New Mexico State Football: Living the independent life

Defense

Last year’s trip to the Arizona Bowl was due in large part to the incredible turnaround from Frank Spaziani’s defense. The unit held opponents to an average of under 30 points per game for the first time since 2003. They also ranked 13th in the country in turnovers generated, snagging 27 takeaways in 13 games.

Nine starters from last year’s team return in 2018, making the transition to independence a lot easier on that side of the ball. The entire defensive line returns, and only Malik Demby is a senior. The group as a whole has a good combination of experience and potential to develop further.

So too does the secondary, where the team fortified itself with talent. But the biggest star is undoubtedly junior cornerback Shamad Lomax. As a sophomore starter in 2017, Lomax led the team with four interceptions. This year, he could move to safety after New Mexico State elected to bring in former Minnesota player Ray Buford Jr.

Buford was vetted heavily by New Mexico State. After he was threatened with expulsion from Minnesota for an alleged sexual assault, the cornerback spent the last year at Independence Community College. The school eventually elected to bring him onto the roster, and he could make a huge impact on the field for the Aggies.

Focusing on middle linebacker

Of course, not everyone returns. Middle linebacker Dalton Herrington is the biggest loss for a unit that didn’t suffer many departures. Over the past few years, though, Herrington locked down the mike position and made it his own.

Last year, Herrington was a force to reckon with if you were facing him. The linebacker notched 7.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss. Herrington added an interception and finished the year with 134 total tackles.

Replacing Herrington’s production will be one of the few challenges Spaziani and position coach Oliver Soukup need to deal with this season at New Mexico State. Lui Fa’amasino, a junior-college transfer who played 10 games with the Aggies last season, looks like the top candidate to take over the spot in the middle of the linebacking corps.