Vigilant healthy, ready to play
UNM running back granted medical hardship waiver
He much prefers to be called “Daedae,” and virtually everyone does. But Daevon Vigilant will answer to his given name, he says, “for business.”
By any name, though, Vigilant is thrilled to be back in business — with a year of his college football career restored.
Vigilant, a prolific running back at Downey (Calif.). High School, signed a letter of intent with the University of New Mexico in February 2016. Because of back-to-back season-ending injuries, a torn ACL suffered in August of that year and a broken finger sustained in the 2017 season opener, his college career rushing totals consist of four carries for 3 yards.
Now, once again a redshirt freshman thanks to the NCAA’s approval of a medical hardship waiver, he’s eager to flash the talents that enabled him to rush for more than 3,000 yards
with an 8.2 average yards per carry in two seasons at Downey.
“It’s tremendous,” he said of the waiver after a UNM springpractice session this week. “... (September) can’t come fast enough. I’m ready. I’m just locked in.”
Adding to Vigilant’s excitement is the spread scheme being installed by Calvin Magee, UNM’s new offensive coordinator. He believes it’s a better fit for his talents than the tripleoption scheme the Lobos have run for the past six seasons, and familiar because it’s similar to the system in which he played at Downey.
“The (running backs), we’re learning,” he said. “We have to get out of the triple option into a new offense. But for me, being out two years, it was easier to me to get into it because I still remember my high school stuff, and that was really the last time I played.”
If this spring represents a new beginning for Vigilant, it does for Magee as well.
Magee is the running backs coach as well as the offensive coordinator. With senior Tyrone Owens (1,867 yards rushing the past two seasons) not participating in spring drills due to academic concerns, Magee doesn’t have much to go on.
Returnees Vigilant, sophomore Kentrail Moran and senior Zahneer Shuler have a combined career rushing total of 36 yards on 20 carries.
Joining the group is junior college transfer Ahmari Davis, who rushed for 1,369 yards and averaged 6.9 yards per carry last fall at Laney College in Oakland, Calif.
What Magee has seen thus far, though, he likes.
“I’m actually excited, because they’re big-eyed and eager right now to learn what we’re doing,” he said.
“Daedae looks to be full speed, and I’m very pleased with how he’s picking it up and with some of the things he brings to the table. Ahmari Davis has looked very good. I’m excited about the things he can do.
“You can tell Kentrail and Zahneer have been around. They’re like the veterans of the group.”
Vigilant (5-foot-7, 182 pounds) is the smallest of the group, Shuler (6-1, 235) the biggest, with Moran (5-9, 196), Davis (5-10, 182) and Owens (5-9, 187) in between.
Come the fall, there likely will be enough carries to go around.
In Magee’s system, Arizona running back Kadeem Carey led the nation in rushing in 2012 and ranked second the following year while getting the bulk of the carries. But Magee said he’d prefer to have multiple running backs involved.
For now, at least, he isn’t typecasting.
“I’m not ready to start saying what (anyone’s) role might be,” he said. “... We’ve got time.”
For Vigilant, time passed all too slowly as he watched from the sideline the past two seasons.
“It’s been rough,” he said. “It was hard. I just had to get into my head that I’ve got to go slow, just work my way back into it and it’s all in God’s hands. You can’t rush anything.”
At times, yes, he felt like he couldn’t catch a break. “But it motivated me and made me a better person,” he said. “It made me see things clearer.
“It was a good learning point, so I can’t complain.”