Dezz Ricks has already looked like one of the nation’s best corners this season, and now Texas A&M fans know why last year’s version of him was even more impressive than it seemed.
Ricks said in media availability that he spent all of last season playing with a torn labrum in his shoulder. He said that during the spring he reached a point where he could not lift his arm, and he did not have surgery until after the season.
“I couldn’t raise my arm.”
That detail changes the way his 2025 season looks in hindsight. Ricks was not only holding up in coverage for the Aggies, he was also bringing it as a tackler while working through an injury that would have shut down plenty of players.
The good news for Texas A&M is what that could mean now. If Ricks was already operating at a high level while dealing with that shoulder issue, his ceiling this season suddenly looks even higher after surgery and recovery.
So far, the early returns have been strong. Through two games, per PFF, Ricks has been targeted five times and has allowed just one catch for one yard. That kind of production is exactly why he’s being talked about as a weapon for the Aggie defense.
He also showed why his presence matters even when the stat line doesn’t point directly at him. Texas A&M had a tough time with Arizona State’s Reed Harris this past weekend, but on the catches Harris made, Ricks was not the corner in coverage.
A shutdown corner changes everything for a defense. He lets coordinators simplify the picture and forces offenses to work around him. Ricks has become that kind of player for the Aggies, with Julio Humphrey starting opposite him and holding his own as well.
Even with Harris’s big day on Saturday, Texas A&M’s secondary has been one of the most effective groups in the country so far. Missouri State showed it could throw the ball in game two, and the Aggies still held them to a startling 1.7 yards per attempt in the opener, with Ricks playing a major role in that effort.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Practice Scare Casts A Shadow Over Kentucky Week
Texas A&M got a brief scare in practice this week when an anonymous player suffered a heat-related medical emergency and was taken to a hospital for evaluation. The program later confirmed the incident in a statement, and the player has since been released, easing immediate concern as the Aggies turn their attention to Kentucky.
The timing still adds an uneasy note to a week that should be centered on preparation, especially with early-season conditions often making practice management part of the conversation. Even with the player expected to be available for the game, the episode is a reminder of how quickly a routine practice can become something much more serious. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&Ms SEC Opener Comes With One Uncomfortable Advantage For Kentucky
Kentuckys trip to Kyle Field for the SEC opener brings an unusual layer of familiarity into a game that already carries real early-season weight. Defensive coordinator Jay Bateman, who spent two seasons as Texas A&Ms defensive coordinator, returns to a place where he knows the personnel, the building and, just as importantly, the way the Aggies like to operate on that side of the ball.
For Texas A&M, the comfort goes both ways, because Bateman also knows enough about the Aggies to make this a sharper chess match than most September conference games. The wrinkle is that his insight into offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins adds another wrinkle for both staffs, with each side expected to lean on its understanding of the others tendencies as the opener unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M's Place In College Football's Spending Race Says Plenty
Texas A&Ms place in college footballs spending race sits inside a larger picture the sport can no longer ignore. The Athletics survey of roster-building budgets across 68 Power Four programs and Notre Dame showed just how wide the gap has become, with the top end of the market pushing far beyond what many schools can match. The figures blend athletic department revenue, booster money and program-controlled funds, but leave out independent player income, which only adds another layer to the financial picture.
For Aggies fans, the bigger story is not simply who leads the list, but what it says about where A&M fits as the sport keeps tilting toward resource-driven competition. Ohio State landed at the top with an estimated range of $49 million to $54 million, while Boston College checked in at the low end at $8 million to $13 million. Where Texas A&M lands in that spread says plenty about how aggressively it is trying to keep pace in a market where spending has become part of the arms race. [Read more 🡒]