UNM football
Lobo football announces four signees, including a Cleveland wide receiver
New Mexico announced four prep signees, bringing its signing class up to 33 total players
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The Lobos鈥� class of 2026 got a little bigger this week.
New Mexico announced four prep signees Monday, bringing its signing class up to 33 total players entering head coach Jason Eck鈥檚 second season.
鈥淏ig class, but happy with where we鈥檙e at,鈥� he said in a news conference Monday. 鈥淲e鈥檒l have a few other guys that we鈥檒l announce, non-scholarship guys, that we鈥檙e finishing up 鈥� Then we鈥檒l focus our attention in January to the portal.鈥�
Here鈥檚 a look at those players, likely the last handful of names added to UNM鈥檚 class of 2026:
WR Jacob Maldonado
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound receiver caught 53 passes for 800 yards and nine touchdowns this season at Cleveland High School. Maldonado also rushed for 201 yards and two touchdowns.
OL Matheu Alderman
Alderman, a 6-5, 270-pound offensive lineman at Eldorado High School, was offered by UNM as a preferred walk-on in mid-November.
OL Joshua Meisner
The 6-3, 270-pound senior at Salpointe Catholic (Arizona) High School was offered by UNM as a preferred walk-on in June. Before signing, Meisner announced his commitment to the Lobos in late October.
CB Kingston Spivey
Spivey, a 5-9, 160-pound senior at Hamilton (Arizona) High School, committed to UNM in October before signing this month. The three-star prospect had additional offers from Utah, Sacramento State and Jackson State.
Opting out?
UNM doesn鈥檛 have any opt-outs in the traditional sense, where a player might sit out a bowl game to not risk injury before making a push for the NFL.
But Eck said three players are leaving the team ahead of the Rate Bowl (Dec. 26): Reserve offensive linemen Trace Edmundson and Jordan Mora, and linebacker Randolph Kpai.
A former Nebraska transfer, Kpai announced his plans to enter the portal last week via social media.
The 6-2, 219-pound redshirt senior started 10 games at linebacker in 2024, but struggled to carve out a role on defense this season; he would likely need a waiver to play another year.
鈥淗e鈥檚 going to enter the transfer portal and wants to play some more,鈥� Eck said in a news conference Sunday. 鈥淗e did a nice job for us on special teams this year.鈥�
Edmundson, a former Bucknell transfer, is leaving football entirely to focus on academics, per Eck. Mora, a former Cerritos (Calif.) College transfer, is leaving UNM to find more playing time elsewhere.
Neither appeared in a game for UNM this season.
Hopeful to return
Earlier this season, Eck said wide receiver Michael Buckley (six receptions, 76 yards) was on a trajectory to possibly return for UNM鈥檚 bowl game. Monday, he clarified that was still the hope for the 6-0, 179-pound redshirt junior.
鈥淲e鈥檙e still optimistic,鈥� Eck said. 鈥淎gain, he鈥檚 not fully cleared (to return), but I think he鈥檚 got certainly a solid chance to get back for it.鈥�
Cornerback Abraham Williams is also not cleared, Eck said, but is making progress towards returning for the Rate Bowl; the 6-1, 186-pound senior missed UNM鈥檚 last five games with an undisclosed injury.
Eck added that offensive lineman Richard Pearce is still away from the team with a personal matter. 鈥淗ope to get him back for the bowl game,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut (Pearce) is not back yet.鈥�
One more year?
Earlier this month, defensive end Brett Karhu posted on social media that he might be getting an additional year despite technically exhausting his eligibility. The 6-1, 226-pound senior played two seasons at Division II Oklahoma Baptist University, and could be eligible for another year through a waiver.
鈥淔or a guy like Karhu (to get an additional year) is really going to take legal intervention,鈥� Eck said. 鈥淗e had a year at a (Division II) school which, guys like (defensive end) Keyshawn James-Newby got a year this year because of playing two years at an NAIA school. So, (I鈥檓) not sure how that鈥檚 gonna sort out, but he鈥檚 in that case.
鈥淎nd we got a few guys who went to junior college (with similar cases) like (quarterback James Laubstein, safety David Murphy and cornerback Azariah Levells). Those guys are, right now, guys we鈥檙e not planning on having back. But I think if they were able to 鈥� through legal action 鈥� gain another year, we would welcome them back.鈥�
Midyear enrollees
In addition to the Lobos鈥� junior college signees, Eck said five prep signees will enroll at UNM next semester: quarterback Cade Mitchell, linebacker Hayes Baum, tight end Max Leeper, defensive tackle Nick Barber and wide receiver D.J. Darling.
