NSD Aftermath: Analyzing ENMU's New Mexico signees (Part 1)

<p><strong>Part 1 of a series analyzing the 2024 New Mexico prospects signed by the Eastern New Mexico football program</strong></p>   <p>When it comes to recruiting deserving New Mexico prospects, Eastern New Mexico and head coach Kelley Lee have been on an impressive roil since the beginning of January.</p>   <p>Wednesday, the Greyhounds signed 25 high school prospects and 1 JUCO prospect from the Land of Enchantment, arguably the best single day tally in recent memory. The group includes one quarterback and five running backs.</p>   <p>“This class has a very local flavor with a lot of New Mexico and West Texas players,” Lee said during ENMU's Signing Day Show. “It's a good mix. We're excited about it.”</p>   <p>ENMU signed four of the top seven running backs in our 2024 rankings. In Part 1 of a series, here is a look at the quarterback and running back positions:</p>   <p><strong>Quarterback</strong></p>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1155301' first='Daniel' last='Hernandez'], Centennial</strong>: Hernandez was the only quarterback signed by the Greyhounds because they already have several veterans on the roster. That could help Hernandez, who dual threat skills intrigued Lee, in the future.</p>   <p>“Hernandez has been well coached at Centennial,” Lee said. “We feel we got a good one n Daniel. He can throw the ball, run the ball and he's a leader. Tough kid. We think he'll be a good fit for us.”     </p>   <p><strong>Running Backs</strong></p>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='274977' first='Andres' last='Aguirre'], Cleveland</strong>: Aguirre transferred to Cleveland before the 2022 season after playing his freshman and sophomore seasons at Albuquerque High, where he emerged as one of the top young running backs in the Albuquerque Metroa area. However, at Cleveland, he played DB in 2022 and suffered a season-ending injury early in the campaign last fall. However, ENMU stayed loyal.</p>   <p>“When we offered Andres as a junior, we thought he was one of the top five players in the state,” Lee said. “He could play running back or safety for us. Because of his injury, his recruiting fell off, but we stuck with him. We think we're getting a steal.”       </p>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='274709' first='Alijah' last='Gonzales'], Volcano Vista</strong>: The Albuquerque Metro region was loaded with quality running backs in 2023, and nobody was better than Gonzales, who was a workhorse for the Hawks, averaging about 25 carries per game.</p>   <p>“He has a ton of upside,” Kelley said. “He has only played running back for one or two years. He's been more of a defensive player in his career, but they needed him to be a running back this past season. He's still learning how to be a running back. He just played in an all-star game at the Cowboys Stadium and did really well. He's a diamond in a rough.”    </p>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='590712' first='Charles' last='Lopez-Burton'], Valley</strong>: Lopez-Burton is a tough, physical runner with a 6-foot-0, 230-pound frame. With his speed, he's a perfect fit for ENMU's flexbone offense.</p>   <p>“He's another guy that's new to the running back position,” Lee said. “Going into his senior year, we were recruiting him as an athlete. He played linebacker, H-Back and tight end. He became Valley's main guy this year. He can easily carry 220-230 pounds. He's fast. He's a skilled guy. He's still learning the running back position. He has tons of upside.”     </p>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='590512' first='Harris' last='Mbueha'], Cleveland</strong>: Mbueha first showcased his talents as a junior in the 2022 6A state championship game when he helped lead the Storm to the championship. This past season, he continued to impress and was one of the top running backs in the state.</p>   <p>“Harris is a big, physical running back,” Lee said. “He'll fit as a fullback, a B-back, in our offense. He can really run the ball between the tackles. He's very hard to bring down. We think he's a really good addition to our Ground Strike offense.”      </p>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='275041' first='Baylor' last='Seabolt'], Aztec</strong>: Seabolt brings great size and speed to the slot back position. Seabolt will be asked to carry the ball and block for the Greyhounds.</p>   <p>“Baylor is a fast running back that will play as a slot,” Lee said. “But he also has good size at 195 pounds. With the new cut (blocking) rules changing, we used to get away with smaller slots. But with the new rules, we need bigger slot backs. Baylor fits that mold. He has speed but is big enough to block linebackers.”   </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ENMUFootball/status/1755465173802873201?s=20 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ENMUFootball/status/1755461955563725269?s=20 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ENMUFootball/status/1755453259953680505?s=20 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ENMUFootball/status/1755452312472932469?s=20 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ENMUFootball/status/1755451397493965026?s=20 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ENMUFootball/status/1755448111663583573?s=20 </div></figure>

Part 1 of a series analyzing the 2024 New Mexico prospects signed by the Eastern New Mexico football program