ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico United announced on Friday it had exercised contract options on center backs Anthony Herbert and Talen Maples for the 2025 USL Championship season. The transactions are pending league and federation approval.

Maples returns after proving one of the leaders in New Mexico’s back line during his first season at the club. The 26-year-old led United’s outfield players with 2,976 minutes of action across the regular season and playoffs and ranked seventh in the USL Championship with 141 clearances and tied for seventh with 30 blocked shots.

A native of Texas, Maples also recorded 19 tackles at a 76 percent success rate and logged 24 interceptions while also scoring three goals from set piece situations.

Herbert, meanwhile, ranked second on the team with 64 clearances and 15 blocked shots as he logged 1,811 minutes of action across 23 appearances in the regular season and playoffs. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native also won 49 aerial duels at a 68.1 percent success rate and had 19 interceptions.