Defense leads New Mexico returners back to football field

Video: Kody Becenti's highlights vs. Moriarty
Farmington QB Kody Becenti is the leading returning gunslinger with 3,277 yards.

Defense may be the name of the game during the 2016 New Mexico football campaign, because the No. 1 tackler and seven of the top nine return this fall, according to MaxPreps statistics.

Price Bowen of Capitan paced the state last year with 181 tackles and he was just a sophomore. Only the No. 2 and 5 tacklers from the top nine graduated last spring.

Teams may go to the air more often to eat up long yardage since five of the top eight quarterbacks returns, led by No. 3 ground gainer Kody Becenti, who passed for 3,277 yards as a junior at Farmington. From a receiving standpoint, Brandon Baeza of Las Cruces ranked second in the state with 1,265 receiving yards as a sophomore.

The leading returning rusher is Mike Armijo Jr., who amassed 1,896 yards for No. 4-ranking as a junior at Socorro. Ironically, he also was No. 4 in scoring with 174 points.

Following are the 2015 ranking, name, school, 2016 class and statistics on the top returnees:

TACKLES
1. Price Bowen, Capitan, junior, 181
3. Santiago Mora, Moriarty, senior, 136
4. Jacob Esquivel, Lordsburg, senior, 127
6. Forest McKee, Onate (Las Cruces), senior, 122
7. Trevor Brohard, Los Lunas, senior, 122
8. Brady Moffett, Aztec, senior, 122
9. Caleb Beaird, Hobbs, senior, 120
12. Logan Franklin, Hagerman, senior, 114
13. Johnny Plowman, Lordsburg, senior, 107
14. Matt Smith, Moriarty, junior, 105

PASSING
3. Kody Becenti, Farmington, senior, 3,277
4. Dakota Halliburton, Navajo Prep (Farmington), junior, 2,846
5. Cody Smith, Aztec, junior, 2,841
6. Kyle Hooper, Alamogordo, senior, 2,674
8. Andru Sanchez, Cobre (Bayard), senior, 2,398
14. Kyler Woodul, Ruidoso (Ruidoso), senior, 1,916
16. Johnny Plowman, Lordsburg, senior, 1,709
18. Josh Castillo, Mesilla Valley Christian School (Las Cruces), sophomore, 1,572
19. Isaiah Chavez, Valley (Albuquerque), senior, 1,540
23. Gannon Chavez, Cibola (Albuquerque), senior, 1,321

RECEIVING
2. Brandon Baeza, Las Cruces, junior, 1,265
5. Jake Rogers, Navajo Prep (Farmington), senior, 1,097
7. Ethan Duff, Artesia, senior, 1,028
16. David Cormier, Volcano Vista (Albuquerque), senior, 770
19. Isaiah Otero, Ruidoso, junior, 749
20. Alex Ramirez, Alamogordo, senior, 746
26. Jonathan Cabriales, Raton, senior, 592
28. Deshawn Lee, Hope Christian (Albuquerque), senior, 570
37. Donovan Gonzalez, Farmington, senior, 547
38. Cason Clay, Hobbs, senior, 543

RUSHING
4. Mike Armijo, Socorro, senior, 1,896
5. Gabino Rodriguez, Dexter, senior, 1,622
9. O'maury Samuels, Los Lunas, senior, 1,468
12. Ezekiel Tapia, Estancia, senior, 1,323
14. Cisco Mayville, Ruidoso, senior, 1,317
17. Joseph Paul Griego, Robertson (Las Vegas), senior, 1,297
22. Jr Vargas, Capital (Santa Fe), senior, 1,215
25. Micah Gray, Clovis, senior, 1,100
27. Josh Foley, Rio Rancho, senior, 1,081
29. Junior Ramirez, Portales, senior, 994

SCORING
4. Mike Armijo, Socorro, senior, 174
8. O'maury Samuels, Los Lunas, senior, 144
12. Cisco Mayville, Ruidoso, senior, 132
14. Gabino Rodriguez, Dexter, senior, 128
16. Jake Rogers, Navajo Prep (Farmington), senior, 118
17. Ezekiel Tapia, Estancia, senior, 118
19. Raymond Saucedo, Lordsburg, senior, 116
20. Jacob Esquivel, Lordsburg, senior, 116
21. Josh Foley, Rio Rancho, senior, 114
27. Shawn Nieto, Cleveland (Rio Rancho), senior, 108