LAS CRUCES, N.M. – After eight months of offseason preparation, the Aggies will officially kick off the 2025 season on Saturday evening when they play host to Bryant inside Aggie Memorial Stadium. The season opener is slated to begin at 7 p.m. MT. Season tickets, which include all six Aggie home games, are available for as low as $90.
 
NM State will look to improve in its second year under the guidance of Head Coach Tony Sanchez, who is excited about the direction that his alma mater is headed in.
 
"I thought we had a really productive camp," Sanchez noted. "The energy was really good, and I feel like we're a deeper team. I'm excited about the season. We've put a lot of work in. We're really pleased with the way camp ended. Now we've got to transition into the season and get ready to go win a game."
 
WEEK ONE
Who: NM State vs. Bryant
Where: Las Cruces, N.M. – Aggie Memorial Stadium (28,853)
When: Saturday, August 30, 2025 – 7 p.m. MT
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
Watch: ESPN+
Play-by-Play: Adam Young
Analyst: Danny Knee
 
Listen: 99.5 FM KXPZ / TuneIn App
Play-by-Play: Jeff Matthews
Color Analyst: Cory Lucas
 
Live Stats: NMStateStats.com
 
PICK SIX
2 - NM State begins its second season under the leadership of Head Coach Tony Sanchez who will look to lead the Aggies to their third bowl game appearance in the last four years.
18 - A win on Saturday would give the Aggies season-opening wins in consecutive seasons for the first time in 18 years (2006 & 2007).
4 - NM State's 2025 schedule features four opponents that it has never played in the history of its program. (Bryant, Missouri State, Kennesaw State and Tennessee)
9 - The Aggies will enter their Saturday matchup against Bryant with a 9-1 record against FCS opponents in the last 10 games.
55 - This year's Aggie roster features 55 newcomers, including 42 transfers with 15 coming from the FBS level.
6 - The Aggies' six team captains for the 2025 season will be quarterback Logan Fife, linebacker Tyler Martinez, cornerback Dakerric Hobbs, offensive lineman Malik Williams, wide receiver PJ Johnson and defensive lineman Cole Schnettgoecke.
 
SECOND YEAR UNDER SANCHEZ          
NM State will begin its second season under the leadership of Head Coach Tony Sanchez, who led the Aggies to three wins last season - defeating SEMO, LA Tech and Middle Tennessee. This will mark Sanchez's seventh season as a head coach of an FBS program after previously spending five seasons coaching UNLV (2015-19).
 
In year one under Sanchez, the Aggies put forth one of the best rushing attacks in Conference USA as they finished the year average of 180 rushing yards per game to rank third in the conference and 40th in the nation.
 
During Sanchez's first season, the Aggies saw 11 individuals earn all-conference honors, including six Second Team All-CUSA selections.
 
This year the Aggies will seek their third appearance in a bowl game in a four-year span - a feat that has never been done at NM State.
 
AGGIE THROUGH AND THROUGH      
From student-athlete to head ball coach, Tony Sanchez has had crimson running through his veins since the day he transferred to NM State. Now, Sanchez is one of just 15 coaches at the FBS level to be the head coach at his alma mater.
 
Following two seasons at Laney College in Oakland, Calif., Sanchez began his Aggie playing career in 1994. During his time, Sanchez made 54 catches for 741 yards and five touchdowns to help the Aggies win seven games. His career was highlighted by a senior season in which he tallied 42 catches for 576 yards and four touchdowns.
 
Sanchez's first win as a player came on Sept. 17, 1994, in El Paso, Texas, where the Aggies earned a 23-22 come-from-behind victory over UTEP after falling behind 19-0 to open the game. Sanchez collected his first win as the Aggies' head coach on Aug. 31, 2024, when NM State defeated SEMO 23-16.
 
Head Coaches at Alma Mater
Trent Bray - Oregon State
Jeff Brohm - Louisville
Troy Calhoun - Air Force
Timmy Chang - Hawaii 
Mario Cristobal - Miami (FL)
Michael Desormeaux - Louisiana
Kenny Dillingham - Arizona State
DeShaun Foster - UCLA
Mike Gundy - Oklahoma State
Brent Key - Georgia Tech
Clark Lea - Vanderbilt
Rich Rodriguez - West Virginia
Tony Sanchez - NM State
Kalani Sitake - BYU
Kirby Smart - Georgia
 
COACHING STAFF CONTINUITY            
Despite some heavy turnover on the field, NM State will enter the second season under Tony Sanchez with some continuity on its staff as nine full-time staffers return for the upcoming year. Only David Yost (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks) and John Cannova (Offensive Line) will be in their first season with the program.
 
QB1                                                             
After finishing 127th among FBS teams in passing offense one season ago, Head Coach Tony Sanchez made it a point to bring in a proven passer in the offseason and he did just that in the form of Montana transfer Logan Fife.
 
Fife joins the program after appearing in all 14 games and making eight starts while finishing as the Grizzlies' top passer with 167 completions for 1,890 yards and 14 touchdowns. He submitted a completion percentage of 63.5% in 2024 to help lead the Grizzlies to the second round of the FCS playoffs.
 
This will mark Fife's second stint at the FBS level, as he spent a total of four seasons at Fresno Stat,e where he began his collegiate career. With the Bulldogs, Fife appeared in 21 total games, including 12 in 2023 when he made two starts and threw for 642 yards and three touchdowns. He also played in 10 games in 2022, when he stepped in for an injured Jake Haener and made four starts. As an FBS quarterback, Fife has tallied 143 completions for 1,585 yards and six touchdowns.
 
This experience will come as a stark contrast to last year, when the Aggies entered the season with just one combined start at the FBS level among the seven individuals in the quarterback room.
 
YEAR ONE WITH YOST                                 
Along with a new quarterback, the Aggies will begin the year with a new playcaller on the headset as David Yost enters his first season at NM State after spending the last three years as the offensive coordinator for CUSA foe FIU.
 
brings with him 37 years of experience, including stints in well-respected conferences such as the SEC, Big 12, Pac-12 and Mid-American. He boasts a reputation of being one of the top quarterback developers in college football and has helped the growth of former passers, including Justin Herbert (Oregon), Jordan Love (Utah State), Blaine Gabbert (Missouri) and Chase Daniel (Missouri).
 
RETURNING PRODUCTION                       
Offensive Coordinator David Yost will also be tasked with finding a way to replace the offensive production that was lost in the offseason. Most notably, the Aggies will return just 16.6% of their total rushing yardage from the 2024 campaign. Following the departure of its top three rushers from last season, NM State will look to reload its backfield with the addition of Cal transfer Kadarius Calloway and Utah transfer Dijon Stanley.
 
From a passing game perspective, the Aggies do return 62.8% of their passing yards and 53.9% of its receiving yards as they bring back their top passer (Parker Awad) and top two wideouts (TJ Pride and PJ Johnson III).
 
Defensively, NM State returns three of its top six tacklers from last year as Tyler Martinez, Sone Aupiu and Dakerric Hobbs remain in Las Cruces and also serve as the lone three returning starters from last season's squad.

Stat	Total Yds	Returning (%)	Lost (%)
Rushing Yds.	2,160	358 (16.6%)	1,802 (83.4%)
Passing Yds.	1,718	1,079 (62.8%)	639 (37.2%)
Receiving Yds.	1,718	926 (53.9%)	792 (46.1%)
Total Tackles	783	300 (38.3%)	483 (61.7%)

 
DEFENSIVE PERSONNEL                             
This season, the Aggies will be led by Defensive Coordinator Joe Morris, who begins his second season with the program after coming over from CUSA foe Sam Houston ahead of the 2024 season. Highlighted by returning starters Tyler Martinez, Sone Aupiu and Dakerric Hobbs, the Aggie defense will also be bolstered by returners Nick Session, Josiah Charles, Naeten Mitchell and Cole Schnettgoecke, who returns from injury after starting the first two games last year.
 
Meanwhile, the Aggies also bring back defensive end Gabe Peterson who played 12 games for the Crimson and White during the 2023 season in which NM State finished with double-digit wins for just the second time in program history.
 
AGGIE ADDITIONS                         
In the offseason, the Aggies brought in a total of 55 newcomers, including 42 transfers - 15 coming from the FBS level. In addition to Logan Fife, Kadarius Calloway, Dijon Stanley, Gabe Peterson, some of the notable newcomers include wide receiver AJ Williams III, tight end Gavin Harris, offensive linemen Ma'Kyi Lee and Malik Williams, safeties Bernock Iya and DJ Cloyd and defensive end Brad Vislisel.
 
ENJOY THE JOURNEY                   
For NM State running back Kadarius Calloway, his journey as a collegiate football player has been quite the journey. Born and raised in the small town of Philadelphia, Miss., Calloway enrolled at Alabama in the summer of 2021 after finishing his high school career rated a four-star recruit and the No. 2 overall recruit in the state of Mississippi.
 
Following a summer with the Crimson Tide, Calloway elected to withdraw from Alabama, stating he felt he had much more to learn about football before being ready to play big-time college football.
 
From Alabama, Calloway transferred to East Mississippi Community College, where he spent one season. His journey then led him to Old Dominio,n where he had a breakout season in 2023, recording 88 carries for 623 yards and five touchdowns.
 
Ahead of his move to NM State, the running back played the 2024 season at Cal and appeared in 11 games, while tallying 124 rushing yards and one touchdown.
 
During the preseason, Calloway was rated the No. 1 running back in Conference USA by Rat Rundown and will serve as one half of the Aggies' two-headed monster in the backfield alongside Utah transfer Dijon Stanley.
 
SOPHOMORE SURGE                    
This season, the Aggies bring back just four returning starters on the offensive side of the ball; however, this does include sophomore TJ Pride, the squad's leading pass catcher from a season ago. As a true freshman in 2024, Pride paced the Aggies in both receptions (34) and receiving yards (374), while also serving as the Aggies' primary punt returner.
 
START FAST STANLEY                                  
In the offseason, the Aggies brought in speedy playmaker Dijon Stanley from Utah who spent two years in the backfield for the Utes. Last season, Stanley turned in his best performance at the collegiate level as he racked up a career-high 150 receiving yards with two touchdowns on just three catches in the Utes' 49-0 victory over Southern Utah.
 
HOME SWEET HOME                    
This season will mark the fifth consecutive year that the Aggies will kick off the season inside the friendly confines of Aggie Memorial Stadium. In the last four season openers. Despite starting at home, last season represented the only season-opening victory during this stretch.
 
In fact, with last season's win over SEMO, Head Coach Tony Sanchez became the first Aggie head coach to lead the Aggies to a win in the season opener since 2014. A win on Saturday would give the Aggies season-opening wins in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
 
WHERE ARE THEY FROM                           
This year's Aggie roster is made up of 109 players from 26 states and four countries. The largest percentage of the roster hails from California, with 23 Aggies coming from the Golden State. Additionally, 21 players are from Texas, 15 are from the Aggies' home state of New Mexico and 11 are from Arizona.
 
In addition to the United States of America, the NM State roster also features players from American Samoa, Australia and Germany.
 
GOING THE DISTANCE FOR THE DUEL
This week's matchup will come against Bryant University, which resides in Smithfield, R.I., standing a full 2,034 miles away from Las Cruces as the crow flies.
 
SPECIALISTS RETURNING                         
Last season, one of the bright spots on the Aggie team was the special teams unit as both kicker Abraham Montaño and punter George Eberle landed themselves in the Aggie record book, while long snapper Charlie Eberle served as the long snapper for all punts, field goals and extra points and had zero missnaps.
 
This season, the Aggies will be looking to replace all three of these key contributors and will serve as one of just 11 teams at the FBS level with one or fewer specialists returning among their field goal kicker, punter, kickoff kicker, holder, snapper, kick returner and punt returner.
 
TEAM CAPTAINS                                               
Ahead of the season, NM State held a team vote to select its team captains for the 2025 campaign. This year, the Aggie captains are made up of three offensive players and three defensive players.
 
On the offensive side of the ball, the Aggies are led by quarterback Logan Fife, offensive lineman Malik Williams and wide receiver PJ Johnson. Defensively, linebacker Tyler Martinez, cornerback Dakerric Hobbs and defensive lineman Cole Schnettgoecke will also serve as team captains.
 
DAD STRENGTH                                                   
NM State quarterback Logan Fife became a father during fall camp as his daughter was born on August 12, 2025.
 
YEAR THREE                                       
The Aggies are now in their third year as members of Conference USA. NM State made quite the splash in its debut campaign - going 7-1 in league play on its way to an appearance in the CUSA Championship Game in addition to being one of only 27 FBS programs to reach the 10-win mark in 2023.
 
Combined with the 2024 season, NM State has now won nine games across its first two seasons in the new league.
 
For the second straight season, the league makeup has changed as Delaware and Missouri State make the move to bring the league total to 12 for the upcoming season. With an eight-game conference schedule, the Aggies will not see newcomer Delaware, Jax State or FIU this season, but will meet up with both Kennesaw State and Missouri State for the first time in program history.
 
HISPANIC HEAD COACHES
The Aggies' leader, Tony Sanchez, is one of just five Hispanic head coaches at the FBS level. Sanchez, a second-generation American of Puerto Rican and English descent, is also joined in this group by Baylor's Dave Aranda, Miami's Mario Cristobal, Duke's Manny Diaz and West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez.
 
Additionally, Sanchez is the first NM State head coach of Hispanic descent. Sanchez leads the Aggie program, which calls Las Cruces, a city with over 60% Hispanic population, home.
 
TRUE FRESHMEN COME IN ALL SHAPES AND AGES
The youngest player and oldest player on this year's team are both true freshmen as offensive lineman Gavin Jones, born July 21, 2007, and kicker David Barker, born Sept. 10, 1999, were born a full 2,871 (seven years, 10 months and 11 days) days apart and are both beginning their first season of collegiate football.
 
WHERE TO WATCH THE AGGIES
After five of the Aggies' 12 games were featured on national networks in 2024, the Aggies will once again have their opportunities in the spotlight in 2025. Entering the year, NM State is slated to play its three midweek contests on CBS Sports Network.
 
The Aggies' season opener will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Adam Young (play-by-play) and Danny Knee (analyst) on the call.
 
WHERE TO LISTEN TO THE AGGIES
Once again, all games this season will air live on 99.5 FM KXPZ for those in Las Cruces and the surrounding areas. Additionally, all home games will be available in Spanish on 96.7 FM La Equis. Radio broadcasts for all Aggie games will also be available to listen to nationwide via the TuneIn App. Radio play-by-play for the season opener will be provided by Jeff Matthews, with analysis provided by former Aggie football player Cory Lucas.
 
This will also mark the first season in over four decades that the Aggies will have a new play-by-play caller on the radio after Jack Nixon retired last season after 45 years of service.
 
FAMILY BUSINESS
The Aggie team will have two student-athletes this season whose fathers also suited up for the Aggies during their respective playing days. NM State also rosters one student-athlete whose brother formerly played for the Aggies.
 
Redshirt sophomore David Barela is the son of David Barela, who also played for the Aggies from 1990-93.
 
Las Cruces native Siddeeq Shabazz will be the fourth member of the Shabazz family to wear Crimson & White. His father, Siddeeq Shabazz, played for the Aggies from 1999-02 and is one of 28 former Aggies to earn a spot in the NFL. Additionally, his family members, Shukree and Sina also played for the Aggies.
 
Meanwhile, Bryant Jackson is also the brother who previously wore the Crimson & White. Jackson first came to NM State along with his older brother, Bryce, in 2022. After transferring in from UNLV, Bryce served as a key cog on the Aggie defense en route to a victory in the Quick Lane Bowl. In his lone year with NM State, Jackson tallied 66 total tackles and two interceptions from his safety position.
 
PRESEASON HONORS                  
Once again, the Aggies had a number of players recognized on preseason lists throughout the summer.
 
Conference USA Preseason Watch List
Logan Fife (QB)
BJ Tolo (OL)
Tyler Martinez (LB)
Gabe Peterson (DE/J)
TK King (KR/PR)
 
Phil Steele's Preseason All-CUSA Team
First Team
Gabe Peterson (DE/J)
Tyler Martinez (LB)
 
Second Team
TK King (WR)
Cole Schnettgoecke (DL)
Dakerric Hobbs (CB)
 
Third Team
Sone Aupiu (LB)
 
Fourth Team
Dijon Stanley (RB)
TJ Pride (WR & PR/KR)
BJ Tolo (OL)
Brad Vislisel (DE/J)
 
Athlon Sports Preseason All-CUSA Team
First Team
Gabe Peterson (DE/J)
Tyler Martinez (LB)
 
Second Team
Sone Aupiu (LB)
Dakerric Hobbs (CB)
 
Third Team
Dijon Stanley (RB/All-Purpose)
TJ Pride (WR)
BJ Tolo (OL)
 
Fourth Team
Kadarius Calloway (RB)
TJ Pride (PR)
 
Allstate Good Works Team Nominee
Allen Ortiz (WR)
 
Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List
Dakerric Hobbs (CB)
 
Jet Award Watch List
TK King (WR)
 
HERO Sports Preseason Group of Five All-American
Second Team Defense
Tyler Martinez (LB)
 
Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Watch List
Sone Aupiu (LB)
 
Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Watch List
TJ Pride (WR)
 
For complete coverage of the NM State football program, visit NMStateSports.com - the official home of Aggie athletics - and follow the Aggies on Facebook (NM State Football), Twitter (@NMStateFootball) and Instagram (@NMStateFB).