James Laubstein, the 6-foot-3, 211-pound freight train at quarterback, is back for the Lobos this upcoming season.
The Bethany, Connecticut, native will return for his sixth season of college football after winning an appeal to the NCAA for a waiver granting him another year of eligibility.
Laubstein, a former junior college athlete at Sussex County Community College from 2022-2023, before joining the University of New Mexico in 2024, argued that at least one of his seasons played there shouldn’t count towards his NCAA eligibility.
Head Coach Jason Eck announced Laubstein would return to the program after Laubstein informed him he wanted to do so with his appeal. Eck hinted at Laubstein’s return to the program on X, just hours before the official announcement.
The Lobos will head into fall camp with six different quarterbacks on the roster. Presumptive starter Jack Layne leads the charge with Oregon transfer Luke Moga and redshirt freshman Toa Fa’avae battling for the backup spot. In contrast, redshirt sophomore Gabriel Motschenbacher and early freshman enrollee Cade Mitchell continue to grow as players.
Laubstein provides an element most teams in the country don’t have access to at quarterback: physicality. When Number 13 trots on the field during short-yard situations, the defense knows what’s coming. The question is, can they stop it? More times than not, the answer was a resounding no.
The Lobos deployed Laubstein as a runner when they needed to gain a handful of yards. Laubstein’s big frame was a weapon for Offensive Coordinator Luke Schleusner, and his ability to lower his shoulder and run over defenders as if he were playing running back actively caught the eyes of Lobo fans on gamedays.
Laubstein most notably had a 40-yard touchdown run on 4th-down that was paramount in the Lobos 23-17 win over San Diego State University during last year’s regular season finale.
Laubstein’s 363 rushing yards on 6.2 yards-per-carry — the most by any Lobo last season — are an important reason why it was a no-brainer for Eck and his staff to welcome Laubstein back for the upcoming season.
Edge Garcia is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @ByEdgeGarcia
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