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Turnover is a fact of life in college football. Players graduate. Coaches move on.

Creating stability and continuity within all that movement, minimizing turnover when and where possible, is how consistently winning programs are built.

The New Mexico Lobos, coach Bob Davie said Tuesday, aren’t at the top of the pyramid yet.

But, as his team begins its sixth spring practice of his tenure, Davie likes what he sees.

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The Lobos begin workouts this morning without 18 players who started at least one game last season, when UNM went 9-4 and finished with a New Mexico Bowl victory over UTSA. But the 2017 spring roster includes 40 players who have sat out a season as a redshirt since their arrival in the program.

Certainly, UNM will miss departed players like Dakota Cox, Teriyon Gipson, Donnie White, Dameon Gamblin, William Udeh and Nik D’Avanzo — 2013 signees who, because of roster attrition during the Mike Locksley coaching era (2009-11) were pressed into service as true freshmen.

But the Lobos, Davie believes, are prepared for that inevitable turnover.

Davie recalled the transition that took place between 2012 and 2013, when attrition truly hit home. The 2013 roster included just 13 seniors and 11 juniors on scholarship.

This spring: 17 seniors, 19 juniors, with several more juniors due in the fall from the junior-college ranks.

“As much as I love Dakota, as much as I love Donnie White, as much as I love Gip, Gambo, all those guys, it’s time to move on,” Davie said. “We’ve got some young, talented guys that I think are pretty anxious to get started.”

Starting with his inaugural staff in 2012, through 2016, UNM had lost at least one assistant coach each season. Given that offensive line coach Jason Lenzmeier announced he was leaving last year in late July, just days before preseason practices were due to start, Davie’s taking nothing for granted.

But, more than likely, all of his assistants will be here come September.

That’s not, Davie said, because some of them couldn’t have gone elsewhere.

“I’m not gonna stand here and go through what coaches had what opportunities, nor would I ever … hint at anything for myself personally,” he said. “But there’s coaches that have had opportunities (elsewhere). To keep this staff together and have the continuity we’ve had, definitely, definitely helps us.

“We’re locked in in the program — philosophically, what our identity is, the continuity we’ve had in the coaching staff. … We’ve got a lot of positive things going. and I think (continuity is) particularly important in this league (the Mountain West).”

THE CALENDAR: This morning’s practice is the first of 15 allowed by the NCAA during the spring. The Lobos will practice Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings for most if not all of the session.

Teams are allowed 12 practice in full pads, eight of which can involve tackling to the ground.

The flip side of being able to redshirt players, perhaps, is a roster teeming with players who have yet to see action. Accordingly, Davie said, the Lobos will have practices as long as 28 periods (two hours, 20 minutes).

“The max we ever go (normally) is 24 periods,” he said, “but we need to be on the field a long time. We need to get a lot of guys a lot of repetitions, and we need a lot of work.

“But it’s exciting. I’m very, very excited.”

ROSTER UPDATES: Every 2016 scholarship player with eligibility remaining is enrolled this spring. But, Davie said, injury and academics will limit a few players and sideline a couple during the spring.

Senior linebacker Kimmie Carson, a returning starter, will miss spring practice while concentrating on academics.

“He’s in good (academic) standing,” Davie said. “There’s nothing like that. He just needs to concentrate on academics.”

Senior cornerback Marquez Mackey also will sit out the spring while focusing on academics, Davie said, though Mackey also is rehabbing after labrum surgery.

Offensive linemen Nick Iacovangelo (labrum) and Izarael Castellanos (knee) and running backs Romell Jordan and Daevon Vigilant, both coming back from torn ACLS, will participate in drills on a limited basis and will be withheld from contact drills.