UNM football: Lobos sign four three-star recruits, including QB, out of class of 2026

Cade Mitchell had more or less made up his mind before his official visit last weekend: He was going to be a Lobo.

He just had to take care of one piece of business.

“I had never been to Albuquerque, so I had to go check it out first and see,” the three-star rising senior quarterback said Monday.

Consider the trip a success.

Mitchell was one of four three-star prospects — all of whom UNM hosted for official visits last weekend — highlighting New Mexico’s recent recruiting haul, a run that saw the Lobos earn verbal commitments from nine total recruits in the class of 2026 across Sunday and Monday.

UNM has not signed more than four three-star prospects in a class since 2022. The Lobos previously signed one three-star in the class of 2025, two in 2024 and four in 2023, per 24/7 Sports.

Mitchell represents perhaps the most notable addition in one of the biggest recruiting runs in the program’s recent memory: listed by 24/7 Sports as the ninth-ranked 2026 prospect in Oregon, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound dual-threat quarterback threw for 2,052 yards, 23 touchdowns and four interceptions as a junior at Mountainside (Oregon) High School last season, gaining interest from Boise State and Washington State in the process.

But Mitchell told the Journal he had known UNM’s staff — particularly Eck and offensive coordinator Luke Schleusner — since the pair held the same roles at Idaho. After the two moved on to UNM, the recruitment process “slowed down a little bit” before the staff reached back out, culminating in an offer in April, the only one UNM extended to a quarterback in the class of 2026.

“I’ve known coach (Schleusner) for a long time,” Mitchell added. “He’s always believed in me, which was a huge thing. (They) really believed in from the start, they didn’t ask a lot of bad questions and worry — that meant a lot.”

UNM then invited Mitchell to campus for an official visit — one that exceeded his expectations. He said UNM’s “amazing” academic support for student athletes, academic programs, the dorms and facilities all stood out when he visited, further hastening a decision he announced via social media Sunday evening.

“You didn’t expect a whole lot,” he admitted. “But everything they ran — the kids and the facilities and all that — blew me out of the water. They’re making mature men and actual football players — like, they’re going to flip that whole program.

“And the kids respect it. The kids are all bought in … I just feel, you know, they’re a perfect staff for what New Mexico needed.”

The opportunity to help turn around the program also was appealing: Mitchell helped lead Mountainside to its first league title in program history last season, and said he wanted an opportunity to do so in college.

“Being that kind of underdog is always a great story,” he said. “Just getting another chance to do it again at the next level is going to be great.”

Beyond Mitchell, UNM landed verbal commitments from three-stars such as linebacker Ricklan Holmes II (Oklahoma City), tight end Max Leeper (Claremont, Calif.) and cornerback Azari Warren (Chino, Calif.) Holmes (Oklahoma State, Arizona State, Baylor) and Warren (Louisville, Michigan State, Utah) chose the Lobos over offers from Power Four programs.

The Lobos also received commitments from offensive lineman Derek Worden (Queen Creek, Arizona), linebacker Eli Cramer- Cronin (Chandler, Arizona), defensive lineman Nick Barber (San Antonio), offensive lineman Sebastian Dawkins (Houston) and safety Xavier Rivera-Rogers (Chandler) across Sunday and Monday.