On the eve of the season, the Lobos brought in some extra help.
After being granted a fifth year of eligibility, Memphis transfer linebacker Jayden Flaker has joined New Mexico and began practice with the Lobos on Monday afternoon.
The 6-foot-2, 235-pound Scarborough, Maine native made 19 total tackles over the last two seasons with the Tigers. He started his college career at North Carolina Central University, where he led the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with 85 tackles as a sophomore in 2023.
Monday, head coach Jason Eck said Flaker will play as a Star (nickel, or fifth defensive back) in UNM’s 4-2-5 base defense.
“He kind of gives us a bigger body at Star, which could be good against teams that want to run the ball — you know, Central Michigan, North Dakota State,” he added. “You want to be more three linebackers than five (defensive backs) and things like that. He’ll help on (special) teams as well.”
Jason Eck said Flaker will be a bigger Star (nickel) in UNM’s defense.
“You want to make sure you’re adding a good piece, team-wise and personality-wise. And I think everything I (heard) about this kid, he’ll fit in that way.” https://t.co/WZn3fASsh9pic.twitter.com/FSEYURSRIu
— Sean Reider (@lenaweereider) August 18, 2026
Flaker is eligible to play a fifth season after receiving a temporary restraining order in a Texas court last week. Unlike with other orders that have recently granted athletes extra years of eligibility, he was able to enter the transfer portal via a special exemption applied to him and 36 other plaintiffs.
Flaker joins defensive end Brett Karhu and safety Azariah Levells as the third player to land at UNM after seemingly exhausting their eligibility earlier this year. All three played four seasons in four years, but were not granted a fifth season when the NCAA moved to a new age-based eligibility policy in June.
Known as the “five-for-five” rule, the policy allows athletes five years to play five seasons starting with their full-time enrollment or the season after their 19th birthday, whichever comes first. The application of the rule – for instance, allotting fifth years for players that graduated high school in 2023, but not 2022 – has been challenged in various courts since the change went into effect.
A federal judge in Colorado issued a class-wide preliminary injunction last month allowing all players that played four seasons in four years and exhausted their eligibility this year to play a fifth season. Karhu and Levells are practicing under that order as the NCAA appeals the decision.
Unlike that of Karhu and Levells, Flaker’s eligibility status will not be affected by a potential reversal of the Colorado ruling.
After two seasons at N.C. Central, Flaker transferred to Memphis in 2023, where he played under current UNM defensive coordinator Spence Nowinsky and general manager Beau Davidson. Along with Karhu, running back Cameron Mathews and defensive end Jalen Charles, he is one of three former Tigers now on UNM’s roster.
Eck said those connections helped bring Flaker to UNM.
“We knew he was a high-character guy (and) he was in an NFL mini-camp with the (Buffalo Bills) this year for a weekend … You want to make sure you’re adding a good piece, team-wise and personality-wise,” he added. “And I think everything I (heard) about this kid, he’ll fit in that way.”
To meet a roster limit of 105 players — not including designated student-athletes or players who are out for the year due to an injury — it’s possible UNM might have to cut players before the season to accommodate late adds like Flaker, Karhu and Levells.
“We may, but we may not,” Eck chuckled. “It’s kind of up in the air — if everyone got healthy all of a sudden, we probably would have to make some moves. But I don’t think we’re gonna have that problem.”
Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at @lenaweereider.