Texas A&M’s secondary got a major boost this offseason with the addition of Rickey Gibson III, and the former Tennessee cornerback is already drawing strong praise from the people who know him best.
At SEC Media Days on Monday, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel and Volunteers running back DeShaun Bishop both spoke highly of Gibson, who transferred to College Station in early January after starting for the Volunteers. Their comments came as the league’s first wave of coaches and player representatives gathered from Oklahoma, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee, with Texas A&M coach Mike Elko set to speak on Wednesday.
Gibson is one of Texas A&M’s 17 transfer portal additions, but he stands out as one of the most important. The Aggies lost veteran starting cornerback Will Lee III, one of a record 10 players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, when he went in the fourth round to the Carolina Panthers. That leaves Gibson in position to compete for the No. 2 cornerback job alongside redshirt junior Dezz Ricks.
The timing matters, too. Gibson missed all but one game last season, but he enters his redshirt junior year healthy and with a chance to make an immediate impact. He finished the 2024 season with 32 tackles and three pass deflections, and the missed time could end up working in his favor if the extra rest and film study translate on the field.
Heupel didn’t hold back when asked about his former player.
"He's smart, he's competitive and a really good football player."
Bishop, who piled up 1,076 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns during his 2025 sophomore season, added his own endorsement. He said he’ll miss Gibson, but believes Texas A&M landed a player who can become one of its top weapons on defense.
"I believe he's going to make tons of plays over there at Texas A&M."
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