Despite losing them to the Power 4, NMSU embraces its NFL players as recruiting tool

Sanchez and his staff embraced this after the 2024 season, once they saw the number of players from the Aggies' 10-5 2023 team experience success on power conference teams. NM State's coaches started mentioning it more to recruits that offseason, and it's picked up this offseason.

Attracting more P4 and NFL-worthy talent has also made the Aggies more confident in recruiting. They're not afraid to challenge multiple P4 schools for someone, and they worked past midnight on some days during the January transfer portal to scout, evaluate and obtain players.

Strategies are applied differently depending on the player. But whether he's a hidden gem or a player in demand, development is now NM State's consistent calling card.

"We've done a good enough job going all the way back to when (former coach Jerry Kill) was here of evaluating guys and bringing them in," Sanchez said. "Obviously, we've done a good job of development, because you end up with nine or 10 guys that end up getting at least rookie camp deals. That's a big deal. There are a lot of programs in the country that cannot say that."

Former NM State tight end Eli Stowers, pictured here against Middle Tennessee in 2023, was the highest-drafted former Aggie in the 2026 NFL Draft. He was one of 10 former NM State players who were either drafted, signed an undrafted free agent deal, or received a rookie minicamp invite in 2026.

Continued player losses will inevitably raise questions about retention, but it's something that NM State got better at this offseason. NM State will rank 72nd in the FBS for returning production this year, up from 91st last season.

More NIL and revenue-sharing money would help. But sometimes, the Aggies can't compete with P4 resources. That's why Sanchez also shows players the unfortunate outcomes. Not every transfer plays at the P4 level, and while Sanchez celebrates the success stories, he also shows the potential downsides.

"We've shown guys that have played for us, that have moved on, that was it. They never played again," Sanchez said. "Some guys are making more money than they would make here, but they're being paid to be a backup.

"You're choosing: 'Do you want to go and not play football and make more money? Or do you want to start and try to live your dream to play on Sundays?' That's not a negative conversation; that's just reality."

The Aggies would love to retain more. But if someone leaves for the P4 and perhaps reaches the NFL one day, NM State says it can add another feather in its cap. The Aggies trust they'll find and develop the next man up.

"You want to keep them all, but you can't," Cobb said. "And if you can't, then it's a testament to your ability to develop and evaluate that guy's talent to be able to get him here before somebody else."

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: NMSU using 2026 NFL players as assets, even if all ended up in Power 4