New Mexico has 16 known signees, commitments

Recruiting sites do not seem impressed with the current haul

As signing day looms, how are the New Mexico Lobos faring in the football recruiting wars?

It depends on where you’re looking.

Monday, Rockford (Ill.) Lutheran High School defensive back Marcus Hayes announced via Twitter that he has committed to attend UNM.

Even with Hayes’ commitment, as of Monday evening, the Lobos had only 16 signees or known verbal commitments — the fewest at the same stage during coach Bob Davie’s tenure — toward the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision annual maximum of 25.

With signed letters of intent scheduled to start flowing onto the fax machines Wednesday morning, New Mexico has commitments from just five high school seniors and two juniorcollege spring graduates.

And at least one of the 16 is in jeopardy. Junior college offensive lineman Larry Joubert signed with UNM as a mid-year transfer but apparently did not graduate in December from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M — rendering null and void his national letter of intent. Joubert visited Oklahoma State over the weekend and on Monday was waiting to see if the Cowboys had a scholarship for him.

Yet, if one looks at horses in the barn, the Lobos lead the Mountain West Conference. Even without Joubert, UNM has seven mid-year junior college transfers enrolled for the spring semester.

Cleveland wide receiver Marcus Williams, who signed with UNM last year but didn’t enroll until last month, makes eight new players who are eligible to participate in spring practice.

Whether reacting to quality or mere quantity, the national recruiting websites aren’t impressed with the Lobos’ haul thus far.

Scout, espn.com and 247Sports all rank UNM 12th and last in the Mountain West. Rivals/ Yahoo has the Lobos 11th, just ahead of Nevada.

Only five of UNM’s signees or commitments rate as many as three of a possible five stars by any of those sites.

Quarterback Cameron Burston of Contra Costa College in San Pablo, Calif., gets three stars from all four. Defensive back Willie Hobdy of Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College was awarded three by Scout and 247. Hayes gets three stars from Rivals and Scout.

Linebacker Jordan Flack of Moorpark (Calif.) College got three stars from Scout. Offensive lineman Dylan Weaver of Piedra Vista High School in Farmington got three from Rivals and ESPN.

Davie is on record as having no interest in or respect for the online star system, and with good reason.

Quarterback Lamar Jordan and running backs Teriyon Gipson and Tyrone Owens combined for 3,759 yards from scrimmage for the Lobos last season. All were two-star recruits, according to Scout, coming out of high school.

The same goes for linebacker Dakota Cox, who led the team in tackles all four seasons of his eligibility at New Mexico.

Meanwhile, UNM has lost a few battles. One coveted player, three-star wide receiver Damon Cole from El Cerrito (Calif.) High School, committed to Boise State on Monday.

But plenty of uncommitted prospects are still out there.

Kaymen Cureton, a three-star dual-threat quarterback from Leuzinger High School in Lawndale, Calif., told Scout last week he would decide between New Mexico and Nevada. On Sunday, Cureton posted on Twitter that he will announce his decision Wednesday.

There is, of course, no rule that says UNM has to sign 25 players by then.

Cornerback/kick returner Elijah Lilly, who didn’t rate a single star from Scout coming out of Cajon High School in San Bernardino, didn’t sign with the Lobos last year until July, just before the start of fall camp.

The only one of UNM’s 13 true freshman who did not redshirt, Lilly returned a kickoff for a touchdown last fall and averaged 27 yards per return.

And, regarding those known commitments, known is the operative word. Davie and his staff are better than most at keeping recruiting targets under wraps until signing day.

Hayes, the latest to commit, made 85 tackles and had five interceptions for Rockford Lutheran last fall. As a wide receiver, he caughgt 12 passes for 154 yards.

Hayes originally committed to Western Michigan, but withdrew that commitment after Broncos coach P.J. Fleck took the job at Minnesota.