The New Mexico Chupacabras weren’t built by accident.

Every signing. Every position. Every veteran added to this locker room was intentional. This isn’t a collection of names — it’s a balanced roster designed to compete from day one.

In indoor football, margins are thin. Space is tight. Games swing fast. To win consistently, you need strength in the trenches, speed on the perimeter, discipline on defense, and leadership under center.

This roster has all of it.

Up front, the Chupacabras bring size and physicality. Offensive linemen who understand that indoor football starts with protection and leverage. Defensive linemen who collapse pockets and control gaps before plays ever develop. In a league where everything happens quickly, controlling the line of scrimmage changes everything.

At quarterback, the room is steady and competitive. Ja’Rome Johnson brings experience, athleticism, and composure to the huddle. He understands the pace of the indoor game and how to manage it. His ability to extend plays and deliver accurately in tight windows gives this offense flexibility and confidence.

Around him is a versatile group of playmakers — receivers who can win vertically, athletes who can motion into the backfield, and backs who can turn short gains into explosive moments. The offense was built to stress defenses from sideline to sideline.

Defensively, speed meets aggression. Linebackers who pursue. Defensive backs who close space quickly. Interior defenders who disrupt rhythm. This is a unit designed to attack, not react.

And woven throughout this roster is something even more important than talent — championship experience.

Several key leaders, including Ja’Rome Johnson, Maurice Jackson, and Ben Derby, are coming off a championship season last year. They understand what it takes to finish a season on top. They know how to prepare in the middle of a long grind. They’ve played in the biggest moments and executed under pressure.

That kind of experience changes a locker room.

It raises standards in practice. It sharpens focus in meetings. It builds belief when games tighten in the fourth quarter.

Maurice Jackson anchors the offensive front with the confidence of someone who has already climbed the mountain. Ben Derby brings reliability to special teams, knowing that in indoor football, one kick can define a playoff run. And Johnson carries the poise of a quarterback who has already proven he can lead a team through the fire.

But this team isn’t relying on a few names.

It’s built on depth.

It’s built on competition.

It’s built on accountability.

From the first snap of training camp to the final whistle of the season, this roster reflects the identity of Albuquerque — tough, resilient, and proud. It represents a franchise that expects to compete immediately and a city that deserves a team that plays with edge and purpose.

This isn’t about rebuilding.

It’s about establishing a standard.

The trenches are strong.
The skill positions are explosive.
The defense is aggressive.
The leadership is proven.

The foundation is in place.

Now it’s time to bring it to Tingley Coliseum and give New Mexico a team that fights every snap.

Because when preparation meets hunger…

It’s Feeding Time!