New Mexico State Reloads Through the Portal in Search of a Bowl Return
New Mexico State went 4-8 (2-6 Conference USA) in 2025, a step that still left the Aggies short of the postseason and searching for answers on offense. Tony Sanchez enters his third season in Las Cruces at 7-17 with the program (27-57 over seven years as a head coach), and he has again leaned hard on the transfer portal, rebuilding the offensive line and the running back room while opening another competition at quarterback.
Coordinators David Yost (offense) and Joe Morris (defense) return to steer a roster that once more tilts heavily toward newcomers and junior college additions. The formula is simple: fix a run game that ranked at the bottom of the FBS, protect the passer better, and let a takeaway-minded defense keep games within reach.
Offense
For the third straight year the Aggies are sorting out their starter under center, and the sources do not agree on a clear No. 1. Returner Adam Damante, who threw for 711 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions, is viewed in one corner as the frontrunner to take over, while Furman transfer Trey Hedden, who put up 2,967 yards, 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions at the FCS level, is pegged elsewhere as the man the staff is turning to. Either way, the job is open, and the program has been chasing stability at the position ever since Diego Pavia left for Vanderbilt after the 2024 season.
Whoever wins the job inherits a group with some proven vertical juice. Veteran TK King is the anchor after catching 41 passes for 588 yards and three scores despite missing time early with an injury. AJ Williams III adds intrigue as he returns from an injury that wiped out his 2025 following a jump up from Division III Mary Hardin-Baylor. The staff needs more steady production from Brodie Malone-Bradford and Williams, especially with leading receiver Donovan Faupel gone to Arkansas. Joshua Goines is the top option at tight end.
The ground game was the season's biggest flaw, as the Aggies finished dead last in the FBS at 2.6 yards per carry and averaged an FBS-worst 77.3 rushing yards per game. The fix ran through the portal. Delaware State transfer James Jones, an All-MEAC pick who ran for 958 yards and nine touchdowns and is tabbed the team's top newcomer, joins Iowa transfer TJ Washington Jr. and returning starter Dijon Stanley. Sanchez has called the revamped rushing attack the biggest difference of the spring, and even modest gains here should restore balance and take pressure off the passing game.
Protection was every bit as much of a problem, with the line surrendering 34 sacks, close to three per game. New Mexico State returns just one starter in Mateo Rodriguez but reloaded with four transfers who bring starting experience: Tyler Keinath (Boise State), James Williams (UTEP), Luke Moise (Wofford) and Mark Chapman (Columbia). Sanchez has praised the group as bigger, stronger and more athletic, though he acknowledged the staff was still hunting for the right five-man combination this offseason.
Defense
The front is the unit that must take a step. The Aggies managed only 19 sacks a year ago and lost sack leader Ezra Christensen to Colorado, so generating pressure is the offseason priority. Veteran Gabe Peterson returns to lead the way, and Sanchez is counting on transfers Kaian Roberts-Day and Zhakius Thomas to give the pass rush the boost it has lacked over the past two seasons.
This is the strength of the defense. The veteran duo of Tory Gethers and Sone Aupiu is back for senior seasons after combining for roughly 155 tackles. Gethers piled up 88 stops with three sacks and a forced fumble, while Aupiu added 68 tackles, a sack, two forced fumbles and an interception in 11 games. Their experience gives the middle of the field a reliable backbone.
Ball-hawking is the calling card here. New Mexico State forced 24 turnovers, split between nine fumble recoveries and 15 interceptions, a haul that ranked among the national leaders and topped Conference USA. The group must replace All-CUSA performer Naeten Mitchell, but it brings back veterans Josiah Charles and Nick Session and welcomes former starter Tayden Barnes back from Cincinnati, where his versatility lets him line up at nickel or either safety spot. Safety Bernock Iya, who grabbed four interceptions, is another headliner in the back end.
The kicking job is up for grabs, with returning placekickers David Barker and Kyah Francone competing against Utah Tech transfer Ilya Uvaydov. Minnesota transfer Brody Richter was the only punter carried in the spring and appears set to handle those duties. The return game could be a genuine weapon, as both King and Stanley are capable of flipping field position.
Overview and Prediction
The schedule offers a path back to relevance. After early trips to Florida State and Hawaii, the Aggies play a manageable Conference USA slate that includes home dates with Western Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Liberty and Delaware, plus the rivalry meeting with New Mexico. The preseason consensus slots New Mexico State in the lower half of the league, around eighth or ninth.
The talent to climb higher is present. A defense that takes the ball away and returns two proven linebackers could push toward the upper third of the conference if the pass rush finally shows up. But the ceiling rests on the offense: the Aggies must settle the quarterback question and prove the retooled line and backfield can actually run the ball. Get those two things right and six wins and a bowl bid are within reach. Fall short again, and the pressure on the Sanchez era only grows.