Lobo football wraps up fruitful April with 3 more recruits
Gonzales lands one for ’20, two for ’21
April was a challenging month everywhere, including the sports world, dealing with financial losses, stay-at-home orders and several other restrictions stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.
Yet, when it comes to college football recruiting, first-year University of New Mexico coach Danny Gonzales and his staff had a highly productive month.
The Lobos landed two commitments for the 2021 class, and one signee for the upcoming season on Thursday.
Ronald Wilson, a defensive back from North Crawley High School in Fort Worth, and Jacob Trussell, a tight end from Georgetown High in Texas, announced their 2021 commitments to UNM via Twitter.
Wilson, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound safety, also had offers from Kansas and Illinois State. He was named second-team all-district, and selected second-team defense by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram after recording 98 tackles, intercepting seven passes and forcing six fumbles last season.
Wilson said he senses the Lobos have a “family-based program.”
“I got the feeling of this is home,” he said in a text message. “Every question I asked (offensive line coach Jason Lenzmeier) and (safeties coach David Howes) it was the answer I was looking for in the school I want to attend.”
Commitments aren’t binding and college coaches can’t comment on the recruits.
Trussell, 6-6, 215 pounds, excelled in three sports at Georgetown, including basketball and track and field, as a high jumper and sprinter. He had another offer from Missouri State.
“(Offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Derek Warehime) seems like he has a good staff of guys on the offensive side of the ball, and it looks like he’s doing a good scheme on offense with his tight ends and he uses them really well,” Trussell said in a phone interview. “I feel like that will be a good fit for me to be able to go to the next level.”
Warehime worked as a tight ends coach at University of Texas before coming to UNM.
Wilson and Trussell made it eight commitments for the Lobos’ 2021 class. Others are Cleveland wide receiver Luke Wysong (5-10, 170 pounds) and five offensive linemen: Goddard’s Larry Luna (6-5, 260); Joshua Atkins (6-4, 280) and Dayton Robinson (6-5, 280) of Arlington, Texas; Isaiah Sillemon (6-3, 285, Lancaster, Texas) and Sebastian Sias (6-3, 275, Butte Col
lege in Oroville, California).
As for the 2020 season, Jake Saltonstall, a defensive end who was named a junior college All-American in his one season at Foothill Community College in Los Altos Hills, California, signed with the Lobos, UNM announced Thursday.
Saltonstall, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound native of Morgan Hill, California, recorded 52 tackles with 18 losses and nine sacks. He also blocked two kicks, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and had one pass breakup during his team’s 10-1 campaign.
After the Lobos signed 24 players Feb. 5, they were left with three scholarships available. They now have one. Kyler Drake, a 6-4, 230-pound linebacker from Carter High in Rialto, California, signed last week.