NMSU football player arrested on domestic battery charges tied to incidents in campus dorm
An NMSU football player was arrested March 13 on two counts of battery against a household member tied to alleged incidents inside Piñon Hall on the Las Cruces campus.
Court records allege two altercations between March 8 and March 12 inside Piñon Hall
Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News
LAS CRUCES - A New Mexico State University football player was arrested Friday on two counts of battery against a household member after police say two altercations occurred earlier this month inside an on-campus residence hall.
Court records filed March 13 in Doña Ana County Magistrate Court identify the defendant as Drake Patrick Williams, an NMSU student who is listed on the Aggies football roster.
The criminal complaint alleges two separate incidents involving a woman with whom Williams had been in an intimate relationship since fall 2025.
Both incidents allegedly occurred inside Piñon Hall, a student residence hall located at 1780 E. University Ave. on the NMSU campus.
Two alleged incidents inside Piñon Hall
According to the statement of probable cause, the first incident occurred March 8 inside Williams’ dorm room at Piñon Hall.
Investigators say Williams allegedly grabbed the woman repeatedly by the collar of her sweater and forced her out of the room several times. Police reported bruising on the back of the woman’s neck consistent with the collar being pulled.
A second incident allegedly occurred March 12 when Williams entered the woman’s room to retrieve a debit card belonging to him.
According to the complaint, a verbal argument escalated and Williams allegedly grabbed the woman by the throat and her left arm while demanding the card. Officers reported bruising on the woman’s arm and cuts caused by her bracelet during the struggle.
Charges filed Friday
Williams faces two counts of battery against a household member, a misdemeanor under New Mexico law.
An arrest warrant was issued March 13 in Doña Ana County Magistrate Court after a judge determined probable cause existed for the charges.
Football background
A standout "ironman" prospect from Houston’s Benjamin O. Davis High School, Williams joined New Mexico State as part of the 2025 signing class. Despite a late push from programs like Grambling State, the unrated defender committed to the Aggies in February 2025 and enrolled that June. After spending the 2025-26 season in a developmental role where he retained his redshirt status, the 6-foot-1 linebacker had recently transitioned into the active rotation for spring practice, wearing jersey No. 24.
University response sought
Organ Mountain News has contacted New Mexico State University athletics officials seeking comment on Williams’ status with the football program following the arrest.
As of publication, the university had not responded.
Williams remains in custody at the Doña Ana County Detention Center as of Friday night. He is being held without bond pending an initial appearance before a magistrate judge, who will determine his conditions of release.
The case remains pending in Doña Ana County Magistrate Court.
Damien Willis is founder and editor of Organ Mountain News. If you have a personal story to share or a lead we should follow up on, reach out at OrganMountainNews@gmail.com or connect with him on X at @damienwillis.
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