Texas A&M got some great news this morning when star defensive back Tyreek Chappell announced that he is withdrawing from the transfer portal and will be rejoining the team for his fourth season. In his career, Chappell has 105 tackles, two interceptions, and 24 passes defended. He was a starter for 30 games, but his most productive season came in 2022.
Good News for Texas A&M
The news is good for the Texas A&M defense that saw twelve players on the defensive side of the ball enter the transfer portal, including one of the top transfers in this class Walter Nolen. In the same time period, Coach Elko and the Aggies have brought in 13 defensive players from the transfer portal, essentially equalling the talent they lost.
However, it has been shown that teams that rely too heavily on the transfer portal often struggle with team cohesion and often fail to get on the same page, particularly early in the season. The return of Chappell may go much deeper than just the stats he is able to put up next season, he could be a glue that brings together the old roster and the new players, especially under a new coaching staff.
Texas A&M defensive back Tyreek Chappell has withdrawn from the transfer portal, @On3sports has learned.
In three seasons, he's tallied 105 total tackles, two interceptions and 24 passes defended.https://t.co/VNvB2Ek6qR pic.twitter.com/5gpsXUF2nC
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) February 16, 2024
Can Texas A&M Get Back on Track
Texas A&M hasn’t been a bad team the last few years, they have just really underperformed. Considering a consistent top-five to ten recruiting class in the last few years, the fact that the Aggies haven’t even been in the College Football Playoff conversation late in the season shows how underwhelming their performance has been.
The talent is there to be great, the tough part is getting them coached to all work on the same page. Whether it’s the type of player that Jimbo Fisher recruited, or just not matching the scheme to the talent on the team, the blame has to be 100% on the coaches.
The good news is, if anyone can take a pool of talent and elevate it, it’s Mike Elko. Elko brought Duke from the depths of college football to a Top 25 team with players that weren’t even recruited by SEC schools coming out of high school.
One potential concern is that the type of player that Elko will be working with won’t be the same as at Duke. At Duke, the players wanted to prove something, whereas many Texas A&M players already felt like they were the best of the best. Elko’s job will be to get that hunger in his players and have them buy into the idea of being the underdog team in the state of Texas.
If he can do that, this team could be really good in 2024.
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