Recruiting New Mexico: Lobos add key piece for in-state efforts

Since his first day on the job just over two years ago, New Mexico Lobos head coach Danny Gonzales has preached the importance of recruiting the state and keeping the best players home. So far, he’s been able to do that. Last year he signed about a half dozen prospects from New Mexico, and a few contributed immediately, most notably wide receiver <strong>Luke Wysong</strong>, who led the Lobos in receptions last season. For the 2022 recruiting class, UNM signed five players from the Land of Enchantment, four during the early signing period in December. UCLA transfer <strong>Tyler Kiehne</strong>, La Cueva LB <strong>Hunter Haemker</strong>, Rio Rancho OL <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="26229" first="Cayden" last="Romero"]</strong>, and Rio Rancho RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="26227" first="Zach" last="Vigil"]</strong>, the state Gatorade Player of the Year. Two weeks ago, UNM signed Albuquerque High DE <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="198032" first="Landon" last="Williams"]</strong> at the outset of the late signing period for Division I schools. The Lobos now have the last three New Mexico Players of the Year on the squad and on scholarship in Isaiah Chavez (2019), Wysong (2020) and now Vigil (2021). Gonzales recently made a key hire that he hopes strengthens UNM’s in-state recruiting: Cleveland head coach Heath Ridenour, architect of the most successful high school program over the past decade, joined the Lobos staff in January as the quarterbacks coach. “Heath is very good at relationships,” Gonzales said. “And building relationships is what recruiting is about. He’ll be just fine. At a place like New Mexico, you have to be willing to outwork people and turn over every rock. Heath has done that his entire career. He’s a people person.” Ridenour has lived his entire life in New Mexico, and he insists when it comes to recruiting in-state players, it’s personal for him. “We’re going to recruit the best of the best in New Mexico,” Ridenour said. “We’re going to go get them. We’re going to attack them and turn them into Lobos. I want these guys to want to Lobos. We have some work to do to make that happen, but we’re going to talk to those guys and we’re going to give them an opportunity to fulfill their dreams right here.” Ridenour will assist UNM in fulfilling another Gonzales pledge: visiting every New Mexico high school at least once per year. Within days of being hired, Ridenour was on the road recruiting, visiting Hobbs, Lovington (his alma mater) and Cleveland, among many other schools. “We will continue to be in every high school like we have been,” Gonzales said. Ridenour will be a huge asset to the UNM staff in evaluating New Mexico players, Gonzales said. “We’re going to continue to take the four to five best high school players in New Mexico every year,” Gonzales said. “Heath will have a really good grasp of the next three classes because he has competed directly against them. He’ll have ideas about those kids that we might not have otherwise.” “The thing we do really well here is evaluate. He’ll be a big piece of that. It will help us. We have done a really good job with New Mexico high school recruiting.” Former Rio Rancho coach David Howes has been on UNM’s staff since the first year. Once rivals, Ridenour and Howes will now team to give the Lobos a powerhouse presence inside the state. “We have two great football coaches from the state of New Mexico to help us build this program,” Gonzales said. “It will help with the relationships. The best part of having both of those guys on our staff is the high school coaches around the state enjoy them. “We have an opportunity because of the relationships those two guys have to continue building great relationships with the rest of the New Mexico high school coaches because of they respect them.” Gonzales said NMMI winning the JUCO national title will help spotlight New Mexico players. Broncos QB Diego Pavia was recruited by UNM but eventually committed to New Mexico State. “They have a very good job recruiting kids, both in-state and out of state,” Gonzales said. “We talked with Diego Pavia and he was here over Thanksgiving. I’m proud of them.” https://twitter.com/UNMLoboFB/status/1494039105478422528 https://twitter.com/UNMLoboFB/status/1492294666129010688 https://twitter.com/UNMLoboFB/status/1491120511761489922 &nbsp;