Sights and Sounds: 8Gradys Elite 150 Combine In Albuquerque
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About 75 talented New Mexico prospects representing the classes of 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 attended Saturday’s Elite 150 Combine at the 8Gradys Performance Center in north Albuquerque. The four-hour combine was divided into 3 parts: Individual testing, warmup and…
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Continue ReadingAbout 75 talented New Mexico prospects representing the classes of 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 attended Saturday’s Elite 150 Combine at the 8Gradys Performance Center in north Albuquerque.
The four-hour combine was divided into 3 parts: Individual testing, warmup and drills and 1-on-1 competition.
Some of the top players in New Mexico High School football participated in the combine. Lea County athletes dominated the post-combine awards with Hobbs WR Kaden Trevino Kaden Trevino 5'11" | 175 lbs | WR Hobbs | 2023 State NM capturing Overall MVP honors and Best Offensive Skills Award.
Trevino picked up his first offer 11 days ago from Eastern New Mexico.
But Trevino wasn’t the only Hobbs player to shine on Saturday. Fellow Eagles 2023 WR Ethan Vanlandingham Ethan Vanlandingham 5'10" | 175 lbs | WR Hobbs | 2023 State NM won the award for Fastest 5-10-5 Drill, while 2024 OL Joshua Ray captured Best Offensive Lineman honors.
Ray is 6-foot-4, 290 pounds and definitely looks (and plays) like a major college prospect even though he still has two more high school seasons left in his prep career.
2023 Lovington OL Brennen Garcia took home Best Defensive Line honors, while 2023 Alamogordo standout Ryan Stovall Ryan Stovall 6'2" | 195 lbs | LB Alamogordo | 2023 State NM earned the Best Defensive Skills award, cementing southeast New Mexico’s iron grip on the combine.
Albuquerque High DB Jabulani Cooper Jabulani Cooper 5'10" | 165 lbs | DB Albuquerque | 2023 State NM , offered by Eastern New Mexico, New Mexico Highlands and Western New Mexico within a 48-hour period earlier this month following an impressive performance at ENMU’s camp in Albuquerque, was the combine’s fastest player with a laser timed clocking of 4.5 seconds in the 40.
Cooper edged out 2024 Belen RB Diego Avila Diego Avila 5'6" | 160 lbs | RB Belen | 2024 State NM and 2026 (rising freshman) La Cueva WR Tanner Montano in a 3-man race for the title of Fastest Camper. Avila rushed for 584 yards and 7 TD as a Belen sophomore last season, while Montano showed he’ll likely be one of the state’s top 2026 prospects with his top end speed and emerging WR skills. He’ll just be a freshmen this fall but looks ready now to contribute to the varsity.
Besides finishing just a shade behind Cooper in the 40, Avila won the awards for highest vertical jump and longest broad jump, arguably earning him the title of the Combine’s best all-around athlete.
Other prominent New Mexico prospects participating in the Elite 150 Combine included 2023 Sandia QB Dalen Moyer Dalen Moyer 6'0" | 160 lbs | QB Sandia | 2023 State NM , 2023 Artesia QB Payton Deans Payton Deans 5'10" | 200 lbs | ATH Artesia | 2023 State NM , 2024 Los Lunas DB Jason Ussery Jason Ussery 6'3" | 185 lbs | DB Los Lunas | 2024 State NM , 2024 Lovington QB Wyatt Gomez Wyatt Gomez 6'2" | 180 lbs | QB Lovington | 2024 State NM , 2023 Cibola WR Marcus Wilson (D1 offers in basketball), 2023 Belen WR Elijah Romero Elijah Romero 5'9" | 165 lbs | WR Belen | 2023 State NM , 2025 La Cueva QB Cameron Dyer (he’ll be Aidan Armenta Aidan Armenta 6'3" | 190 lbs | QB La Cueva | 2023 State NM ’s backup this season before presumably taking over as the starter for 2023 and 2024), 2024 Roswell RB Bryce Sanchez Bryce Sanchez 5'10" | 195 lbs | RB Roswell | 2024 State NM , 2024 La Cueva TE Cruz Markham Cruz Markham 6'3" | 200 lbs | TE La Cueva | 2024 State NM , 2023 Cibola TE Brayden Mummert Brayden Mummert 6'3" | 220 lbs | TE Cibola | 2023 State NM , 2023 Rio Rancho LB/DB Chris Montoya Chris Montoya 5'10" | 195 lbs | DB Rio Rancho | 2023 State NM , 2024 Albuquerque OL T.J. McCarthy and 2023 Highland OL/DL Aaron Loya.
Elite 150 Combine/Camp Awards:
Overall Combine MVP: Kaden Trevino Kaden Trevino 5'11" | 175 lbs | WR Hobbs | 2023 State NM , Hobbs WR
Best Offensive Skills: Kaden Trevino Kaden Trevino 5'11" | 175 lbs | WR Hobbs | 2023 State NM , Hobbs WR
Offensive Line MVP: Joshua Ray, Hobbs
Defensive Line MVP: Brennen Garcia, Lovington
Best Defensive Skills: Ryan Stovall Ryan Stovall 6'2" | 195 lbs | LB Alamogordo | 2023 State NM , Alamogordo
Fastest 40 Yard Dash: Jabulani Cooper Jabulani Cooper 5'10" | 165 lbs | DB Albuquerque | 2023 State NM , Albuquerque DB
Fastest 5-10-5 Drill: Ethan Vanlandingham Ethan Vanlandingham 5'10" | 175 lbs | WR Hobbs | 2023 State NM , Hobbs WR
Fastest L Drill: John Williams, Manzano RB/LB
Highest Vertical Jump: Diego Avila Diego Avila 5'6" | 160 lbs | RB Belen | 2024 State NM , Belen RB
Longest Broad Jump: Diego Avila Diego Avila 5'6" | 160 lbs | RB Belen | 2024 State NM , Belen RB
Video 1: Warmup and Drills
Video 2: WR vs. DB, 1×1 Competition
Video 3: OL vs. DL, 1×1 Competition
Video 4: Jabulani Cooper Jabulani Cooper 5'10" | 165 lbs | DB Albuquerque | 2023 State NM runs the 40
Video 5:
Jabulani Cooper
Jabulani
Cooper
5'10" | 165 lbs | DB
Albuquerque | 2023
State
NM
wins Fastest Camper Race
Video 6: Post-Combine Awards
Combine/Camp Overall MVP: Kaden Trevino Kaden Trevino 5'11" | 175 lbs | WR Hobbs | 2023 State NM