The University of New Mexico football program announced ten more signees on National Signing Day, bringing the total of signings and scholarship commitments to 22 for the 2018 season.
After a disappointing 3-7 season in which the Lobos failed to produce a single 1000 yard rusher after posting two in the previous season, Bob Davie and the Lobo coaching staff made offensive line a focus of emphasis this signing period, adding four offensive linemen to help improve a once elite ground game.
In addition, Davie and first-year offensive coordinator Calvin Magee will have numerous options to choose from at quarterback, with junior college transfer Sheriron Jones joining the program to compete with Tevaka Tuioti, Coltin Gerhart, and Bryson Carroll.
Jones, a former four-star recruit out of high school who joined Mt. San Jacinto College after an unsuccessful freshman season with Tennessee, signed a letter of commitment in the early signing period in December.
A 6-3, 197 pound native of Moreno Valley, California, Jones is a dual-threat quarterback who transferred away from Tennessee after landing as the third-string quarterback behind Joshua Dobbs in 2016. He initially transferred to Colorado and then back to Tennessee before leaving for a one-year stint in juco.
Jones threw for 2,162 yards and 17 touchdowns for the Mt. San Jacinto College Eagles, with 345 yards rushing and five rushing touchdowns. With the size and frame of a wide receiver, Jones is skilled in the open field and has the athleticism to make people miss. He is a talented pocket thrower, but he will need to prove to be a better passer than Tuioti to earn the starting job.
Jones has two years left of eligibility with the Lobos and is eligible to play this season after playing 2017 in junior college. He may end up starting the season on the bench behind Tuioti, but he is a playmaker that could force the hands of Davie and Magee to place him in the starting lineup.
Photo credit: Maxpreps YouTube screenshot
