This Defender Is Texas A&M's Biggest Keep For the 2026 Season

The Texas A&M Aggies had plenty of star power on their 2025 squad on both sides of the ball, resulting in them sending 13 players to the NFL Combine for the upcoming NFL draft in April.

While the team works on filling in the holes that players such as KC Concepcion, Cashius Howell, and Le'Veon Moss leave in College Station, the team must also familiarize itself with their new personnel via the transfer portal, as well as boost the returning players to the same superstar level that the former players held.

And for Mike Elko and Texas A&M, the best of those returning players lies in their defensive backfield and is about to start his third year in Maroon and White.

Dezz Ricks Named Texas A&M's Key Retention For 2026

Texas A&M Aggies cornerback Dezz Ricks (2) looks on during the game between the Aggies and the Hurricanes at Kyle Field. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Tuesday morning, ESPN's Max Olson released one key returning player from each top 25 college football program ahead of the 2026 season, and while some may have guessed that quarterback Marcel Reed or running back Rueben Owens filled the spot for Texas A&M, it was actually cornerback Dezz Ricks who took home the honor for the Aggies.

Ricks re-signed with the Maroon and White for the 2026 season and will enter his third year in College Station after transferring over from the Alabama Crimson Tide before the 2024 season.

"They had a lot of work to do on defense in reloading via the portal, so getting Ricks locked in for another year was a big deal," Olson writes.

Ricks showed his defensive prowess efficiently in the 2025 season, racking up 26 tackles and allowing catches on just 40% of targets last year with nine pass breakups and two TDs allowed.

However, 2024 did see Ricks record his lone collegiate interception to date, picking off Arkansas' Taylen Green during A&M's 21-17 win in the Southwest Classic.

With fellow cornerback Will Lee III amongst the many from Aggieland heading for the NFL, Ricks' veteran experience will help transfers like Rickey Gibson III, who the Aggies snagged from the Tennessee Volunteers, get up to speed with Mike Elko's technical defensive schemes.

Fellow defensive backs Tyreek Chappell and Bryce Anderson are also slated to return to the team for the 2026 season, as well as Reed, Owens, and wide receiver Mario Craver on the offensive side of the line of scrimmage.

Both sides of the ball for A&M will be under new coordination in the 2026 season, with wide receivers coach Holmon Wiggins and defensive assistant Lyle Hemphill being upgraded to offensive and defensive coordinator, respectively.

Texas A&M starts its 2026 season on September 5 against the Missouri State Bears at Kyle Field in hopes of repeating its College Football Playoff appearance and making it out of the first round.