Practice is over. The portal is open. Where does UNM football need help?

Safe to say this isn’t Jason Eck’s favorite week.

“It’s almost a joke – anytime a guy calls you or wants to come meet with you, you’re nervous about (it) for this week,” UNM’s first-year head coach chuckled after Friday’s spring game.

“Just kind of the world we live in, and we got to embrace it and work through it. But next Saturday, I’ll be pouring out a cocktail with the portal closing.”

With spring practice over and the transfer window open, the Lobos will be working around the clock this week to retain their roster and continue recruiting any potential additions.

Players can enter the portal freely through Friday, but can commit to a program any time.

Here’s a few areas where the Lobos could use a transfer or two:

Quarterback

Rostered players: QB Jack Layne, QB James Laubstein, QB Gabriel Motschenbacher

Incoming players: QB Toa Faavae

Analysis: A depth issue on its face. After all, Eck’s preference is to carry five quarterbacks. And with incoming freshman Faavae on the way, UNM needs at least one more to set up an “ideal” depth situation entering fall camp.

“You’d rather have six than four,” Eck said of potentially adding two more quarterbacks on April 8.

There might be a little more to it than depth, though. After Layne was sidelined with an elbow injury, James Laubstein — UNM’s de facto first-string quarterback — and Gabriel Motschenbacher essentially split reps down the home stretch of spring practice. Both did well, but neither ran away with the job. And with a quarterback competition looming, it might make the most sense to hunt for a potential starter instead of a supplemental piece.

Are there any names in the portal that make sense?

Gevani McCoy is far and away the most obvious candidate: The 6-foot, 182-pound junior thrived under Eck and offensive coordinator Luke Schleusner over two seasons at Idaho, earning the Jerry Rice Award in 2022 and first team All-Big Sky honors in 2023.

McCoy, however, wasn’t his best last season, passing for 1,300 yards with just three TDs to six interceptions at Oregon State before transferring to Texas State in January. Now he’s back in the portal, and it doesn’t take much to see the appeal of a familiar coaching staff.

Tight end

Rostered players: TE Dorian Thomas, TE Cade Keith, TE Aiden Valdez

Incoming players: N/A

Analysis: Eck admitted he was “surprised and disappointed” when Keayen Nead entered the portal during the final week of spring practice, the one shock departure the Lobos have seen — at least so far. The reaction was warranted: Nead was repping as UNM’s TE1 and was considered the best blocker in a room long on talent, short on FBS experience.

Now that he’s gone, the Lobos desperately need to supplant a room down to just three players. Thomas, Keith and Valdez all shined at points throughout spring practice as pass catchers, but a stronger blocking presence will be necessary with how much this staff plans to run 12 personnel.

Defensive line

Rostered players: DL Keyshawn James-Newby, DL Xavier Slayton, DL Tavien Ford, DL Grey Smith, DL Max Lantzsch, DL Brian Booker, DL Jawaun Singletary, DL Gabriel Lopez, DE Darren Agu, DE Okiki Olorunfunmi, DE Darren Agu, DE Landon Williams, DE Marcus Stevens

Incoming players: DL Jack Burzynski, DL Jake DeVos, DL Cody Thumlert, DL Carlos Barela, DL James Marshall V

Analysis: The most expected need. Eck singled out the defensive line as an area UNM would have to add to after spring and despite some good work from the likes of Lopez, Slayton and Booker, the Lobos still need to bring in two or three (and maybe more) lineman via the portal — especially on the interior.

Wide receiver

Rostered players: WR Keagan Johnson, WR Isaiah Blair, WR Evan Wysong, WR Shawn Miller, WR Michael Buckley, WR Kader Diop, WR Ryan Cook, WR Mateo Contreras, WR Xavier Van

Incoming players: WR Mikey Beck, WR Deriece Brown, WR Zhaiel Smith

Analysis: Getting a healthy Keagan Johnson back went a long way towards inspiring confidence in this room — the Kansas State transfer was excellent down the stretch of spring practice while Miller, Buckley and Blair all had rock-solid springs. But UNM could use more reliable depth, and Eck made it a point to say as much earlier this spring.

“You gotta have the confidence where you can steal some reps with your backups,” Eck said April 1. “ … We have too 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.”

Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at @lenaweereider.