UNM football: Get to know the 13 transfers the Lobos announced on Wednesday

Jun. 5—New Mexico announced a 13-player signing class Wednesday, featuring seven transfers from the Power Four ranks. The Lobos have now either signed or landed commitments from 19 players since the start of spring practice in late March.

Of the 13 players, the Journal had already reported on six of the signings. Here are the seven new signees:

Jahvante Royal (CB)

Previous school: Pitt

Eligibility remaining: Two seasons

Notes: A Fort Lauderdale, Florida native, Royal has appeared in 11 of 23 Panthers games, primarily on special teams. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound defensive back briefly moved to wide receiver in 2022 before switching back to cornerback, where he has four career tackles.

Garrison Walker (DL)

Previous school: Auburn

Eligibility remaining: One season

Notes: Walker, 6-1, 296 pounds, played in four games for the Tigers last season, making one of four career tackles. The Reinhardt University transfer is the son of two-time NFL Pro Bowl defensive end Gary Walker, who made 427 total tackles across 11 seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans.

Dom Tatum (S)

Previous school: Washington State

Eligibility remaining: One season

Notes: After spending four seasons with Utah State, Tatum transferred to Washington State and appeared in the Cougars’ first two games before deciding to leave the program. The 6-3, 180-pound Culver City, California native’s best season came in 2022, when he recorded 26 total tackles and one sack in 13 games for the Aggies.

Cam Watts (CB)

Previous school: Texas Tech

Eligibility remaining: One season

Notes: The 5-11, 200-pound Watts spent one season at Northeast Oklahoma A&M before transferring to Texas Tech, where he made 12 total tackles over 29 games. The Tulsa, Oklahoma native appeared in all 13 games on special teams and as a reserve corner last season.

Tevin Shaw (OL)

Previous school: Houston

Eligibility remaining: Three seasons

Notes: Shaw, 6-4, 310 pounds, appeared in 10 games as a sophomore with the Cougars’ field goal unit. The Manvel, Texas native was rated as a three-star prospect out of high school and earned a previous offer from the Lobos in May 2021.

Ishmael Burdine (CB)

Previous school: TCU

Eligibility remaining: One season

Notes: Burdine redshirted one of three seasons at Missouri before appearing in five games over the last two years with TCU. The Slidell, Louisiana native is 6-1, 195 pounds and joins the Lobos with 26 total tackles over 19 games.

Randolph Kpai (LB)

Previous school: Nebraska

Eligibility remaining: Two seasons

Notes: Kpai, a 6-2, 210-pound linebacker, made no game appearances in three seasons with the Huskers. A former four-star recruit from Sioux Falls, he was previously rated as the best overall prospect in South Dakota.

Here are the six signees announced Wednesday that the Journal had already reported after they posted their commitments on social media: — OL LaJuan Owens (Tulane) — WR Kader Diop (San Diego Mesa Community College) — QB Emery Floyd (College of the Canyons) — RB Na’Quari Rogers (Campbell University) — LB Niko Bohler (Diablo Valley Community College) — LB Tirek Austin-Cave (West Virginia)

UNM has yet to announce four players that previously tendered commitments via social media: — QB Sol-Jay Maiava-Peters (BYU) — DB Drew Speech (Monterey Park College) — DB Victor Villafuerte (Monterey Park College) — OL Griffin Shureman (Arizona State)

Where are they now?

Arizona announced Wednesday via social media that former UNM running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt is back with the Wildcats ahead of the Lobos’ Aug. 31 game against their western rivals. The Montgomery, Alabama native (1,190 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns last season) entered the transfer portal in January and initially committed to Arizona, then flipped to Ole Miss in April.

Sandra Gonzales — wife of former UNM head coach and current Arizona special teams coordinator/linebackers coach Danny Gonzales — posted a picture of Croskey-Merritt and her husband posing together in front of a door with the Wildcats’ “Block A” logo, stoking online speculation regarding the 1,000-yard rusher’s return to the Southwest.

Now, Croskey-Merritt is officially a Wildcat, again — with another former Lobo in tow. Arizona also announced the signing of offensive lineman Shannco “Ise” Matautia, an 11-game starter with UNM last season who transferred to Arizona State for the spring.

Former UNM running back Dorian Lewis announced his commitment Wednesday to Alcorn State University (Mississippi). The former Cleveland High School standout entered the transfer portal in March after rushing for 123 yards in his lone season with the Lobos last year.