UNM position preview: Thomas, Mapa carving out big roles in new-look tight end room

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Tight ends

For Dorian Thomas, the change from last year to now, old scheme to new, isn’t too hard to pinpoint.

“This offense, they want to get the ball to the tight end,” the Arizona transfer tight end said on Aug. 5. “My old offense, we had the number one receiver in the nation (former Arizona wideout Tetairoa McMillan). So it was more like feed your receivers … to come to this school was a blessing ... Because they use the tight ends.”

New Mexico will, in fact, be using its tight ends — particularly Thomas. Throughout spring practice and fall camp, the Lobos have lined up in 12 personnel (two tight ends) far more than at any other point in recent memory, with the 6-foot-4, 239-pound Thomas shining as a pass catcher.

A midyear transfer, Thomas arrived at UNM weighing “260, 250” pounds and recovering from a broken foot suffered last year. After spring practice, he said he cut down to 225 pounds before gaining his current weight back in muscle, providing a noticeable change in a fall camp that’s seen him emerge as UNM’s most dynamic receiving tight end.

“I caught a pass over the middle and it took like, eight dudes to bring me down. Old me, I get hit that one time, yeah, we going to the ground,” he chuckled. “But like, now I just feel stronger, feel faster, feel more explosive.”

For his part, tight ends coach Jared Elliott has seen a change as Thomas locks into a bigger role in the offense.

“From when we got him here, from spring football to now, he’s like a whole different person,” Elliott said of Thomas. “And it’s a credit to him … He’s come a long way, man, and he’s progressing and he’s getting better at a pretty rapid rate, which is encouraging.”

Thomas won’t be the only tight end expected to catch passes, though. Midyear transfers Cade Keith (TCU) and Aiden Valdez (Campbell) have both been productive throughout camp, with the former emerging as a solid rotation player .

“He’s one of those guys that will truly be as good as he wants to be,” Elliott said. “And he wants to be really good. Those are the guys that are easy to coach. He’s hungry to learn, hungry to grow, (and) he can coach himself, sometimes before I can.”

Of course, all three have been complemented by two vital transfers: Simon Mapa (Cal) and Marcus Vinson (UTEP). Both have functioned more as traditional “Y” tight ends, setting up along the line of scrimmage and blocking from there. UNM previously relied on Keayen Nead as its starting Y tight end before he transferred to BYU last spring.

“Mapa, he’s buying into that and he’s embracing that, and I’m excited about the direction we’re headed there,” Elliott said. “And he’s not the only one. We’ve got other guys that are going to do those jobs and really, the expectation is, and the standard is that everyone has to do that job. ... But I’ve been really pleased with how Simon has just started to kind of catapult himself in that area.

“Simon had to come in and (take on) a big role, but we need that Y,” Thomas added. “We need a dude that’s gonna put his nose down, and Simon (has) got the perfect build for that.”