Three thoughts as UNM football crosses the midway point on spring practice

New Mexico crosses the midway point of spring practice Thursday morning, the eighth session under first-year head coach Jason Eck.

Three thoughts on UNM’s first half:

1. We know what this team will — or wants to be — good at

Has Damon Bankston ever been part of a running back room like this? Actually, yes.

“Back at (Weber State), we had a pretty deep running back room … But what I learned from that is every guy brings his own experience and his own different style to the running back room — which makes the room elite,” the senior Weber State transfer said Tuesday. “One guy doesn’t make it elite.”

The first half of spring has shown that UNM’s running back room could very well be that. And similar to what Bankston noted, it isn’t resting solely on his shoulders or that of Montana State transfer Scottre Humphrey, a fast and physical presence that’s turned heads this spring. Idaho transfer Deshaun Buchanan, Sam Houston State transfer D.J. McKinney, Butte (Calif.) College transfer Takeshi Faupula and returner Sol-Jay Maiava-Peters are all finding ways to make an impact with two-back sets becoming more of a fixture as spring has worn on.

“It’s kind of crazy,” Bankston added. “(Humphrey, Buchanan and I) were all number-one backs on our team in the Big Sky (Conference). For three-number one backs to come here, it feels like it gives us a lot of opportunity in the run game.”

There’s an argument that depth — especially in the portal era — is a little overrated. After all, there are only so many spots on the field; only so many touches to distribute. If there’s a sense that might be magnified with UNM’s deep, multi-faceted running back room, Eck rejects it.

“To me, that’s how you make your name as a position coach, having guys in your room ready to go and step up so that when you have an injury, there’s not a huge drop off that way,” Eck said Thursday. “Depth is important.”

Right now, that depth — quality depth — is most apparent among the tailbacks and the offensive line that’s powering their efforts. Just how competitive it makes them this fall is another question. But for now, it looks like it’ll give them a shot.

2. For the first time in a while, quarterback is a real questionTo be clear, the answer(s) could end up being perfectly fine.

There’s a world where Jack Layne completely recovers from his elbow ailment, wins the starting job and UNM rides with a candidate well familiar with the offense.

Or where James Laubstein — a guy getting his first honest Division I look — makes the most of his bet on himself, opting to stay after the coaching staff that recruited him left.

Why? “Not getting any snaps at quarterback last year,” he admitted last week, “it would be kind of hard to hit the portal and then expect to get another offer at his level.”

Who says athletes don’t hesitate to hit the portal anymore?

The less likely alternatives: Emery Floyd is effectively out of the competition now after being moved to wide receiver this week. But could Gabriel Motschenbacher, a lefty L.A. Southwest (Calif.) College transfer, make an unexpected run? Is there a world where Isaiah Chavez, one of the most tenured players on the roster, does the same?

Toa Faavae, a wicked athletic incoming freshman out of De La Salle (Calif.) High School, is “probably the fastest” quarterback Eck’s ever recruited, as he noted in February. Could he take to a pro style scheme quicker than expected?

And could UNM add another player to the room? Will they break spring and feel like they have to, for depth or quality reasons? In Eck’s three years at Idaho, the Vandals carried five quarterbacks every year — with Faavae coming in, would they entertain the possibility of six?

For all those questions: We don’t quite know at this point. It’s as thrilling as it is (potentially) concerning, a departure from the previous two years, where UNM had a reliable (if not always seasoned) starter in place from the beginning of spring practice. That, in turn, was a departure from several long years of mostly meager, outmanned quarterback play, a wilderness of incompletions and three-and-outs left in its wake.

Whether it goes back to something like that, or the high-highs of last year’s offense with Devon Dampier, or the likely in between is unknown. But it seems like a real competition, and at the midway point of spring practice, that’s perhaps the most noteworthy development.

3. The needs are (relatively) clear

Eck has been just as blunt this spring about where UNM needs depth as much as where it has it. That tracks — it is year one, after all. And with the spring transfer window opening on April 15, an opportunity to rectify some of those needs looms large.

The hierarchy of UNM’s needs nearly midway through spring practice:

Defensive line: No surprise. This was the position Eck always said UNM would have to supplement, and the first seven spring practices have confirmed as much.

Texas Southern transfer Brian Booker and a returning Gabe Lopez have been two consistent-to-bright spots, but the rest of the room could use at least two more players to be on solid ground — particularly on the interior.

And to be clear, not every practice has been like Saturday’s, where UNM struggled to consistently stop the run. Nor can you always peg run defense issues entirely on the front four. But for a defense that wants to stone opposing offenses on early downs, there’s a real sense of urgency to get a boost on the line heading into fall camp.

“I think we need to add some guys who are gonna play a lot in the interior defensive line,” Eck said. “I think Booker is really having a good spring, I think he’s a guy who’s playing like a guy who can play a lot. I think the other guys gotta pick it up over the second half of spring and really show that they can play a lot for us.”

Wide receivers: There’s an argument to be made this was the most concerning position group entering spring. UNM returned just nine catches for 111 yards between Michael Buckley and Shawn Miller, but Kansas State transfer Keagan Johnson (73 career receptions for 949 yards) was expected to help. Unfortunately, Johnson hasn’t taken a snap this spring as he recovers from an injury.

Cerritos (Calif.) College transfer Isaiah Blair has done a heck of a job to work his way into what Eck considers the top three group of receivers with Miller and Buckley. Former San Diego Mesa (Calif.) College transfer Kader Diop has also played his way onto the apparent two-deep after struggling to carve out much of a role last season.

Beyond that? It’s a room that needs more depth, plain and simple.

“You’re probably gonna have some dropoff in playmaking when you go to your twos at receiver, but you gotta have the confidence where you can steal some reps with your backups,” Eck said. “ … We gotta have some improvement with some other guys in the second group. We have two many busts, too many guys not lining up right.

“And that’s a bad pattern for making the team or making the travel squad, if you’re a backup who’s busting a lot in the second group.”

Specialists: Maybe not the most pressing need, but the most obvious. UNM cannot enter the season with just Charles Steinkamp punting, Luke Drzewiecki kicking and Trey DuBuc long snapping. There’s been good stuff from all of the above this spring, but expect additions for depth and/or competition purposes when spring wraps.