GET IN YOUR LAYNE: UNM opens up 2025 camp with new coach, energy

UNM head footbal coach Jason Eck watches the first day of UNM fall practice on Wednesday. Eck enters his first season as the face of the Lobos program. Erik Moulton/The Pit Press

For UNM football, the times they are a-changin'.

The first day of the 2025 fall camp for the Lobos was on Wednesday and for the third-straight year, there is a new head coach for UNM.

The Jason Eck era has officially entered its first camp.

Since Eck walked onto UNM’s campus in December, it’s been a complete U-turn from the Bronco Mendenhall era, with a strong social media and community presence, a new energy from him and his coaching staff and a plethra of new faces under helmets (there are 76 newcomers on the 2025 roster between freshmen and transfers).

Eck said – overall – the first day was solid.

But some improvement is and will be needed.

“I thought, sometimes, we’re just not getting in-and-out of the huddle as smooth as I’d like to see,” Eck said.” We need to get lined up better and just have a little more urgency… but the effort was there between plays and that was good.”

UNM fans and the country were spoiled by the shot-out-of-a-cannon season by former Lobo quarterback Devon Dampier (he transferred to Utah and followed offensive coordinator Jason Beck).

Dampier, who might have been the most prolific offensive player the program has ever seen.

He is the first Lobo ever to earn First Team All-Mountain West Conference honors.

Dampier led the MWC in total offense with 3,934 yards and was third in rushing with 1,166 yards in becoming the first Lobo quarterback to break the 1,000-yard mark. He scored 19 touchdowns and averaged 7.52 yards per carry. The yards per carry led the MWC.

He also helped UNM earn its first win over a ranked team after 26 straight losses, as UNM knocked off Washington State 38-35 back in November.

Who replaces him?

Enter Jack Layne.

Layne transferred from Idaho and followed Eck and offensive coordinator Luke Schleusner and suffered an elbow injury during UNM’s spring practice and was held out for the rest of the spring.

He threw for 1,477 yards and four touchdowns in six games for the Vandals in 2024.

Layne transferred to UNM as the clear-cut starter at quarterback to start for the Lobos.

Layne said the injury taught him a lot about himself and that he wasn’t taking care of his body.

“It’s torture,” Layne said. “You work so hard to get her here and practice and put in so much work in the winter and summer. You want to see your work come to fruition.”

UNM quarterback Jack Layne throws a pass at UNM’s first football camp practice of the 2025 season. Layne has recovered from an elbow injury in the spring and is in competition to be the starter for the Lobos in Week 1 against Michigan. Erik Moulton/The Pit Press

Layne is on a “pitch count” for the fall camp out of caution for his elbow.

He will be limited to 40 attempts per practice, so Layne doesn’t overuse his arm.

Eck said that the amount of passing Layne was doing led to the elbow injury in the spring.

“Certainly, good to have him back,” Eck said. “He showed some good poise in the pocket, control and accuracy… I thought he had some nice pocket movement.”

However, Eck hasn’t named a starter.

JUCO transfer James Laubstein saw the brunt of the work in the fall and Connecticut transfer Cole Welliver offers a big body.

Welliver stands at 6-foot-7 and weighs 224 lbs.

There is also freshman quarterback Toa Faavae from Southern California.

Eck said he wants to announce a starter at quarterback and hopes to name one by the time school starts at UNM on Aug. 18.

“It’s like (predicting) the presidential election. You can’t wait until every vote is counted because then it’s too late,” Eck said. “I think the problem with dragging it out is, you want to get even reps with (all the starters) and make sure you pick the starter at some point.”

The UNM football season opens up on Aug. 30 when UNM takes on the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. You can listen to the game on the Lobo Radio Network or watch on NBC.