NMSU Football Signs 4 More Players in Jerry Kills First Recruiting Class

NMSU added four more players to their Class of 2022 today, bringing the total number of new signees to 24 for new head coach Jerry Kill. The Aggies added a linebacker, tight end, and a pair of offensive lineman to complete the haul for Coach Kill. Here is the breakdown of the four latest to sign with NMSU.

Gabe Peterson | LB | Fr. | 6-2 | 240 | Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest HS | Signed at 6:26 a.m. MT on Wednesday, Feb. 2 | High School
Emerged as a force on defense in his final prep season…Starred for Blue Valley Northwest High School and played his way to Wichita Eagle 6A Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2021…Cited as one of the top 11 players in the state by the Kansas Football Coaches Association as a senior…Earned Sports in Kansas 6A First Team All-State honors and was named the Defensive Player of the Year by that organization, too…With Peterson on their side, Blue Valley Northwest High School captured its first state title in the history of the program by going 12-1 in 2021…One of 10 finalists for the 2021 Buck Buchanan Award which goes to the best big school linebacker/lineman in the Kansas City metro area…In addition to his offer from NM State, also received interest from Southeast Missouri State, Central Missouri State (NCAA Division II) and Emporia State (NCAA Division II)…Father, Ben, was a three-time All-American for Pittsburg State in football and went on to play for the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals in 1999.

Trevor Stephens | TE | Fr. | 6-3 | 230 | Lubbock, Texas/Coronado HS | Signed at 6:26 a.m. MT on Wednesday, Feb. 2 | High School
Helped Coronado High School put up a 7-5 mark in 2021 as a senior…Led the Mustangs to a share of the district title his senior year…Latched on to 65 balls for 1,148 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior…Ranked sixth in terms of total receiving yards among all 5A players in Texas as a senior…Named to the All-City Offensive Team in his final prep campaign…Picked up First Team Academic All-State honors in his final prep campaign…Collected All-State First Team honors by The Padilla Poll after his final prep season…Rated as a two-star recruit by 247Sports.com…Possessed offers from Air Force, Columbia, Georgetown and Sam Houston in addition to NM State.

Will Thomas | OL | Fr. | 6-6 | 297 | Tulsa, Okla./Union High School | Signed at 6:26 a.m. MT on Wednesday, Feb. 2 | High School
Paved the way for Union High School's offensive attack with great zeal, leading his squad to an appearance in the OSSAA 6AI State Championship clash…Headed into the 2021 season, ranked number one in the All-Tulsa World Preseason Football Rankings for offensive linemen…Secured 2020 Tulsa World All-World First Team honors…Helped lead Union to the OSSAA 6AI semifinals as a junior in 2020.

Louie Canepa | OL | Fr. | 6-4 | 305 | Napa, Calif./Vintage High School | Signed at 8:13 a.m. MT on Wednesday, Feb. 2 | High School
Earned All-Metro Second Team honors from The San Francisco Chronicle at the conclusion of his final prep campaign…Also collected SBLive All-North Coast Section Second Team accolades as a senior…Stands as a finalist for Cal-Hi Sports All-State honors…Listed among the Cal-Hi Sports Class of 2022 Preseason Hot 100 (number 64) prior to the start of his senior year…Helped the Crushers compile a 6-3 mark in 2021 which included a 5-1 showing in Vine Valley Athletic League action…Rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports…Secured offers from Air Force, Army, Colorado State and Fordham in addition to NM State.

In addition to the four who signed today, the Aggies also inked 15 players from December and five more last month to bring the total number of incoming players to 24. NMSU will kick off their final season as an Independent on August 27th when they host Nevada. The annual Battle of I-10 will be September 10th at the Sun Bowl while the Battle of I-25 will be October 15th at Aggie Memorial Stadium.