Three observations from UNM football's first day of spring practice

UNM quarterback Jack Layne passes during a March 11 practice at University Stadium. After practicing that first day, Layne has since been sidelined with an elbow injury.

UNM offensive linemen Richard Pearce, left, and Elvin Harris participate in the team’s first spring practice Tuesday at University Stadium.

Sean Reider Sean Reider Sean Reider Journal Staff Writer

Published March 11, 2025 - 5:18 p.m. Modified March 11, 2025 - 9:47 p.m.

New Mexico opened spring practice on Tuesday morning, the first of 15 sessions under first-year head coach Jason Eck.

Three observations from the Lobos’ non-padded practice:

1. There’s (relative) clarity among competition on the OL

As of Tuesday, UNM’s first team offensive line: Travis Gray (left tackle), Israel Mukwiza (left guard), Isaiah Sillemon (center), Richard Pearce (right guard) and Nevell Brown (right tackle). That’s two transfers mixed in with three returners, although only Pearce started last season; Gray did not appear in a game in 2024 and Sillemon played 553 snaps as UNM’s “rhino,” basically an extra lineman in last year’s protection-heavy scheme.

It probably won’t be that way for the entire spring, much less the season: after all, if Tevin Shaw was healthy, he’d probably be handling the bulk of the first team tackle reps. Since he isn’t, Gray — a 6-foot-6, 324-pound former Colorado transfer — is getting a look. Elvin Harris, a depth player last season, is also the second-string right tackle — could he find some reps up top?

The real competition(s) lies within the interior offensive line. It feels like Pearce is (relatively) safe after playing every single snap at right guard last season. Mukwiza, a Mercer transfer, looked good Tuesday but it’s far too early to lock him into anything. And Sillemon could very well end up splitting first team reps with Malik Aliane and Idaho transfer Kaden Robnett, the second-string center and right guard, respectively.

“We like guys who are a little more versatile … his body type was something that (we) look to move inside,” Eck said when asked about why Sillemon — previously a guard — was moved to center. “Just thought that was the best fit. But I think we’re gonna have a really good competition at that spot.”

And could Aliane (mainly a center last season) play some guard? Could North Carolina A&T State transfer R.J. Adams (the second-string right guard) factor in further?

The questions will be there for a while. But if there was less clarity on the line around this time last year, you can already see a few paths to how it could shake out this season.

That doesn’t mean it will shake out that way, or that it will result in another surprisingly formidable line à la 2024 — but it’s more than there’s been in the past. Take that for what it’s worth.

2. QB Jack Layne looked the part; for now, that’s what matters

He looked the part, even if he didn’t exactly sound the part.

“Bear with me,” the Idaho transfer quarterback rasped after practice. “I lost my voice.”

Quarterbacks always receive the lion’s share of attention during spring practice, fall camp and the season at large. But outside of a few hiccups — a seven-on-seven interception to safety David Murphy comes to mind — Layne was deserving of said recognition. The 6-foot-2, 202-pound junior turned in a mostly clean practice as the Lobos’ QB1, even if his greater familiarity with UNM’s offense didn’t always help during seven-on-seven or full team periods.

“It’s forced me to be more patient with the guys, just because I’ve been in the system a while,” said Layne, who previously started under Eck and offensive coordinator Luke Schleusner last season. “And to them, it’s like a new language — it’s like Spanish. So it’s gonna take some time and it’s important for me to be patient. Every guy learns at different speeds.”

He did, however, look the part. That might be the biggest takeaway from day one.

3. Yes, there were some standouts

I prefer to focus on different position groups on a practice-to-practice basis, but if there’s a day for soft eyes, it’s the first spring practice. Thirty-two new players? Mixed with the rest of a roster coming off (well, for most) a full offseason? There are few better times to just let the play (and the players) carry your eyes for a few hours.

In that vein, a handful of players that stood out to me (and others) in attendance for Tuesday’s practice:

• Plenty to like from wide receiver Isaiah Blair, who highlighted his day with a long touchdown catch from backup quarterback Emery Floyd — albeit against what looked like the third string defense. Either way, the 5-11, 190-pound Cerritos (Calif.) Junior College transfer impressed enough to earn “the hammer” — a red sledgehammer Eck gives out to the player of the practice. Blair proudly walked out of practice with it slung over his shoulder.

“He reminded me a lot of (TCU wide receiver) Jordan Dwyer, who was our leading receiver last year at Idaho,” Eck said when asked about what UNM saw in Blair. “And probably even had a little better run after the catch than Jordan … we thought his tape was really good. He was really a priority in recruiting for us.”

I also thought fellow receivers Shawn Miller and Michael Buckley did some nice things — although Buckley had maybe a few more drops than he’d prefer.

• Tuesday wasn’t a padded practice, so UNM was running the ball, but they weren’t running the ball — at least not in the style of the “good old Midwestern run game,” as Layne described Eck’s preferred run scheme.

But yes — running back Scottre Humphrey looked good. The 5-10, 201-pound Montana State transfer made something happen just about every time he touched the ball, notably weaving through defenders down the sideline before breaking one off during a team period. Consider it a successful return for a player that leads the roster in rushing yards at University Stadium — all without ever having played a game as a Lobo.

“He’s just a very natural runner, sees things well, can make bursts and make cuts,” Eck said of Humphrey, who racked up 140 rushing yards in the Bobcats’ 35-31 season-opening win over the Lobos in Albuquerque last year. “I thought he was a guy that stood out to me (and had) a very good day.”

• Eck has been candid about UNM’s depth (or lack thereof) on the defensive line, particularly on the interior. But Texas Southern transfer Brian Booker held up well as the first-team tackle Tuesday, earning praise from his coach.

“He’s got a lot of potential. I think he’s raw — (defensive line coach Hebron Fangupo and defensive coordinator Spence Nowinsky) gotta keep molding him like clay,” Eck chuckled. “He played a lotta O-line in his life and is relatively new to D-line, but he’s got a lot of ability and I thought he did some good things today with some his movements.”