run, so there is no doubt that Coach Vincent is the most athletic quarterback.
In the fall, the Lobos also have one of the most talented Quarterbacks in years, just a few miles up the street from New Mexico, local La Cueva Aiden Armenta, with over 78 career TDs.
Armenta is among the most promising, poised, and talented QBs to commit to the Lobos in years. Having watched this kid play and doing his games on Proview Networks (play-by-play), he is legit D1 talent with a huge upside.
Along with Armenta from La Cueva, the Lobos have the brother to Luke Wysong, Evan Wysong who is another speedster and receiver Nic Trujillo.
Gonzales has made good on the promise to not allow the best football talent to get away and leave the state and offer them scholorhips to play for the Lobos.
The Lobos are deeper in many positions on the offensive side of the ball. The Quarterback position for UNM has not had this luxury for years.
Speaking of a room for talent, we can now look at the Lobos running back position that running backs coach Jamie Christian is pleased about.
Last year’s starting running back, Nate Jones, will not be with the Lobos this year as he decided to play football no longer; he led the Lobos last year in rushing with 544 yards on 118 attempts.
The Lobos returned last year’s running back Christian Washington, who had 310 yards on 73 attempts, followed by Sherod White, 142 yards on 40 attempts with three touchdowns.
The Lobos are loaded at the running back spot with Washington, White, and JC Dorian Lewis from local 6A powerhouse Cleveland high school, where he played for current QB coach Heath Ridenhour.
ULM Transfer Andrew Henry has looked outstanding in running the ball, and local Gatorade player of the year, Zach Vigil, is proving to be the best blocking running back for this offense.
The Lobos are not lacking for explosive backs this year with Washington, Henry, and Dorian Lewis.
With all these quality running backs, there will be enormous competition for playing time, as it should be to get the best production for the Lobos this year.
On the receiving side for the Lobos, they have added some speed burners in JUCO Alex Mureell and Duke Miller, who are solid pass route runners and player makers for the Lobos.
Monday Night Football comes to ABQ! Lobo Spring Game is set for March 6th at 6:00PM.
Visit the link below for more details:https://t.co/B6ywctv76L pic.twitter.com/jtMygdFIeK
— New Mexico Football (@UNMLoboFB) February 24, 2023
Receivers Jerimiah Hixon, Deuce Jones, and Caleb Medford will surely be big player-makers in this Bryant Vincent offense. All look very good in spring ball.
The Lobos return speedster Luke Wysong who should step up his game as he played early in his Lobo career, and local Mazano HS Andrew Erickson, who is a very dependable receiver when the Lobos need some three down short yards.
Also the Lobo have a speedy receiver in UAB transfer Ryan Davis has great hands in traffic and great blocker. He also knows this offense for Coach Bryant.
The Lobos offensive line has been pretty much J.C. Davis (left tackle), redshirt freshman Isaiah Sillemon (left guard), redshirt sophomore C.J. James (center), Shannco “Ise” Matautia (right guard), and Devon Smith (right tackle).
JC Smith has been filling in at correct tackle until the Lobos DJ Wingfield, who should return per Coach Gonzales by June after suffering a season-ending injury during warmups before last season’s opener against Maine.
This offensive line has looked night and day different from last year’s spring practice. There is no denying that Offensive Line Coach Cam Blankenship’s hire was excellent by Gonzales.
I know it’s early, and no real games have been played. Still, this offense looks dramatically different from last year’s, with big holes for running backs, long, speedy receivers who can go the distance for touchdowns, and running backs who are very, very hungry to score.
