UNM football notebook: Brian Urlacher returns for Lobos' first fully-padded practice

The first fully-padded practices of fall camp tend to favor defenses. Where offenses have to work through timing, defenses can simply fly off the ball, no hesitation, no pause.

It’s a part of the game. Brian Urlacher will be the first to tell you as much.

“It was the same thing when I was in the NFL — early on, most of the time, (the defense was) a little bit ahead because (for us) it’s simple,” the Hall of Fame linebacker for the Chicago Bears said Tuesday. “They have a lot of stuff going on, a lot of shifts and motions and timing things.

“We don’t have that, we just react.”

Urlacher saw as much on a visit to New Mexico this week, where he spoke to the team Monday night before taking in Tuesday’s practice, the Lobos’ first in full pads.

The Lovington native and consensus All-American at UNM said he was invited by head coach Jason Eck, setting up his first appearance around the program in at least a couple years.

“He leans on me and asks me questions, stuff like that (and) I appreciate that,” Urlacher said of Eck. “We’re the same age, so it’s not like I’m looking up to him … I think he understands the alumni, (that) it’s good to have them around. It’s nice of him to ask me to come back.”

Eck said he wants all former Lobos — “whether they’re Pro Football Hall of Famers or not,” he chuckled — to feel connected to the program, because “that’s how I think you build tradition.” But getting Urlacher to come was also a move directed toward the players, with the idea that success in the NFL out of UNM is attainable.

It didn’t hurt that players listened — intently — when Urlacher spoke.

“He had a good message to the players about focusing on what they can control — their effort, their attitude, their focus,” Eck said. “I thought the players were very into it. They were very focused when he was talking.”

Will Urlacher make it back for a game this fall?

“I’m gonna try, man,” Urlacher said. “With my son’s (Southern Cal safety Kennedy Urlacher) schedule, it might be a little harder. But there are some things that might fall in line perfectly for me to be back at a couple games. I really hope it does — I haven’t been back in a long time, so it would be great to get a chance to come back.”

Tuesday’s practice

One thing I liked, one thing I didn’t and one standout, all from Tuesday’s practice:

One thing I liked: The first day of full pads probably isn’t the best gauge for this, so take it with a grain of salt. But UNM brought the pressure during team settings, and plenty of guys from different defensive positions made it happen. Defensive end Elijah Brody, linebacker Ky’Won McCray and defensive tackle Okiki Olorunfunmi all stood out at points.

In fact, the one touchdown I saw (a shot over the top from quarterback James Laubstein to wide receiver Zhaiel Smith) probably would’ve been nullified by a sack from defensive lineman Jalen McIver. There’s a long way to go — over the last two years, UNM’s pass rush has flashed in camp before wilting during the season — but there’s been good disruption through six practices.

One thing I didn’t like: In the final team period, wide receiver Kader Diop had to be helped off the field after suffering an undisclosed injury. Assuming he misses time, that means UNM could be down both WR Keagan Johnson (hamstring) and Diop for a period.

For Johnson, it might not mean as much — Eck himself has said he’s not a guy that probably needs much of a ramp-up heading into the opener at Michigan. But Diop is a guy that could probably use as much practice time as possible to firm up his spot in a receiver rotation that will need him. A quick return would go a long way.

One standout: Credit to tight end Dorian Thomas for taking the words out of my mouth: “Number six on the defense,” he said Tuesday. “I mean, he brought it today.”

Indeed. Linebacker Jaxton Eck was incredibly active, making plays in every team period, situation be damned. Plenty of players seemed up for the first day of pads, but Eck embraced the contact, drawing the attention of anybody around practice.

Some highlights: When UNM’s offense was backed up on the goal line, Eck walled off running backs Scottre Humphrey and Damon Bankston, tackling the latter for a safety. In another team period, Eck came up with a sack on Laubstein when Brody dropped into coverage and gave the quarterback pause.

Eck also forced Laubstein to throw it away when he contained him, a subtle play his own dad cited as a “really good” one when prompted.

“He’s probably inspired by Urlacher being here today,” the senior Eck joked.

News and notes

• Six practices in, what is Eck seeing out of the quarterback competition between Layne and Laubstein? “I think it’s been a pretty close competition,” he said. “I was looking at the numbers through last practice, and you look at their completion percentage and things like that are very tight. It’s gonna be a tough decision. I think these scrimmage days are gonna be separators — we put a little more weight into those days.”
• Beyond Diop leaving practice, the injury report: defensive lineman Gabe Lopez was dressed but did not practice; running back D.J. McKinney has a “little shoulder thing,” Eck said, but was a non-contact participant; wide receiver Johnson is still recovering from a hamstring injury and did not practice; wide receiver Evan Wysong remained sidelined with an injury; and cornerback Frankie Edwards III sported a walking boot.
• Cornerback Abe Williams was named to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic’s

an annual list of college football’s strongest, fastest and most freakishly athletic players. Eck thought he was deserving: “Yeah, he’s a freak, man. He’s very fast, fastest guy on the team. He’s long, he’s a great leaper. He’s a freaky type of guy. Our athletic director (Fernando Lovo) said, ‘I don’t think any of the corners at Texas looked as good as Abe just walking around.’ He’s a freaky dude.”

-A throwback piece of news: Former UNM offensive coordinator Bryant Vincent was named the interim athletic director at the University of Louisiana-Monroe — while still serving as the Warhawks’ head football coach. The 49-year-old helped lead the Lobos to a 4-8 record and the 65th-ranked offense (27.3 points per game) in 2023.