ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Elijah Brody knows how to put a move on a would-be tackler to make him miss. The UNM Lobos sophomore and former West Mesa Mustangs standout put on a clinic on being elusive as a quarterback in high school. Former Cleveland high star Josh Perry knows about making moves, but he usually chose to run over opponents as a running back. Both former New Mexico high school stars are no longer the hunted, they are doing the hunting, learning how to play linebacker under first-year Head Coach Jason Eck. Perry played linebacker as a kid. Brody is learning the position for the first time. "I'm enjoying it. It's a big transition for me," said Brody. So, putting on weight and getting in the film room has definitely been something I'm enjoying." Brody was listed as a receiver and played special teams last season. He put heavy hits on opposing players multiple times. Perry used last season as a red shirt year while playing running back. He was a little surprised when Coach Eck asked him to make the move to linebacker. "I was a little, kind of, like, skeptical, but talked to Coach Eck a little bit," said Perry. "Kind of got why he was thinking about it and yeah, just kind of rolled from there." Learning the position has been a challenge for both players. "So I say the hardest thing right now is just getting my eyes in the right spot, knowing my keys, and knowing what I'm looking at," said Brody. "I feel like I'm doing, overall, pretty good," said Perry. "It's just kind of getting in that playbook, learning it all over. That's what I'd say I need to work on, just learning the defense overall. Both players hope to be 100% ready by the end of spring workouts so they can make a difference in the fall. "A goal for this season would be to definitely have an impactful role on the team and just help us win the Mountain West Championship," said Brody. The Lobos will start the 2025 season on the road at Michigan on August 30. ...read more read less