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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Jeremy Mauss

2023 Mountain West Football Top 50: #31, New Mexico S Tavian Combs


2023 Mountain West Football Top 50: #31, New Mexico S Tavian Combs


Combs is the first Lobo to make this year’s list.


Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss and @MWCwire

UNM has some good defenders

Coming up as the first New Mexico Lobos player and No. 31 in our Mountain West Wire top 50 is a defensive back from the Lobos in safety Tavian Combs.

He was No. 50 last year but has made a big leap going up 19 spots this year. Say all you want about the New Mexico football program, but the defense is often solid and was under good hands with Rocky Long building a foundation.

Now with Long gone to Syracuse, Danny Gonzales promoted long-time assistant Troy Reffett to take over the defense.

Last year, Combs saw limited action due to a torn ACL he suffered in September of last year. With just about a year passed, he seems good to go for New Mexico’s 2023 season and get that breakout year a lot have been projecting over the past few seasons.

He did not make our preseason all-conference teams but that just shows how deep this safety position is within the Mountain West.

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