Depth chart deep dive: Analyzing the personnel for the UNM Lobos' Week 1 game vs. Texas A&M

It's game week. Starters have been solidified. Backups have been identified.

And if they haven't? There's always room for an 'or.'

New Mexico released its first official depth chart of the season on Monday, previewing who's-who as the Lobos prepare to take on Texas A&M on Saturday. Nine positions project a transfer as a starter, five positions are still listed as "OR" for the first game and there are two spots with a true freshman set as backup.

A lot goes into that. Some quick analysis of UNM's two-deep:

OFFENSE

Quarterback

Starter: Dylan Hopkins, RS Sr.

Backup: D.C. Tabscott, RS-So. OR Devon Dampier, Fr.

Analysis: As promised by Lobos head coach Danny Gonzales, it’s Dylan Hopkins up front with an either-or at the backup spot between D.C. Tabscott and Devon Dampier. And I don’t know if there’s going to be a solidified backup anytime soon – Gonzales has indicated previously that game situations (who UNM is playing, what defense that team is using, etc.) would dictate who would hold that role for the time being.

If either Tabscott or Dampier were to supplant themselves at that point, well, that’d be that. Whether that happens this week, next week, next month, etc., is anybody’s guess at this point.

Running back

Starter: Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Sr.

Backup: Christian Washington, So.

Depth: Sherod White, Sr.; Dorian Lewis, Sr.; Andrew Henry, RS-Sr.

Analysis: After months of speculation, projections of unofficial depth charts and educated (well, sometimes uneducated) guesses, it's over: Jacory Croskey-Merritt is RB1. It was apparent from the start of camp the Alabama State transfer had the ability. Now he has the title.

"I always knew that I could play at any level," he said last week. "It basically was me coming in, learning the offense and focusing. That was the hardest part.

"Playing-wise, it just came naturally."

Christian Washington's strong second half of camp set him up as the clear backup, but I don't think there's much separating Sherod White and Dorian Lewis. And life's too short to read too deeply into the depth chart order, so I'll chalk up Andrew Henry being listed at the bottom to his recovery from a high ankle sprain until noted otherwise.

Wide receiver

Starters: D.J. Washington, Sr. (X); Andrew Erickson, RS-Sr. (Z); Jeremiah Hixon, RS-Sr. (Slot)

Backups: Duece Jones, RS-Jr. (X); Caleb Medford, So. (Z); Luke Wysong, Jr. OR Ryan Davis, RS-Sr. (Slot)

Analysis: Gonzales said last week that you could consider both Andrew Erickson and Caleb Medford starters and with the exception of D.J. Washington and Duece Jones, I think that's a good way to look at the seven listed here. The ones are largely interchangeable with the twos, the twos are largely interchangeable with the ones and so on and so forth with minimal dropoff.

Luke Wysong might be the best example of that. Sure, he's listed as the either/or backup slot receiver after leading UNM in receptions last season (albeit in a dismal offense). But he'll get his share of targets in the long run and if things go according to plan, these pairings are primed to work in Wysong's favor.

"We can have him and Jeremiah on the field at the same time," Gonzales said. "We can have D.J. and Luke on the field at the same time. D.J. and Andrew and Luke in the slot — we've got many options because he knows what to do in multiple places. He's proven that he can play outside and he's fast enough to take it over the top.

"And he doesn't have to be the only one that we're relying on to get open. There's a lot of pressure off him, which has allowed him to do more things and be a better football player."

Tight end

Starters: Trace Bruckler, RS-So. OR Magnus Geers, RS-JR. (Y); Connor Witthoft, RS-Jr. (U)

Backups: Everett Hunter, So. (Y), Wyatt McClour, So. (U)

Depth: Caleb Marra, RS-Jr. (U)

Analysis: Similar to the receivers, consider Trace Bruckler and Magnus Geers to be a 1-2 punch at the Y (more of a receiving end) in a tight end lineup that rotates heavily. The two-deep at the U (more of an in-line end) is interesting, though: Wyatt McClour, a 6-foot-4, 242 pound Riverside CC transfer, really only came on during the final week of camp after battling a foot injury and Connor Witthoft left the spring as maybe more of a depth piece than prospective starter.

“He is the definition of overcoming every obstacle. I think he’s doing a heck of a job,” tight ends coach Joe Scelfo said of Witthoft. “He’s grown into a leader of the group and I think he was one of the guys — like I’ve said about Trace — he’s got a lot of experience and he’s starting to use it in the right way.”

And for those wondering about East Carolina transfer Max Lanztsch: Gonzales said he has a labrum tear they're planning to rehab before deciding on potential surgery in the next few weeks.

Offensive line

Starters: J.C. Davis, Jr. (left tackle); Taurrian “Teedo” Stafford, Sr. (left guard), C.J. James, RS-Jr. (center); Shancco “Ise” Matautia, RS-So. (right guard); D.J. Wingfield, RS-Jr. (right tackle)

Backups: Jer’Marques Bailey, RS-Jr. (left tackle); Reese Steele, Jr. (left guard); Stafford (center); Isaiah Sillemon, RS-So. (right guard); Devon Smith, Jr. OR Travis Gray, Fr. (right tackle)

Analysis: No surprises here might be the biggest surprise. As noted before, the offensive line was one of UNM's biggest questions heading into camp; now they're entering the third week of having a set starting five.

As for the either/or between Smith and Gray, I’ll guess that’s partially due to Smith missing a chunk of camp with the flu, partially due to Gray coming into his own towards the end of the preseason.

DEFENSE

Defensive line

Starters: Gabriel Lopez, RS-Jr. (LE); Tyler Kiehne, RS-So. (NT); Kyler Drake, RS-Jr. (RE)

Backups: Hunter Rapolla, Jr. (LE); Tavien Ford, Jr. (NT); Destin Gainer, RS-So. (RE)

Analysis: Destin Gainer and Hunter Rapolla put together a pair of strong camps, so their inclusion as backups was expected. I am, however, curious about defensive ends Joe Ray Maez and Bryce Santana and how they might factor into the rotation up front going forward.

Linebacker

Starters: Dimitri Johnson, Jr. (LLB); Alec Marenco, Jr. OR Ray Leutele, Sr. (MLB); Syaire Riley, Sr. (RLB)

Backups: Ja’Shon Lowery, RS-So. (LLB); Mihalis Santorineos, So. (RLB)

Analysis: Maybe it’s a little ironic there’s an either/or here, considering this was maybe the most secure position group from the spring to fall. Going off only what I saw during camp, I’d guess Alec Marenco takes the field with the ones to start on Saturday. But that’s all it is — a guess.

Regarding the backups, Mihalis Santorineos entered camp as a relatively established rotation piece after a particularly strong spring. On the other hand, Ja' Shon Lowery really didn't — credit to him for carving out a role in a lineup that isn't the easiest to crack.

Cornerback

Starters: Zach Morris, So. (LCB); Donte Martin, RS-Sr. (RCB)

Backups: Marvin Covington, RS-So. (LCB); Bryson Taylor, So. (RCB)

Depth: Hunter Sellers, RS-So. (LCB); Josh Williamson, RS-So. (RCB)

Analysis: During the final week of camp, Gonzales was answering a question related to kick returners when he paused as if something had just crossed his mind.

“You know who we haven’t really talked about?” he said. “Our corners.”

He was right. A lot of that was due to the steadying presence of Donte Martin, one of the few secure and proven holdovers from last season on a defense that lost a lot, but was never particularly concerned by that loss.

Zach Morris? Maybe not as secure. Maybe not as proven. If he ever felt that, it never showed as he worked to make himself a more complete corner.

"(I've) gotten better with man coverage and all that," he said last week. "I've always been pretty good at zone but (with) man, I'm able to read a lot more routes and (a receivers') demeanor now."

Safety

Starters: Christian Ellis, So. (Wolf); Tavian Combs, RS-Jr. (Lobo), Noa Pola-Gates, Sr. (Wolf)

Backups: Jermarius Lewis, So. (Wolf); Dereck Moore, Fr. (Lobo); Aaron Smith, Jr. (Wolf)

Analysis: It wasn't so much a plan as it was an order: find Christian Ellis a spot in the starting 11. And after getting Lobo reps with the ones and twos for the first half of camp, a player that prides himself on his versatility is paired with Noa Pola-Gates as one of UNM's two Wolf safeties

"I feel like a jack of all trades," Ellis said during camp. "I'm not like a one-trick pony. If you need me to play linebacker, play corner, cover somebody, I'll do that."

Moore being listed as the backup Lobo is interesting. During camp, Gonzales communicated that if something were to happen to Combs, Ellis would be bumped back over to Lobo with a backup (Lewis in this instance) filling his shoes at Wolf. Moore has been good, if not great considering how he's held up as a true freshman, but I'm curious if UNM has changed how they feel about that situation since the end of fall camp.

One missing name: D'Arco Perkins-McAllister's timeline coming back from a back injury is indefinite, but once he's back, expect him to be in the mix at the right Wolf spot.

SPECIALISTS

Kicker

Starter: Luke Drzewicki, So.

Backup: Charles Steinkamp, RS-Fr.

Punter

Starter: Aaron Rodriguez, RS-Sr.

Backup: Charles Steinkamp, RS-Fr.

Long snapper

Starter: Brendan Durkin, So.

Backup: Justin Holaday, Jr.

Returners

Starters: Christian Washington, So. (kickoffs); Luke Wysong, Jr. (kickoffs/punts)

Backups: Noa Pola-Gates, Sr. (kickoffs); Jeremiah Hixon, RS-Sr. (punts)

Analysis: One missing name: Ryan Davis. His usage will likely be more situational than anything, but Gonzales has indicated he'll likely see the field as a kickoff returner more often than not.

"In a serious situation where you know you'd have to field the ball," Gonzales said during camp, "it'd probably be someone like him."