UNM FOOTBALL
New Mexico LB Jaxton Eck named Mountain West Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Lobos land five players on preseason All-Conference team
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LAS VEGAS 鈥� Even the preseason hype for the Lobos made a little history.
New Mexico linebacker Jaxton Eck has been named the Mountain West Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, the league announced Wednesday morning.
The 6-foot-1, 228-pound fourth-year senior鈥檚 selection comes after a season that saw him start every game and make 129 total tackles, the second-best mark in the league. He went on to split Mountain West Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors last season with San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson, who was later selected in the first round of this year鈥檚 NFL Draft.
Until Eck, UNM has never had a Mountain West Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honoree in program history. He was also named to the Mountain West鈥檚 preseason All-Conference team, joining tight end Cade Keith, wide receiver Troy Omeire, offensive lineman Malik Aliane and defensive lineman Brian Booker.
UNM tied UNLV for the most players (5) selected to the preseason All-Mountain West team this year. The Lobos have not had five selections to the league鈥檚 preseason team since 2005.
Hawaii quarterback Micah Alejado was also named the Mountain West Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while North Dakota State wide receiver and returner Jackson Williams was named the league鈥檚 preseason Special Teams Player of the Year.
Speaking to reporters during the first day of Mountain West Media Days at Palms Casino Resort, Eck said he was more focused on UNM鈥檚 performance as a team this season than any preseason award.
鈥淟ast year, I wasn鈥檛 picked for any of that stuff,鈥� he added. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 sure there鈥檚 going to be guys this year who weren鈥檛 picked for any of that stuff that are gonna be super hungry to show what they can do.
鈥淲e have a ton of great players in this league and honestly, I think what gets you some of those awards at the end of the year is how your team does.鈥�
At least among the Lobos, Eck鈥檚 sentiment wasn鈥檛 unique. Of the players selected for preseason All-Mountain West honors, all said they appreciated the recognition but didn鈥檛 put too much stock into it.
鈥淚鈥檓 thankful to be recognized 鈥� But at the end of the day, it doesn鈥檛 mean anything,鈥� said Aliane, UNM鈥檚 starting left guard. 鈥淣o games have been played so far and you still gotta earn your stripes every Saturday. So, yes, I鈥檓 thankful for the award and the recognition, but you can鈥檛 see it as, 鈥榯he work is done.鈥欌��
鈥淪till gotta prove it, still gotta own it, still gotta work for it,鈥� added Booker, one of UNM鈥檚 starting interior defensive linemen. 鈥淐an鈥檛 work for it, there鈥檚 no point in having it. So I鈥檓 looking forward to working for it every single day.鈥�
No poll, no problem
Why did the Mountain West eliminate its annual preseason predicted order of finish?
According to conference commissioner Gloria Nevarez, the Lobos played as big a role in that decision as maybe any team in the league.
Despite being picked to finish 11th in last year鈥檚 predicted order of finish, UNM finished last season in a four-way tie for first place with eventual league champion Boise State, runner-up UNLV and San Diego State. But the Lobos did not qualify for the Mountain West Championship game, missing due to their placement in a 鈥�composite average of selected predictive and results-based computer metrics鈥� chosen by the league.
In her opening remarks Wednesday morning, Nevarez compared the hit UNM took last season 鈥� presumably in the computer metrics 鈥� to what Arizona State went through in 2024 after the Sun Devils were picked last in the Big 12. ASU won the Big 12 Championship game that year and qualified for the College Football Playoff, but were seeded lower than 鈥� of all teams 鈥� Mountain West champion Boise State.
Last year, the Big 12 axed its preseason poll in large part due to Arizona State鈥檚 situation. This year, the Mountain West is ditching its poll partially because of what happened to UNM last season.
鈥淲e decided that, although preseason polls are fun and drive some buzz, the risk or detrimental brand impact of being (picked in) the bottom half of the league or last is more detrimental than the (benefit) of having a preseason poll,鈥� Nevarez said. 鈥淏ecause it鈥檚 harder, in hearts and minds, to move up if you鈥檙e last.
鈥淲e went away from it this year. We weren鈥檛 the only one to do so.鈥�
And while it might sting some that there isn鈥檛 a poll the one year UNM might鈥檝e been picked to win the league, the Lobos themselves didn鈥檛 mind the change.
鈥淗onestly, it鈥檚 best for the conference to not have that poll,鈥� Layne said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 probably good for us,鈥� Eck said. 鈥淚 think that can soften a team or it can harden a team. Last year, we kinda used that as fuel, being picked 11th out of 12 (teams).鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 not even too worried about a preseason poll,鈥� Booker said. 鈥淓ither way, every team鈥檚 gotta work day in and day out to get to where they wanna be.鈥�
Notes and quotes
Layne said his right elbow 鈥� on his throwing arm 鈥� is in a good spot after he underwent offseason surgery to repair a torn tendon and didn鈥檛 throw during spring practice: "It's feeling good, man. Elbows are tricky. You got to be careful with them, and I think our training staff is so good 鈥� probably the best in the Group of Six, in my opinion. I spent probably too much time with them."
Eck stands to gain another year of eligibility after the NCAA moved to a 5-for-5 model last month, but has received some early NFL interest. Has he given the latter option some thought? 鈥淚 have some,鈥� he said. 鈥� 鈥� But I鈥檓 really just focused on this year. Because ultimately, I鈥檓 not at that point yet, so I need to keep getting better.鈥�
A Rouen, France native, Aliane said France鈥檚 2-0 loss to Spain on Tuesday, 鈥渂roke my heart 鈥� (I) thought we were gonna get our revenge against Argentina, but nope. We didn鈥檛 even get the chance to get there.鈥�
Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at .
