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Great Eck-spectations: Lobos adjusting to life as the Mountain West favorite in Eck's second year
UNM is listed as the consensus betting favorite to win the league in Jason Eck's second year with program
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LAS VEGAS 鈥� Around this time last year, Jason Eck called his shot.
鈥淚 think we鈥檒l be a lot better than people anticipate us to (be),鈥� the then-first-year New Mexico coach said last July at Mountain West Media Days. 鈥淚 would never say, 鈥榶eah, we鈥檙e gonna be in the thick of the conference championship race in late November鈥� or anything. But I think we can make huge strides as a program.鈥�
Huge doesn鈥檛 do those strides justice.
Despite being picked to finish 11th in the 12-team Mountain West, UNM finished 9-4 last season and tied for first place in the Mountain West 鈥� the best finish of any first-year coach in program history. In doing so, the Lobos claimed wins over rival New Mexico State, league runner-up UNLV and UCLA, the team鈥檚 first win over a Power Four program since 2008.
This year? The expectations are as high as they鈥檝e ever been: UNM is listed as the consensus betting favorite to win the Mountain West after five teams (including perennial league power Boise State) left for the Pac-12.
If the Lobos did win a conference title, it鈥檇 be the first for the program since 1964 鈥� a whole 13 years before the 48-year-old Eck was born.
On one hand, he loves the position UNM is in.
鈥淚 like the fact that there鈥檚 higher expectations,鈥� he said Thursday at Mountain West Media Days, 鈥渂ecause that鈥檚 based on what we did last year.鈥�
On the other?
If the Lobos were one of the bigger surprises in college football last year, they won鈥檛 be shocking anybody this year.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not sneaking up on anybody,鈥� Eck said. 鈥淧robably more people have (us) circled on their schedule 鈥� we probably weren鈥檛 circled at all, except for maybe New Mexico State.鈥�
How, then, are the Lobos carrying the highest expectations ever placed upon them?
By trying to prove they鈥檙e worthy of those expectations in the first place.
鈥淵ou鈥檇 love to get it to where every year (at UNM) you got high expectations,鈥� Eck said. 鈥淚 mean, Ohio State never goes into a season with low expectations 鈥� But we got to define it on the field.
鈥淲e want to improve. We had nine wins last year 鈥� you鈥檇 like to get better this year (but) your margin for error shrinks. So we have to make sure we鈥檙e raising the floor of our program in everything we鈥檙e doing and improving our consistency.鈥�
Adjusting to life as one of the league favorites will be aided by the Lobos鈥� roster continuity. After UNM launched the 鈥淩eal Ones鈥� campaign in December to help retain key players in the NIL and revenue-share era, the Lobos return 13 starters, the most of any team in the Mountain West.
While declining to say how much UNM spent on its roster 鈥� from keeping players to paying incoming transfers 鈥� this season, Eck said he believes the level of investment into the program has matched the expectations placed upon it.
鈥淲e got to keep being aggressive, though,鈥� he added. 鈥淚 definitely see some other teams, I think they're stepping up their investment 鈥� It's like anything 鈥� just as we try to get better on the field, we got to keep getting better with our fundraising and our revenue generation so that we can be competitive with the revenue share."
Among the key players retained, few represent the high expectations as well as linebacker Jaxton Eck. The once-unheralded recruit blossomed into UNM鈥檚 best defensive player last season, making 129 total tackles en route to Mountain West Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Wednesday, he was named the Mountain West Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and earned a spot on the league鈥檚 preseason All-Conference team. While saying he was honored to be selected, Eck鈥檚 second-oldest child didn鈥檛 put too much stock into any of the preseason honors.
鈥淗onestly, I think what gets you some of those awards at the end of the year is how your team does,鈥� Jaxton said. 鈥淪o I鈥檓 really just focused on the team. I could care less about any of those awards.鈥�
Defensive lineman Brian Booker, one of the Lobos鈥� five preseason All-Mountain West selections, echoed Jaxton鈥檚 sentiment and said UNM is focused on staying humble.
鈥淲e still got to play every Saturday,鈥� he said. 鈥淓very game is a competition, every practice is a competition and we gotta take it day-by-day, that type of thing. I think that will be our biggest challenge 鈥� knowing that we have high expectations and staying hungry.鈥�
As it did on the road at UCLA last season, UNM has one major opportunity to announce itself as a true contender: The Lobos travel to Oklahoma on Sept. 19, representing the program鈥檚 only opportunity to see how it compares to a Power Four team this year.
If few games on the schedule have excited fans quite like UNM鈥檚 date with the Sooners, offensive lineman Malik Aliane didn鈥檛 want to look too far ahead.
鈥淥ur goal this season is to go 1-0 in everything 鈥� 1-0 in the weight room, 1-0 in camp and most importantly, 1-0 in the first game,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 think about Oklahoma if we don鈥檛 win our first game.鈥�
鈥淲e call that rat poison,鈥� Booker added, 鈥渋f you鈥檙e thinking too far ahead. You gotta stay where your feet are, be where your feet are and focus on the one thing you got right now.鈥�
UNM opens its 2026 season with two home games 鈥� Sept. 5 against Central Michigan and Sept. 12 against FCS Mercyhurst. Game No. 3 is Sept. 19 at Norman, Oklahoma, against the Sooners, ranked No. 13 in the most recent Associated Press Top 25 poll.
The Lobos might be headed into that clash with the best team in program history.
After all, Eck called his shot.
鈥淲e鈥檇 love to have double-digit wins, which has only been done once in school history,鈥� Eck said when asked about the program鈥檚 goals. 鈥淪o, very high expectations, but we鈥檙e embracing them, and I certainly think we鈥檙e capable of them.鈥�
Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at .
