New Mexico State football: Tony Sanchez says Deuce Hogan, Parker Awad leading QB battle

The biggest question surrounding New Mexico State this season is its quarterback situation.

The Aggies were stable at the position in 2023 with former starter Diego Pavia , who threw for 2,973 yards, 26 touchdowns, nine interceptions and a 62.9 QBR en route to a 10-5 season. But Pavia transferred to Vanderbilt after the season, leaving a void that coach Tony Sanchez must fill.

Out of the Aggies’ seven quarterbacks, Sanchez has narrowed the race down to four main contenders — senior Deuce Hogan, redshirt junior Santini Marucci and sophomores Parker Awad and Jake McNamara. All are transfers and all lack Division I starting experience.

Hogan and Awad are currently the frontrunners with Marucci and McNamara trailing behind, according to Sanchez. He hopes to name a starter before NM State’s season opener against Southeast Missouri State on Aug. 31, but says the race is tight between the four.

“We want someone who’s the most comfortable in the offense,” Sanchez told the Sun-News. “Someone who’s going to be able to direct the offense, make decisions in the offense, have great ball security and deliver the ball to the playmakers. The guy that can kind of manage all those things.”

Deuce Hogan

Hogan is the most experienced player of the four contenders as he enters his fourth collegiate season. He spent 2021 with Iowa before playing the last two seasons for Kentucky. Hogan has thrown eight total passes in his career, completing seven of them for 21 yards.

Hogan is the biggest of the four at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, and Sanchez says he possesses the strongest arm out of all NM State quarterbacks. His arrival in the spring gave him a leg up, as he was able to adjust to the Aggies’ offense earlier.

Additional advantages Sanchez gives Hogan are his leadership, ability to go through progressions quickly and his prior experience at two programs in power conferences.

“We heard a lot of good things about him,” Sanchez said. “He's been around some really good players, he's been around some really good coaches and some really good staffs, and you see that he carries himself well. He's got some natural leadership, and he's a big kid that’s got a strong arm.”

Sanchez believes improvements in Hogan's decision-making and confidence can give him a greater edge, as he thinks he’s too hesitant at times.

“He’s got all the tools, it’s just about his decisions,” Sanchez said. “He just has to be a bit more confident. In his throws, you can tell he's getting ready to pull the triggers. I need him to believe in himself and deliver it on time.”

Parker Awad

Awad is the only Aggie quarterback who started for someone last season, albeit at a junior college with Golden West College. He started all 11 games for the Rustlers last season, throwing for 1,223 yards and 12 touchdowns and rushing for 206 yards and two touchdowns.

Awad’s dual-threat playstyle is different from Hogan’s. He’s been more capable of extending plays and running option plays in Sanchez’s eyes, and his arrival in the spring alongside Hogan also allowed him to understand NM State’s offense better.

Sanchez has also been impressed with Awad’s “cool, calm demeanor”, allowing him to develop relationships with teammates.

“He’s got a good poise to him,” Sanchez said. “He does a good job out there every time. I know the players really like him.”

Sanchez compares Awad to Pavia, who was also young and had never played for a Division I team before earning the Aggies’ starting job. While those two things may be disadvantages for some, Awad has Sanchez’s confidence.

“To me, it’s about playing ball, and he’s played ball,” Sanchez said. “How it translates (to the Division I level), we will see.”

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Santino Marucci

Marucci arrives from Wake Forest, where he played from 2021-23. He played in three games for the Demon Deacons last season and started their game against Pitt, throwing for 151 yards, two interceptions and the game-winning touchdown pass in a 21-17 victory.

Marucci is a “throw-first, dual-threat guy” who can extend plays and make throws with confidence. However, Marucci didn’t arrive in Las Cruces until the summer, giving him less familiarity with the offense than Hogan and Awad.

This gave Marucci struggles as he tried settling into the Aggies’ offense, but Sanchez believes he’s improved after every week.

“Week one, it was a bit of a struggle. The second week, he's gotten much better,” Sanchez said. “He’s a confident kid and has some great physical attributes.”

Sanchez says Marucci needs to read defenses better, make more throws on time, and improve his ball security to close the gaps with Hogan and Awad.

“Hopefully, he starts putting pressure on those guys soon,” Sanchez said.

Jake McNamara

McNamara comes from NM State’s Battle of I-10 rival in UTEP, where he completed three of seven passes and recorded 64 total yards for the Miners last season. He scored one touchdown in 2023, a two-yard rushing touchdown in UTEP’s 24-10 loss to Louisiana Tech.

McNamara was also a late transfer like Marucci and didn’t join the Aggies until the summer. It meant his first week with NM State was “hit or miss” in Sanchez’s eyes, but he’s impressed since then with his arm talent and rushing ability.

Sanchez has McNamara at No. 4 on the depth chart, but isn’t ruling him out.

“He's a good kid, he works hard and he’s really got a strong arm,” Sanchez said. “We’re hoping to see more from him. He’s definitely a viable option.”

Potential two-quarterback system

With nobody pulling away yet, Sanchez hasn’t ruled out giving two quarterbacks equal playing time against SEMO. Hogan and Awad would most likely be the two quarterbacks playing in this scenario, with Hogan’s strong arm and Awad’s dual-threat ability potentially providing an advantage.

Sanchez says it wouldn’t be the ideal choice, but could give him more clarity ahead of NM State’s Conference USA opener against Liberty on Sept. 7.

“If we feel like there's still a little bit of a competition going on, then I'm not afraid to play two different guys,” Sanchez said. “With all of these guys being new to the program… we may have to get a couple of guys to get their feet wet in that first game.”

Sanchez isn’t ruling out this scenario against the Flames either but would like to have a starter by then.

“When you go against Liberty, you’d like to have that," Sanchez said. "But, I’m not gonna put a timeframe on it.”

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: New Mexico State football: Tony Sanchez says Deuce Hogan, Parker Awad leading QB battle