ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – College football's next transfer portal window opens on Tuesday, and UNM head coach Bronco Mendenhall is eager to add reinforcements to the Lobos' roster. Mendenhall said that in his first few weeks of spring ball, it became clear to him that his roster was not where it needed to be. This will be Mendenhall's first time as a head coach in a new wave of college athletics.
“The roster changes relatively and quite dramatically,” Mendenhall said. “We have a clear idea about the number of players as well as the positions, so we will execute on that, just like a draft committee. Fit is everything for us and we have the right talent. We would like to hire
Mendenhall didn't go into detail about what positions or players he's looking to acquire, but he acknowledged that NIL compensation will impact the types of players available.
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Navigating the NIL is another first for Mendenhall as a head coach, but he embraces it. With support from his NIL collective at UNM, 505 Sports and his Venture Foundation, Mendenhall believes he has the right talent in place to continue building the roster he envisions.
“I really like our plan,” he said. “I think it's unique. I think it's different. I won't go into details, but I like to develop young people and at the same time I like to build a team culture, and we achieved that. We have a really great way of doing things, and we don't want anyone else to copy us.”
In its second year of existence, the 505 Sports Venture Foundation has started to gain momentum, especially thanks to the UNM basketball team's NCAA Tournament appearance. When it comes to football, Coach Mendenhall's participation in the program has already made a difference, even if it's only been a few months.
“There's going to be a lot of ballplayers in the portal that can help,” said Kurt Roth, founder of the 505 Sports Venture Foundation. “Our football staff is top-notch, they do a great job, and the Broncos are very persuasive speakers. I think they'll be very successful, but this is a very busy time.”
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