The Texas A&M Player Nobody Expected To Emerge This Fall Camp

Texas A&M has plenty of depth in the secondary. Multiple returners make this core one of the best in the SEC and in the country, if it can put together some of its best football.

It has a strong core in front of it on defense, but it will clearly need limited mistakes in live action with the quality opponents on the schedule. Throughout camp, multiple players have proven why there aren’t a lot of questions surrounding this unit, but one new addition is turning heads.

It’s Rickey Gibson Ⅲ.

“He’s a very good learner,” Texas A&M defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill said. “He’s a smart kid. He listens. He looks at you in your eye.”

Gibson has been competing against returning cornerback Julian Humphrey for the starting cornerback position, and it appears there is no clear answer on who might win the job. This might be a situation where it is split with reps, 50-50.

Head coach Mike Elko hasn’t announced who will be in the starting lineup for Week 1. Still, with how Gibson has shown up ready to go, there will be an intriguing competition between the two that could go on a while.

Emergence of Gibson

Rickey Gibson Tennessee Volunteers. — Nov 23, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Rickey Gibson III (1) strips the ball away from UTEP Miners wide receiver Trey Goodman (1) during the first half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brianna Paciorka/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

After this past college football season, Gibson elected to hit the transfer portal and explore a new place to take his talents, and it was Aggieland where he now plays in the Maroon and White instead of the Orange, White, and Smokey Gray.

The Trussville, Alabama native transferred from Tennessee and has brought his goods to A&M, where he has quickly turned heads and established himself as a competitive defensive back. He logged 26 games, earning 13 starts.

In his tenure with Rocky Top, the focused six-footer was a key contributor in tackling and pass breakups, posting 42 tackles and six pass breakups. He has recorded a total of 32 solo tackles, along with 10 assists.

He's been trying to live up to that at practice, showing off his skill set. He’s been smart with his decision-making and has been solid in pass coverage as well. He’s very quick and also a ballhawk while being fast at identifying the football.

His coaches and teammates have already noticed the work he has put in and why he is special, especially his teammate, Jordan Shaw.

“He had an amazing camp,” Shaw said. “He had a pick, I think, every day. Julian Humphrey had a good camp, (but) I feel like everybody in the secondary has been doing good.”

Gibson has definitely made this secondary stronger, and he'll be ready to suit up.

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