Under third-year coach Mike Elko, Texas A&M’s secondary has continued to improve year after year, and with the return of cornerback Dezz Ricks, safeties Marcus Ratcliffe and Dalton Brooks, and two of the top transfer portal defensive backs, cornerback Rickey Gibson and safety Tawfiq Byard, the Aggies are in excellent shape heading into the 2026 campaign.
Compared to the rest of the SEC, it’s hard to say where A&M’s 2026 secondary deserves to be ranked, given the returning talent at Georgia, Alabama, and Oklahoma, while the Texas Longhorns have plenty of blue-chip talent at corner and safety. Still, Mike Elko and new defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill are two of the more respected defensive minds in the country, and have more than enough depth to work with.
Last season, Texas A&M’s passing defense ranked 19th nationally, allowing 187.5 yards per game, including 174.9 at home, and while senior cornerback Will Lee III was selected in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Rickey Gibson, who missed all but one game during his final season with Tennessee, is one of the best man coverage corners in the SEC, and will compete for the No. 2 CB job alongside Dezz Ricks.
Dalton Brooks and Marcus Ratcliffe combined for 128 tackles, while Brooks notched four sacks and an interception, and is considered one of, if not the best, defensive players on the roster after senior linebacker Daymion Sanford was injured this spring, and will likely miss at least the first half of the season.
On Wednesday, Sporting News’ Steven Lassan continued his SEC positional preview, as Texas A&M’s secondary came at No. 5, while Georgia, Alabama, and Oklahoma round out the top 3.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M’s 2026 secondary ranked Top 5 in CFB analyst’s SEC rankings
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
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By Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire | USA TODAY Network
