Texas A&M’s offseason work has already produced one encouraging early result in the secondary: Rickey Gibson III looks like he’s settling in fast.
The transfer cornerback, one of the Aggies’ bigger portal pickups, said recently that his first months in College Station have delivered exactly what he was looking for.
"I'm getting exactly what I wanted of the program and exactly what I need from my coaches," Gibson III said, per TexAgs.
That kind of feedback matters for a Texas A&M team that is trying to carry momentum from a successful 2025 season into 2026. Head coach Mike Elko went to work in the transfer portal with clear intent, bringing in players expected to help right away as the Aggies aim to keep building in what could be a pivotal third season of the Elko era in Aggieland.
Gibson III arrived in January after three seasons at Tennessee, where he played in 26 games and put together a résumé that showed real promise. He finished his time with the Volunteers with 42 total tackles (32 solo), three tackles for loss, six pass deflections and a forced fumble.
His 2025 campaign was cut short by a season-ending injury in Tennessee’s opener, but his 2024 season offered a better snapshot of what he can bring when healthy. In that full season, Gibson III posted 32 tackles (25 solo), two tackles for loss, five pass deflections and a forced fumble, and he was on track to emerge as one of the SEC’s better cornerbacks.
That’s the version Texas A&M is banking on now, especially with Will Lee III heading to the NFL. Gibson III joins a secondary that still has important pieces in place, including safety Bryce Anderson and cornerback Dezz Ricks.
The early signs have been strong. Gibson III stood out in spring practice, and new defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill made it clear the staff has noticed.
"I think he can do anything from what I've seen in workouts," Hemphill said. "He moves fluidly.
He's a man player, but I think he'll have no problem playing zone. So far, everything I've seen, I've been very impressed with him."
In Other News...
Texas A&M Has One Last Five Star Shot At History
Texas A&Ms 2027 recruiting run already looks like one of the strongest in the country, and the Aggies are still hunting for a finish that would put the class in rare air. They sit at No. 1 nationally and are on pace to sign six five-star prospects, a total that would match the biggest haul since Alabamas 2023 class.
The last swing is still out there, and the Aggies enter it as the clear favorite. ON3 gives Texas A&M an 86.3 percent chance to land Dobson, and if that final piece falls into place, the class would reach seven five-stars and tie Alabamas standard from 2023. After missing on Texas native John Meredith III to Texas in June, this is the one chance left to turn an already elite class into something historic. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Fans Arent Ready For This Recruiting Gut Punch
Texas A&Ms 2027 recruiting board has already taken a few hits, with top prospects Albert Simien and John Meredith choosing other paths and leaving the Aggies to keep chasing answers in a fast-moving cycle. The latest concern centers on five-star cornerback Joshua Dobson, who had long been viewed as one of the programs priority targets and a potential headliner in the class.
Now, the momentum around Dobson has shifted enough to make this one sting a little more for A&M fans, with recruiting insiders moving their forecasts away from the Aggies and toward a different SEC contender. Dobson is set to announce his decision at 5 PM CT, and the timing only adds to the tension around a recruitment that has quietly become one of the more telling battles in Texas A&Ms 2027 push. [Read more 🡒]
Wade Taylor IV Just Took A Huge Step Toward The NBA
Wade Taylor IV keeps inching closer to an NBA opportunity, and it comes after a professional first season that already gave Texas A&M fans a glimpse of how his game can translate. The Aggies all-time leading scorer went undrafted, then began his pro career with the G-Leagues Mexico City Capitanes, where he settled into a new role and kept building a case that his shot-making and pace can still carry up to the next level.
Now Taylor is set for summer league action in early July, another chance to show he belongs in an NBA camp conversation rather than just a G-League one. He had previously earned a summer league invitation from the Milwaukee Bucks before turning pro, and this latest step gives him another opening to prove that his college legacy in College Station can still be followed by a real shot at sticking on the leagues radar. [Read more 🡒]