Week 1 of the college football season is upon us, as the Michigan Wolverines will take the field at the Big House against New Mexico on Saturday. It’s a new era for the Lobos, as Jason Eck — former head coach for the Idaho Vandals — takes over for a program desperate for success. They haven’t made a bowl game since 2016 and have just two bowl appearances (both the New Mexico Bowl) in the last 17 seasons.
After serving as the offensive line coach and offensive coordinator at South Dakota State, Eck
took over as the head coach at Idaho. The Vandals mad the playoffs for all three season he was with the team, finishing Top 10 in the FCS for the last two years.
In Week 1 last year, Idaho went toe-to-toe with eventual Big Ten Champion Oregon in a game where they trailed by just a field goal with less than 10 minutes left. Like any good coach would, Eck brought over several players from that Idaho squad to New Mexico, and they all will likely play a significant impact in shaping the success of the 2025 roster.
All three of the players we’ll highlight played important roles in keeping the game against the Ducks close. Here are the three New Mexico players to watch this weekend.
QB Jack Layne
An All-FCS performer last season, Jack Layne finished with 1,472 yards, 14 touchdowns and four interceptions in limited time last season. The redshirt junior suffered multiple injuries that caused him to miss time, but when he played in the big games, especially late in the season, he shined.
In a 40-17 win over rival Idaho State, he completed 18-of-23 passes for 229 yards and three touchdowns. Then in the FCS playoffs, he completed 69.2 percent of his passes for 557 yards and five touchdowns to one interception in two games.
The top thing to look out for with Layne and this offense? “They run a ridiculous amount of trick plays — kind of like we do, but I think a little bit more. We got to be ready for that,” said Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore in his Monday press conference.
Both of the Vandals’ touchdowns against Oregon came on trick plays, including this touchdown run from Layne:
LB Jaxton Eck
Even in a subpar performance from their quarterback, Idaho kept it close against the Ducks. A big reason for that is the head coach’s son, Jaxton Eck.
The junior was one of the best players in the FCS last season. He recorded 134 tackles, which would have been good enough for the third-most at the FBS level. He had 14 tackles against the Ducks, one of eight double-digit tackle games last season.
Eck played in 26 games, including 14 starts last season. He’s exactly the kind of player you’d want to start a rebuild with at a program like New Mexico. Regardless of the connection with his dad as head coach, he deserved every minute of being on the field and has earned his captain status.
Edge Keyshawn James-Newby
Speaking of All-American defenders that turned into New Mexico captains, Keyshawn James-Newby was one of the most important additions to this team. That’s because they weren’t even sure he would have another year of eligibility. He was one of several players granted an additional year of eligibility due to competing at a non-NCAA institution (like a JUCO or NAIA) and had exhausted their eligibility following the 2024-25 academic year.
For James-Newby and New Mexico, that ruling was extremely significant because he was one of the most dominant pass rushers in the FCS last year. In 13 games, he had 65 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. He made his presence felt in Week 1 last season, sacking Dillon Gabriel twice.
Michigan has two new starting offensive tackles and a true freshman quarterback making his first career start. James-Newby will be a real test for both Evan Link and Andrew Sprague. It’s very likely Bryce Underwood will see pressure from him, and it’ll be the first time he experiences the speed of the college game.
James-Newby has proven he can be a game-wrecker, even against FBS competition. If New Mexico keeps this game close, it’s probably because of the impact of James-Newby and the pass rush.
