One of the more exciting offseason stories for Texas A&M involved one of last season’s young transfers, who played a ton of snaps but struggled down the stretch of the season. That player? Former Alabama cornerback Dezz Ricks, who, according to coach Mike Elko and defensive coordinator Jay Bateman, played a total of 650 snaps during his first full collegiate season, a staggering number for any player.
During the preseason, Ricks was praised by both coaches as one of the defense’s “rising stars” due to his length, speed, and stark improvement in coverage, as the former five-star prospect looked to outright earn the starting outside corner spot opposite senior Will Lee III, which came to fruition before the Aggies opened the season against UTSA.
During the first two wins over UTSA and Utah State, Ricks did not allow a reception and was not targeted once in Week 2, while Lee has been aggressively targeted and has struggled during the past two weeks. During Texas A&M’s 41-40 win over Notre Dame on Saturday night, Ricks earned a 70.5 coverage grade (PFF), and according to Pro Football Focus, Ricks was targeted six times, allowing just two receptions for seven yards.
According to PFSN’s Cam Mellor, Ricks is third nationally in catch rate percentage, allowing receivers to successfully catch a mere 20% of their targets in coverage. In primary coverage, Ricks is No. 1 nationally, allowing an average of seven yards per successful reception.
It’s rare for most players to live up to such substantial preseason “hype,” but Dezz Ricks is on his way to becoming one of the top cornerbacks not just in the SEC, but the entire country, and the best news? He’s only a sophomore.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M sophomore cornerback is on his way to an elite 2025 season
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
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