Why Will Lee III's Departure Won't Hurt Texas A&M as Much as You Think

The secondary of the Texas A&M Aggies defense will be taking a pretty good hit after losing one of its important pieces from the 2025 season. The Aggies will be saying goodbye to cornerback Will Lee III, who, after spending two seasons in College Station, is headed off to the NFL.

In just two seasons with the Aggies, Lee III became a centerpiece to the Texas A&M secondary over the course of the last two years and now heads to the Carolina Panthers after being selected with the No. 129 overall pick in the fourth round. The cornerback totaled 92 tackles (79 solo), two interceptions, and 18 pass deflections.

While the departure of Lee III will be a big loss for the Aggies, who are having two lose a two-year starter in the secondary. However, Texas A&M has some experienced cornerbacks who will help the Aggies secondary transition to playing without Lee III.

Texas A&M Will Lean on Its Secondary's Experience

Texas A&M Aggies cornerback Dezz Ricks motions during the first half against the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Before the Aggies start bringing in new faces out of the transfer portal to add to their roster ahead of the 2026 season, Texas A&M made a major move in retaining one of its key players. The Aggies were able to hang onto cornerback Dezz Ricks, bringing him back to College Station and keeping him away from the NFL Draft.

Ricks heads into his fourth season of college football as a redshirt junior, starting at Alabama in 2023 before transferring to Texas A&M in 2024. Since arriving in College Station, Ricks has become a key piece to the secondary over the last two seasons, recording 46 tackles, two tackles for loss, an interception, and nine pass deflections.

The fourth-year cornerback will ease the loss of Lee III, with Ricks having multiple seasons playing in Mike Elko's scheme. Ricks will also be a veteran presence in the backend that will help out the younger cornerbacks in the room.

In the transfer portal, Elko understood that he had to address his cornerback room and went out and brought in Tennessee transfer cornerback Rickey Gibson III. The cornerback missed out on the majority of the 2025 season after suffering a season-ending injury; however, before the injury, Gibson III was trending to be one of the top cornerbacks in the SEC.

In his three seasons in Knoxville, the defensive back recorded 42 total tackles (32 solo), three tackles for loss, six pass deflections, and a forced fumble. Gibson III had a breakout season before his injury in 2025, having 32 tackles (25 solo), two tackles for loss, five pass deflections, and a forced fumble in 2024.

Gibson III adds plenty of experience to Texas A&M's secondary as he heads into his fourth season of college football. Both the transfer and Ricks add a high level of talent mixed with experience, which could give the Aggies a high-end cornerback duo.

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