College football is finally on the doorstep, which means the pressing questions fans have had all offseason about which players would be playing where and who is starting over who are finally getting answered.
Texas A&M released its first official depth chart of the 2026 campaign ahead of its opening matchup with Missouri State on Saturday, with several of those key answers at the forefront. While it wasn't shocking that Marcel Reed is starting under center or that Mario Craver will be his primary receiving target, there were other revelations that proved quite the surprise, particularly in the secondary.
Fifth-year senior Juilo Humphrey is set to be one of the Aggies' starting cornerbacks, jumping ahead of incumbent starter Dezz Ricks in the pecking order. This decision differs from what most thought would occur heading into fall camp, as Ricks was the presumed favorite to lock down the No. 1 job while Humphrey was expected to battle Tennessee transfer Rickey Gibson III.
It appears Humphrey made his move and leaped to the front of the pack.
Aug 30, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies cornerback Julio Humphrey (6) after the game against the UTSA Roadrunners at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Sean Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The verbiage on the depth chart is important here, too. Humphrey is firmly entrenched in his position at the top of the depth chart, while Ricks is listed alongside Gibson with an "OR" designation on the other side of the field. Again, that's a bit of a shock to the system, with the prevailing thought being that it would be Humphrey fighting for position with Gibson when everything was said and done.
Humphrey isn't inexperienced, however.
The former Georgia cornerback has appeared in 33 games throughout his college career, making 10 starts and playing 815 total snaps. He spent three seasons with the Bulldogs before transferring to Texas A&M ahead of the 2025 season, but his first year in College Station was relatively quiet. Humphrey appeared in 10 games and played just 157 snaps, recording seven tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and one pass breakup.
Prior to college, Humphrey was considered one of the nation's best cornerbacks coming out of Clear Lake High School, earning a five-star status from Rivals and four-star ratings from ESPN and 247Sports before signing with Georgia.
Perhaps the most encouraging part for Texas A&M is what Humphrey's emergence could mean for the secondary as a whole. Ricks entered the offseason as the supposed No. 1 option after establishing himself as a starter last season, and Gibson arrived from Tennessee to add another experienced option to the room. Rather than simply slotting in behind them, Humphrey apparently did enough throughout the offseason and fall camp to force his way into the most secure position of the three.
Of course, an opening-week depth chart is hardly permanent, and Elko has shown a willingness to rotate starters before settling on his preferred lineup. But the first look at Texas A&M's 2026 pecking order offers at least this one unexpected answer.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/tamu as Texas A&M's First Depth Chart Has One Major Surprise .
