Dezz Ricks ‘Confident’ In Where Texas A&M Is At Right Now

As the matchup between Texas A&M and Kentucky approaches, defense could be a huge factor.

The Aggies are 2-0 and have looked pretty good on defense so far, with two games in the books this year with head coach Mike Elko.

In Week 1, the Maroon and White gave up less than 100 yards of total offense. Week 2 brought plenty of turnovers, created by the aggressive defense. What does Week 3 have in store?

Cornerback Dezz Ricks has seen all the behind-the-scenes work he and his teammates have put in to get to where they are now. He credited much of it to the overall communication the defense has shown over two weeks, and he expects further improvements in the weeks and months ahead.

“I think we feeling good,” Ricks said. “Overall, I think we’re definitely feeling good overall. You should see a lot of improvement the next coming weeks. I'm really confident in our defense. I think we communicated better as a whole rather than just having one voice. It’s made everyone have to step up. Learn their stuff more. I've been doing a lot more film study than what I usually do. It’s been able to make me play faster.”

Pieces On Defense

Starting with the secondary, the Aggies have multiple veterans in the room who have gotten their feet wet in this A&M system and know what it is like to play big games against SEC opponents. Ricks, alongside guys like Marcus Ratcliffe, Dalton Brooks, Rickey Gibson, and Julio Humphrey, have been a major reason for the execution and success.

They understand what is expected of them, what the coverage should look like, and how to make a play that impacts the game. They've shown that over the past two weeks. Look at what happened against Arizona State. Turnovers and interceptions cost the opponent and flipped the game in a matter of minutes.

Linebackers have also been a big part of why the run and pass defense has been solid so far, with the depth showing. Guys like Ray Coney and Noah Mikhail have stepped up big time in the absence of veteran Daymion Sanford and have given this defense an extra layer of help that has made a difference on the field.

Up front has also been a notable area that has set the tone for the defense. Newcomer Anto Saka has given the Aggies another piece to the pass rush that has helped tremendously. TJ Searcy and Marco Jones have also been X factors, collapsing the pocket and creating turnovers. Add to the mix DJ Hicks, an anchor for the defense with his disruptive presence and leadership.

A&M is still working to improve in multiple departments, but with all the tackling machines out there, Ricks knows everyone is bought in on what Elko is preaching.

“I think you have players bought into what coach Elko’s preaching,” Ricks mentioned. “Year 3 in the program. A lot of guys who’ve been in the program, so it’s easy to just have everyone buy in.”

That buy-in will be challenged again this weekend at Kyle Field as the Aggies and Wildcats look to improve their College Football Playoff resume.

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