AggieYell.com's series on the position groups of the 2022 Texas A&M football team continues with a look at the secondary.
Returning players
Super-senior cornerback Myles Jones: 2 tackles in 2 games; missed the remainder of the 2021 season due to injury
Redshirt senior cornerback Brian George: 10 tackles in 5 games; missed the remainder of the season due to injury
Senior safety Demani Richardson: 65 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 interception, 3 passes broken up and 1 forced fumble in 12 games (all starts)
Junior nickel Antonio Johnson: 79 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, 5 passes broken up in 12 games (all starts); second team All-SEC
Junior cornerback Jaylon Jones: 35 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 2 interceptions, 6 passes broken up in 12 games (all starts)
Sophomore cornerback Tyreek Chappell: 41 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 9 passes broken up in 12 games (8 starts); freshman All-SEC
Sophomore cornerback/nickel Deuce Harmon: 19 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 1 pass broken up in 12 games (3 starts)
Sophomore safety Jardin Gilbert: 13 tackles, .5 tackles for loss, .5 sacks, 1 pass broken up in 11 games
Redshirt sophomore Josh Moten: Redshirted
Newcomers
Freshman cornerback Denver Harris: 5-star recruit according to Rivals.com; Under Armour All-American
Freshman cornerback Bobby Taylor: 4-star recruit according to Rivals.com; Under Armour All-American
Freshman safety Jacoby Mathews: 5-star recruit according to Rivals.com; Under Armour All-American
Freshman cornerback Smoke Bouie: 4-star recruit according to Rivals.com; Army All-American
Freshman cornerback Marquis Groves-Killebrew: 4-star recruit according to Rivals.com; Army All-American
Freshman safety/nickel Bryce Anderson: 4-star recruit according to Rivals.com; Under Armour All-American
Freshman safety Jarred Kerr: 3-star recruit according to Rivals.com
Setting the scene
New defensive coordinator DJ Durkin stepped into a great situation in the secondary when he arrived at A&M, with a wealth of talent waiting for him -- some developed at the expensive last year's injury-filled mess.
The cornerback position was seriously depleted last year, with the early season losses of George and Myles Jones to go with a preseason injury to Moten. A less than 100% Jaylon Jones still played every game, and Chappell emerged as one of the nation's best young corners when pressed into duty. Now, Myles Jones and George are back (Moten should be as well), and the Aggies have added four very good corners in the 2022 class to go with them.
The safety and nickel positions were more stable last year and their performance reflected it. Johnson emerged as a potential All-American after a fantastic season as the starting nickel, while Richardson had his best season to date. Gilbert came on as the third safety last year after career-ending injuries to Keldrick Carper and Brian Williams, setting him for a starting job this year. The Aggies added additional talent at both positions in the 2022 class, adding a possible nickel of the future in Anderson, a 5-star in Mathews and a very athletic player in Kerr.
Battle to watch
Starting corner, but not in the way that was expected at the start of the summer. It was presumed that, after a great freshman season, Chappell was a slam dunk to start. And maybe he still will, but he's been banged up all summer while Jaylon Jones -- who was supposed to be the guy in jeopardy of losing his job -- has returned to full health and has played much better as a result. George has taken full advantage of the opportunity to get first team snaps and has made the decision-making process more difficult for the coaching staff.
The pressure's on
Myles Jones and Moten. For Jones, this is it: there isn't a next year at the college level. If he wants to make it to the NFL, he has to get back on the field after spraining his ankle and not only play, but play well. Moten has been unable to shake the injury bug and missed the last two weeks of the summer. With the talent already assembled in the 2022 class and more coming, he may be running out of time as well.
Projected depth chart
Nickel: Johnson, Harmon
CB: Chappell, George
S: Richardson, Mathews
S: Gilbert, Mathews
CB: Jaylon Jones, Myles Jones (when healthy)
