The boys up front are playing as if they can move mountains.
“I think we had a good mentality on Saturday,” center Kaden Robnett said. “We just turned it up — a switch was flipped.”
New Mexico wrapped up their fourteenth and fifteenth days of fall camp last weekend as they inch closer to the season opener against Central Michigan at home on Sept. 5. Running back Kiefer Sibley’s strong performance during last week’s scrimmage appears to have had a trickle-down effect on the run game as of late.
Running back Scottre Humphrey has elevated his game — most notably in his burst once he finds nothing but green grass ahead of him.
“I know Scottre pretty well,” Robnett said. “We’re from the same state…he’s willing to run down someone’s face — he doesn’t care.”
Humphrey isn’t the only pair of hands making plays: Sibley, who’s put together a strong couple of weeks in practice, has inserted himself as the number-two option behind Humphrey, according to head coach Jason Eck.
“He’s had a really good camp and kinda pulled ahead (of Cameron Mathews),” Eck said.
Right guard Jaymar Tasi (Eck’s Day 14 “Hammer of the Day” winner) and Robnett have helped spark those explosives, and credit part of their success to their familiarity with each other, with Robnett saying he and Tsai have long had “great chemistry”.
“I’ve known Gronk (since) high school,” Tasi said of Robnett, referring to Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski. “We’ve called him Gronk ever since we were in high school… my freshman year everybody called him Gronk (because) he was our best defensive lineman at the time…he was our best lineman in general.”
Practicing against a defense that prides itself on delivering the first blow allows the offensive line to prepare almost as if they are playing a regular season game.
“We hear (the defense) in our meetings,” Tasi said regarding the defense before practice began. “They (get) crazy — Coach (Spence) Nowinsky is going crazy in (their meeting). So we know off of that they’re gonna bring it (and) if we don’t meet them with the right mentality, they’re gonna punch us in the mouth.”
And punch they did this past weekend. Their relationship on the field is aided by the one off the field as well.
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“We like to play (video) games a lot with each other,” Tasi said of the group. “We play a lot of NCAA (College Football) and (NBA) 2K… but where our bond happens the most is in the film room.
Their film sessions have become more than just watching tape. Tasi said the unit turns them into game simulations, where they identify defensive looks and communicate adjustments in real time.
Get to know UNM’s new ‘star’
Last week there was an unfamiliar face warming up on the practice field.
After spending his junior and senior seasons at Memphis, linebacker/safety Jayden Flaker transferred to New Mexico after he was granted a fifth year of eligibility after receiving a temporary restraining order in a Texas court. Flaker was able to enter the transfer portal due to an exemption applied to him and 36 other athletes.
Flaker, listed at 6-foot-2, 235 pounds, participated in the Buffalo Bills’ minicamp this past spring before receiving the extra year of eligibility. Flaker played under current defensive coordinator Spence Nowinsky at Memphis in 2023, where he was teammates with Mathews and defensive ends Jalen Charles and Brett Karhu.
“He’s doing a good job,” Eck said. “I think he’s really showing up on special teams. I think we’re already seeing he’s gonna be a starter on some units. I think he’ll probably play more at star in the bigger personnel. He can play (on run downs) and also give us some help rushing the passer.”
The star position, also known as a fifth defensive back or nickel, is where Flaker has seen the majority of his reps, though his versatility has allowed UNM to deploy him off the edge in certain packages on defense.
With Brett Karhu currently unable to practice after an appeals court granted the NCAA's request to temporarily halt a preliminary injunction that had allowed him to compete this season,coach Eck highlighted the depth at the position in Karhu’s absence.
“I think Albert (Tuakalau) is doing well,” Eck said. “We have a lot of confidence in him. We’re gonna continue to keep working in our packages with (Clay) Martineau and Flaker and see what those guys can give us rushing the passer.”
Injury updates
Both safety Austin Brawley and linebacker Nick Wheeler have been sidelined with undisclosed injuries. Brawley is dealing with soreness, though Eck said they expect him to be fine. Wheeler, on the other hand, has an aggravation that “slowed him down.” Eck said they are trying to be “smart” with both players, though a timeline on their return is unclear.
Linebacker Jaxton Eck has been limited in practice since Aug. 20 after not participating in the prior two sessions. The nature of his injury has not been disclosed, though coach Eck said Sunday that Jaxton wanted to participate fully, but the coaching staff opted to keep him limited as a precaution, also saying “we’re just being smart with him.”
Edge Garcia is a beat reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @ByEdgeGarcia
