Tennessee will see a familiar face on the other sideline this weekend, but there’s a real chance Rickey Gibson III never gets much of a chance to make an impact.
The former Vol cornerback is now at Texas A&M, where he has appeared in six of the Aggies’ nine games this season. He hasn’t made a start, and his role has shrunk sharply since September.
Gibson played 18 snaps in Game 1, 33 in Game 2, 38 in Game 3, and 35 in Game 4. After that, his usage dropped to seven snaps in Game 6 and two snaps in Game 7.
He did not record any snaps in Texas A&M’s Game 5 against Arkansas, Game 8 against Alabama, or Game 9 against South Carolina.
For the season, Gibson has eight tackles.
That’s a far cry from what Tennessee got out of him in 2024, when he was a key piece of one of the nation’s best defenses. Playing opposite 2026 NFL Draft pick Jermod McCoy, Gibson finished the year with 32 tackles, three pass deflections, and one forced fumble. He also posted the Vols’ eighth-highest defensive PFF grade that season.
He was expected to be part of Tennessee’s 2025 defense, but an injury in the season opener against Syracuse wiped out his year before it ever got going. The six-foot cornerback then transferred to Texas A&M in the offseason, while Tennessee moved ahead with rising sophomore Ty Redmond.
The Vols’ cornerback room has held up just fine since then. Tennessee responded by landing former Auburn cornerback Kayin Lee to line up alongside Redmond, and the pair has formed a rugged, playmaking duo. Both bring a physical edge and a willingness to hit.
Tennessee also added Derek Jones as cornerbacks coach and Anthony Poindexter as secondary coach, two hires that have strengthened the back end of the defense.
Even after losing Colton Hood, Jermod McCoy, and Rickey Gibson in the offseason, Tennessee has continued to thrive at corner.
Texas A&M, which is 4-5, will host No. 9 Tennessee, which is 7-2, at 3:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at Kyle Field in College Station, TX.
In Other News...
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Josh Heupel eased some of that worry after the game, saying Brame is doing well and is expected to be in good condition for the upcoming matchup with Texas A&M. Tennessee still has to get through the first availability report, which comes Wednesday night, but for now the update gives Vols fans a little relief heading into a game week that already has plenty of attention on it. [Read more 🡒]
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For the Volunteers, the takeaway is less about being in the mix and more about how little margin there may be if the conference keeps stacking contenders around them. Kentucky, despite sitting No. 6 in the initial CFP rankings, did not appear in any of the new projections, a reminder that early positioning can shift quickly once the selection debate starts to narrow. The full set of ESPN picks only reinforces how tightly the race is being judged at the top. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee's Defense Just Sent Texas A&M A Brutal Message
Tennessees defense kept rolling in a 34-6 win over Kentucky, and Arion Carter was at the center of it with 13 tackles, four for loss and two sacks. The Volunteers smothered the Wildcats from start to finish, forcing three turnovers and shutting down fourth-down chances as the game tilted decisively in Tennessees favor.
That kind of performance lands with extra force this week because Texas A&M is next on the schedule, and the Aggies are already in a precarious spot after a loss to South Carolina. They need to win two of their final three games to become bowl eligible, and now they have to do it against a Tennessee defense that just spent an afternoon sending a very clear message. [Read more 🡒]