ESPN identifies sleeper who could emerge for Texas A&M in 2025
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Texas A&M went 8-5 in its first season under Mike Elko in 2024, shaking off an opening game loss to Notre Dame by winning its next 7 before going just 1-4 down the stretch.
That’s not nearly good enough for Aggie fans, who have been forced to watch archrival Texas play in 2 straight College Football Playoff semifinal games and even SMU claim a CFP first-round berth.
In 2025, the Texas A&M secondary should get some help in the form of cornerback Tyreek Chappell. Chappell, who is returning from a leg injury that sidelined him for all but 2 games in 2024, has been identified by ESPN as an under-the-radar player who could enter the national conversation on a wide scale.
ESPN’s Dave Wilson had this to say about the 5th-year senior from Philadelphia:
The Aggies’ secondary play was particularly frustrating to Mike Elko as last year wore on, and the return of Chappell, a former starter who was a three-star recruit and the team’s top defensive newcomer in 2021, is a key to the Aggies’ hopes of bolstering that unit. With the return of Will Lee III and the addition of Georgia transfer Julian Humphrey, Chappell, who had 88 tackles in his first two seasons, but just 24 in the past two, might be overlooked by fans. But inside the program, Chappell is expected to have a big year at the nickel spot.
Chappell has had a fairly decent career in Aggieland. He was part of the 2021 signing class under Jimbo Fisher, enrolling early and recording 41 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss, an interception, and 9 passes defensed as a true freshman. He then posted 44 stops, 8 PDs, and a forced fumble in 2022.
In 2023, as Wilson noted, Chappell’s production dipped. That season, of course, saw Fisher fired after 10 games and Chappell subsequently enter the transfer portal at the end of the season. But he returned to the program in 2024, only to see his season cut short due to injury.
With his college career coming to a close in 2025, though, Chappell could be in line for his biggest year yet.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
