← the board · drewhoover.com · 2024–2026
New Mexico's best defenders since 2024
Jaxton Eck leads with 153 tackles in 18 games at New Mexico; Noah Avinger had 91.
Every defender with 5 or more games at New Mexico since 2024, ranked by tackles; the lines are each player's tackles game by game, the top 8 drawn. A link opens the player's page, where he has one, or his row on the board.
76 defenders with 5+ games at New Mexicotackles
| # | player | seasons | games | tackles | sacks | tackles for loss | interceptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaxton Eck | 2025–2026 | 18 | 153 | 1.5 | 13 | 1 |
| 2 | Noah Avinger | 2024 | 12 | 91 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 3 | Randolph Kpai | 2024–2025 | 16 | 90 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 4 | Mercury Swaim | 2025–2026 | 17 | 84 | 3.5 | 12 | 0 |
| 5 | CJ McBean | 2025–2026 | 16 | 59 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 6 | Nigel Williams | 2024 | 12 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Frankie Edwards III | 2025–2026 | 17 | 57 | 0.5 | 3 | 1 |
| 8 | Darren Agu | 2025–2026 | 17 | 54 | 6 | 14 | 0 |
| 9 | Jon Johnson | 2025 | 13 | 54 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Keyshawn James-Newby | 2025 | 12 | 52 | 9 | 16 | 0 |
| 11 | Austin Brawley | 2025–2026 | 11 | 49 | 1.5 | 5 | 5 |
| 12 | Brett Karhu | 2025–2026 | 18 | 44 | 11 | 18 | 0 |
| 13 | Ky'won McCray | 2025 | 11 | 38 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 14 | Drew Speech | 2024–2026 | 18 | 35 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 15 | Moso'oipala Tuitele | 2024 | 10 | 35 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| 16 | Caleb Coleman | 2025 | 11 | 34 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 17 | Brian Booker | 2025–2026 | 14 | 29 | 2.5 | 7 | 0 |
| 18 | Xavier Slayton | 2025–2026 | 13 | 29 | 3.5 | 6 | 2 |
| 19 | Devin Brandt-Epps | 2024 | 11 | 29 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 20 | Antoineo Harris Jr. | 2024 | 10 | 29 | 0.5 | 6 | 0 |
| 21 | Okiki Olorunfunmi | 2024–2025 | 15 | 26 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 22 | Jahmir Torres | 2025–2026 | 11 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 23 | Abraham Williams | 2025 | 7 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Cam Watts | 2024 | 7 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 25 | Jalen McIver | 2025–2026 | 14 | 19 | 4 | 9 | 0 |
| 26 | Elijah Brody | 2024–2026 | 12 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 27 | Clay Martineau | 2026 | 5 | 16 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 28 | Jayden Flaker | 2026 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 29 | Skylar Cook | 2024 | 6 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 30 | Garrison Walker | 2024 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 31 | Kevin Longstreet | 2026 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 32 | Bear Levells | 2025–2026 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 33 | Ormanie Arnold | 2026 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 34 | Albert Tuakalau | 2026 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 35 | Eric McClain | 2026 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | D'Angelo Mayes | 2024 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Marco Beltran Jr. | 2026 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Elijah Lilly | 2016–2019 | 31 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 39 | Dimitri Johnson | 2023–2025 | 30 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 40 | Tavian Combs | 2021–2026 | 24 | — | — | — | 7 |
| 41 | Gabriel Lopez | 2023–2025 | 23 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 42 | Christian Ellis | 2023–2024 | 18 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 43 | Bryce Santana | 2022–2024 | 17 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 44 | Noa Pola-Gates | 2023–2024 | 16 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 45 | David Murphy | 2023–2025 | 15 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 46 | Donte Martin | 2019–2023 | 15 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 47 | Kyler Drake | 2021–2024 | 15 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 48 | Bryson Taylor | 2022–2024 | 14 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 49 | De'John Rogers | 2018–2019 | 12 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 50 | Dereck Moore | 2023–2024 | 12 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 51 | Jerrick Reed II | 2019–2022 | 12 | — | — | — | 7 |
| 52 | Duece Jones | 2021–2023 | 10 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 53 | Eddy Edwards | 2012–2014 | 10 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 54 | Jayden Wilson | 2023–2024 | 10 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 55 | Alec Marenco | 2021–2023 | 9 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 56 | Marcus Hayes | 2018 | 9 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 57 | Ronald Wilson | 2021–2022 | 9 | — | — | — | 4 |
| 58 | Cranston Jones | 2012–2015 | 8 | — | — | — | 8 |
| 59 | Jermarius Lewis | 2022–2023 | 8 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 60 | Syaire Riley | 2021–2023 | 8 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 61 | Tyler Kiehne | 2023–2024 | 8 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 62 | Cody Moon | 2021–2022 | 7 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 63 | Donnie Duncan | 2011–2015 | 7 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 64 | Jake Saltonstall | 2020–2022 | 7 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 65 | Nik D'Avanzo | 2013–2016 | 7 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 66 | Aaron Smith | 2023–2025 | 6 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 67 | Hunter Rapolla | 2023 | 6 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 68 | Mihalis Santorineos | 2023–2024 | 6 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 69 | Patrick Peek | 2019–2021 | 6 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 70 | A.J. Haulcy | 2022 | 5 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 71 | Destin Gainer | 2023 | 5 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 72 | Jaden Hullaby | 2022 | 5 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 73 | Jake Rothschiller | 2016–2017 | 5 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 74 | Joey Noble | 2019–2021 | 5 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 75 | Markel Byrd | 2014–2015 | 5 | — | — | — | 4 |
| 76 | Zach Morris | 2023 | 5 | — | — | — | 1 |
Also at New Mexico: quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, kickers, punters. Every school and conference: schools, conferences. The games are ESPN's box scores since 2004 (the Method says where they fall short); a position is the roster's, else read off the box score, so a tight end from before 2014 may be listed with the wide receivers.