Ross may corner a starting job
Transfer has shown reliability at a position that’s making Lobo coaches cultivate patience
When D’Angelo Ross graduated from high school in 2014, he had one offer to play college football — that from NCAA Division II Western New Mexico.
Meaning no offense to WNMU or to Silver City, a town he never visited, the La Puente, Calif., native believed he could do better. After spending a year as a walk-on at Fresno State — he never played for the Bulldogs — he played two years at Fullerton (Calif.) College.
There, during a sophomore season in which he had 45 tackles and six interceptions as a cornerback, he came to the attention of University of New Mexico assistant coach Scott Baumgartner.
Ross, listed at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, signed with UNM in December. He’ll be a junior in the fall.
“That was kind of funny, thinking about it,” he said, recalling his offer from WNMU, “that I still ended up in New Mexico.”
The Mustangs’ loss, UNM cornerbacks coach Al Simmons said after Friday’s spring-practice session, is definitely the Lobos’ gain.
“He just tries to do everything the way you present it — the technique, the alignment,” Simmons said of Ross’ progress. “He’s so attentive to detail . ... He’s totally locked in.
“I guess the magic word is discipline, to the techniques, to the eye control, to the assignment, whatever it is. He’s been a pleasure to have around.”
The Lobos’ defensive goal for the fall is to blitz as much as possible while playing straight-up, man-to-man coverage in the secondary.
Through 11 spring practices, head coach Bob Davie said, Ross has been the most reliable cornerback toward that goal.
Ross said UNM’s defensive scheme is essentially what he played at Fullerton: “Cover zero blitz. We’ve just got to make sure we get pressure and then cover long enough (to allow the rush to reach the quarterback).”
From the start, he said, he knew what he was getting into.
“I knew it was gonna be a lot (different), coming up a level,” he said. “It was gonna be a lot of install, a lot to learn, and then the speed (of the game).
“The first couple of weeks I got used to that, so now I’m able to play faster. I just need to get better learning the defense, and I’ll get more comfortable.”
During one recent practice, Ross made two interceptions within a couple of plays of each other. But, he said, he never thinks about making an interception. “That’s when big plays happen (for the offense),” he said. “You’ve got to let them come to you. You’ve got to be patient.”
Simmons has had to be patient with his cornerbacks. Of the three corners who started last season, two — Nias Martin and Isaiah Brown — have exhausted their eligibility. The third, 2017 senior Jadon Boatright, was moved to safety — though, after injuring a shoulder last week, he might return to cornerback in the fall.
Another corner with some experience, Marquez Mackey, is sitting out the spring while concentrating in academics. Willie Hobdy, like Ross a junior-college transfer, suffered a high-ankle sprain early in spring drills and probably is out for the duration. Elijah Lilly, who saw limited action at corner last season as a freshman, missed several practices with a groin injury but returned to the field Friday.
During Lilly’s absence, Ross, Cibola redshirt sophomore Blair Manly and redshirt freshman Corey Hightower were rotating in and out of the first-team defense.
The results, Davie said, have been inconclusive. Come the fall, will the Lobos be able to cover man-to-man behind the blitz?
But Ross’ performance has been encouraging. Hobdy had looked good before his injury. Boatright might be returning to cornerback. Manly and Hightower have had their moments. Another junior-college cornerback, Jalin Burrell of Moorpark (Calif.) College, is due to arrive this
summer.
For Ross, the answer is more repetition and more homework.
“The last couple of days out here, I’ve felt comfortable making plays and everything,” he said. “... I just need to make sure I lock in and study my play book and stay comfortable.”
SPRING SHOWCASE: The Lobos will wrap up spring practice on April 22 with the annual Spring Showcase scrimmage and kids’ clinic. Parking and admission is free.
Gates at the northwest corner of the stadium will open at 10:30 a.m.. After the scrimmage, players will run the kids through some of the same drills the players do during practices.
Concessions will be available, including some special items. The Lobos plan to practice Monday, Wednesday and Thursday next week leading up to the Showcase.
WEIR SPEAKS: New UNM men’s basketball coach Paul Weir spoke to the football team Friday in the football department classroom before the Lobos took the field for practice.
Afterward, Lobos quarterback Lamar Jordan tweeted: “ay Coach P, can @NewMexicoFB hoop in the Pit now? We always wanted ... never got the chance.”
Jordan’s tweet was favorited or retweeted by more than a dozen of his former or current teammates.