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Cleveland receiver Jacob Maldonado commits to UNM
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The UNM Lobos have dipped into the Cleveland High talent pool yet again.
The Storm’s talented slot receiver, Jacob Maldonado, went on social media on Friday to announce that he had made a verbal commitment to UNM and new coach Jason Eck.
“Great guy,” the 5-foot-10, 185-pound Maldonado said of Eck. “You can tell he’s a players’ guy. He wants players to be happy and enjoy the game of football.”
Maldonado, 17, caught 50 balls for 918 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, all team-leading marks for the Class 6A state champions.
Maldonado is the second Cleveland player and third from the metro area to commit to Eck since he arrived. Storm teammate Elijah Richards and Cibola’s Hayes Baum are the other two.
The Lobos offered Maldonado in mid-June. He said he was also circling New Mexico State and UTEP.
“The coaching staff (at UNM) was just phenomenal,” Maldonado said. “I think they’re just a great program.”
The Lobos recruited Maldonado as a slot who can play on the outside, he said.
“I’ve been a Lobo fan since I was a little boy,” Maldonado said. “... I wanted to take some time, finish the summer, see how it (my recruitment) developed. But when UNM gave me the opportunity, I was pretty set (that’s) where I wanted to be.”
Maldonado will be expected to sign with the Lobos during the early signing period in December.
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The Storm open their 6A title defense in two weeks, on a Saturday afternoon in Las Cruces against Centennial.
And he said he thought Eck has the Lobos trending.
“100 percent, the program is moving in the right direction,” Maldonado said. “You can just tell.”
