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Jan. 17—New Mexico’s backfield got a significant boost on Friday.
Sam Houston State transfer running back DJ McKinney has signed with New Mexico, the program announced via social media.
The 5-foot-9, 180-pound redshirt freshman earned Conference USA Freshman of the Year honors last season after rushing for three touchdowns and 481 yards, the third-best mark on the team. A C-USA All-Freshman team honoree, he joins the Lobos with three years of eligibility remaining.
A Tulsa, Oklahoma native, McKinney previously played under John Johnson, UNM’s new running backs coach. Johnson and special teams coordinator Daniel Da Prato both worked at SHSU before new Lobos coach Jason Eck hired them in January.
McKinney represents another key commitment as UNM works to rebuild a backfield that lost 2,943 yards worth of rushing production from last season: The Lobos also landed commitments from Weber State transfer Damon Bankston (1,104 yards, six touchdowns in 2024) and Idaho transfer Deshaun Buchanan (567 yards, five touchdowns in 2024) to help replace former UNM running backs Eli Sanders, Na’Quari Rogers and Javen Jacobs.
After redshirting his freshman season, McKinney averaged a SHSU-best five yards per carry last season, ahead of running back Jay Ducker (4.7 yards) and quarterback Hunter Watson (3.9 yards). McKinney ran for a career-high 138 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-21 win at UTEP on Oct. 3, the second-highest rushing total for SHSU all season.
McKinney announced his decision to enter the portal on Dec. 6, the same week former SHSU head coach K.C. Keeler left to take the same position at Temple, and received offers from Tulsa and FCS Missouri State before choosing UNM.
UNM has now added 29 transfers since December, part of what Eck said was an “aggressive” effort to revamp the roster after losing 20 players in the portal. Eck was hired to replace former head coach Bronco Mendenhall, who left for Utah State on Dec. 6.