Since the advent of the transfer portal, it has become common for players to leave their current school and follow their coach if that coach gets a new job.
On Thursday, news broke that New Mexico Lobos coach Bronco Mendenhall would be hired to the same position at Utah State, and also that Lobos offensive coordinator Jason Beck would be taking his same post at Utah.
Since Thursday, news has also broken that several of New Mexico’s best players — star quarterback Devon Dampier, standout running back Eli Sanders and this season’s leading receiver Luke Wysong headline the list — have entered the portal.
Could any of them land at either Utah State or Utah? These specific situations provide interesting circumstances. On one hand, following Mendenhall would be essentially a lateral move for Lobo players.
On the other hand, it is less common for players to follow assistant coaches, even from a Group of Five school to a Power Four school, and several of New Mexico’s players who are entering the portal are probably going to be looking for P4 opportunities.
Here’s a look the situations of Dampier, Sanders and Wysong, as well as a brief glance at all of the Lobos who have entered the portal so far this offseason.
Devon Dampier
Devon Dampier turned into an absolute star during his sophomore season at New Mexico. Rather lightly recruited out of Saguaro High in Scottsdale, Arizona, Dampier ended up in company all by himself this season.
As observed on X by Ben Stevens, Dampier was the only player in the entire country to throw for at least 2,500 yards and run for at least 1,000 yards this season (he also accounted for 31 touchdowns).
Though it has become less of a desire around football for quarterbacks to be tall and big, Dampier is on the smaller end at 5-foot-10 and 198 pounds.
Will that perhaps keep some top-tier programs from going after him in the portal? Maybe, but he is absolutely electric and should get plenty of looks from the Power Four ranks.
Utah, of course, is among those ranks and needs to improve its quarterback room. While it’s less common for a player to leave a school to follow an assistant coach than it is a head coach, it would make more sense at least from a purely football standpoint for Dampier to follow Beck to Utah than it would be for him to follow Mendenhall to Utah State given his talent level.
That said, Dampier will be a hot commodity around the nation and it shouldn’t be seen as a sure thing at all that Utah lands him.
“What a remarkable young person and what a remarkable player,” Mendenhall said of Dampier three weeks ago after New Mexico upset a ranked Washington State team and Dampier set a new school record for total offense in a season. “Man am I glad that I get to be the head coach with him on our team.”
Eli Sanders
A junior this season, Sanders rushed for 1,063 yards on 147 carries and scored nine touchdowns. A native of California, Sanders played three seasons at Iowa State — tallying 703 rushing yards — before transferring to New Mexico for the 2024 campaign.
Could he return to the Big 12 by following Beck after his standout season or join Mendenhall? Utah will certainly be in the market for high-quality running backs, as leading rusher Micah Bernard is graduating and Dijon Stanley, Jaylon Glover and Anthony Woods are all entering the portal.
Again, it is less common for players to follow assistants than head coaches in transfers, but this could be one to watch for Utah if Ute coaches feel Sanders is of Power Four quality.
Luke Wysong
A year ago, much was made about how Wysong, a New Mexico native, was sticking with his plan to stay home after Mendenhall was hired instead of transferring.
As a junior in 2024, Wysong led the Lobos in catches (69) and receiving yards (840) and was also used as a returner, scoring a touchdown on a punt return.
In a post on social media announcing his intention to enter the portal, he wrote he was doing so “to strive & reach my highest potential as well as maximize my future opportunities.”
Could that mean Wysong may eye following Beck to Utah? Like at quarterback and running back, the Utes will be looking to bolster their wide receiver corps in a pretty significant way this offseason.
Others
Here’s a list of all the New Mexico players who have entered the portal, according to 247 Sports’ tracker:
- Brendan Durkin, long snapper
- Tavien Ford, offensive lineman
- Jer’marques Bailey, offensive lineman
- Tavian Combs, safety