Lobo DBs are a key story line
Davie is rebuilding unit after departure of top seniors
Eric Cuffee sat in the distance, away from the practice field Friday, watching his University of New Mexico football teammates train for the upcoming season.
He wants to play, but right now he can’t. The defensive back came to UNM with high expectations, but he is missing time because of an illness that caused his temperature to spike to 101 degrees Friday morning.
Yet, he was at practice during the final hour to watch his teammates.
Even with Cuffee out of action, the Lobos’ secondary is one of three intriguing story lines to watch this preseason camp.
Cuffee, a cornerback, came to UNM from Trinity Valley junior college in Texas. He began his
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college career with the Texas Longhorns. He was a highly regarded prep star out of Waco.
When he returns, he will add to a talented, yet inexperienced group of defensive backs.
UNM coach Bob Davie said the defensive backs and running backs are among the “wild cards,” in which the competition for playing time is wide open.
During the program’s annual women’s football clinic two weeks ago, Davie introduced senior De’John Rogers as the Lobos’ starting cornerback. Rogers enters, perhaps, with the most experience as he made contributions last year. However, he was also part of a group that struggled against the deep pass.
That group lost some solid seniors who played their final year of eligibility, including D’Angelo Ross, who is in the New England Patriots’ training camp as an undrafted rookie free agent, and standout safety Marcus Hayes, a second-team All-Mountain West Conference selection who transferred to Kansas State.
Junior safety Brandon Burton, a UCLA transfer who sat out last year, made his presence known during Friday’s practice when he intercepted a deep pass.
Safety Johnny Hernandez adds grit. He’s a senior who earned a scholarship last season after transferring in from Saddleback Junior College in Mission Viejo, Calif.
The list of defensive backs in contention goes on and on, which is a great reason for fans to watch the practices, Davie said.
RUNNING BACK BY COMMITTEE: It doesn’t seem that long ago when the Lobos led the nation in rushing yards per game. Yet, that was when UNM used the tripleoption. Now, in its second year in a spread-based offense, the Lobos are hoping and wanting to have a productive running game.
Davie referred to the UNM running back position as a snapshot of the team during Tuesday’s press conference. Similar to the secondary, UNM will depend on a talented but inexperienced group.
The Lobos’ top returning runners (according to statistics) are Ahmari Davis and Daevon Vigilant, who both ran for 185 yards last season.
It would be a surprise to see the Lobos have one lead running back. Instead, a committee is the expected scenario.
Because of his speed, redshirt sophomore Bryson Carroll (5-6, 185 pounds) can be a playmaker. He made the switch from quarterback to running back.
“I just want to show that I’m the guy, the guy who can be the explosive back for this team,” Carroll said. “I want to show that I deserve to be playing.”
HART’S COMEBACK: Davie said he wants to wait until much later during preseason camp to have the team determine captains so that everyone can see what some of the expected leaders go through.
Count linebacker Alex Hart among those leaders. He actually was a captain last year. The senior, who saw his season end last September after a torn ACL in his right knee, returns and is inspiring teammates with his comeback story.
He was excited to be on the practice field Friday and he is determined to continue his rally when the Lobos go to full contact next week.
“I’m not holding myself back,” Hart said. “I think if I did that, I would be hurting myself. Obviously, I have to be smart. But it feels good. If I had that brace on, too, it feels like I’m a superhero out there. It feels just as good.”