ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Following up on a breakthrough 2020 campaign in which he led the Mountain West in interceptions, New Mexico defensive back Jerrick Reed II was named to the preseason All-Mountain Team in a vote of league-wide media on Thursday.

Reed, an Olive Branch native, is the first Lobo to be named preseason All-Mountain West in three years and the first New Mexico defensive back to earn preseason All-Mountain West since DeAndre Wright in 2008.

Last season, Reed played all seven games for New Mexico and earned five starts. He finished fourth on the team with 33 tackles and led the team with four interceptions, placing him first in the Mountain West in interceptions and tied for eighth nationally in the same category. He also finished fifth nationally in interceptions per game and he added three PBUs, a TFL and had a fumble recovery.

In his lone season at Northwest, Reed was part of a stout secondary in 2018 that featured numerous future Division I standouts, including recent New York Jets' draft pick Brandin Echols (Kentucky) and Louisville's Marlon Character, Jr., who signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. Other notable members included former West Virginia safety Joshua Norwood, Malik Sanders (UMass/Mississippi State), Chris Stamps (Middle Tennessee) and South Alabama's Devin Rockette, who was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Fourth Team by Athlon Sports earlier this summer.

While helping Northwest to an 8-2 record and the first round of the MACJC Playoffs, Reed finished third among Ranger defenders with 71 tackles, three PBUs and two interceptions. He posted two games with 10 or more tackles, including a career-high 19 tackles in a loss to East Mississippi.

Reed and the Lobos will kick off the 2021 campaign on Thursday, September 2 against Houston Baptist.