Tyreek Chappell officially withdraws from transfer portal; returning to Texas A&M football
In a move that had been long speculated, Tyreek Chappell has officially withdrawn his name from the transfer portal and will be returning to Texas A&M football for the upcoming year. Chappell, when healthy, has started at one of the two corner spots for the Aggies since midway through his true freshman year in 2021. He showcased great cover skills when he was on the field, and has had several instances of really physical tackling—not something you see out of every cornerback, especially those of Chappell’s stature.
It’s been that stature that has been his biggest knock over the years, as Chappell is listed at 5’11” and 185 LBs. Matching up against tall receivers like Malik Nabers and others can consequently present a unique challenge, but Chappell has always shown an ability to step up to the challenge in those cases.
Had been trending that way - now official! Solid retention for Elko https://t.co/u6JPvSLbHy
— Clark Brooks (@SEC_StatCat) February 16, 2024
It is eminently relevant here that the best year of Chappell’s career came the one year he played for Mike Elko, who is obviously now the head coach of Texas A&M football. He’s not been bad by any stretch over the past two seasons, but there’s a chance that playing in this scheme can help further unlock his skills, just as Edgerrin Cooper experienced a renaissance under DJ Durkin this past year.
Though he has been a starter over these past two and a half years, nothing is guaranteed with the level of competition that Elko has brought in via the portal. At least seven defensive backs have come in through the transfer ranks (with possibly more on the way), so Chappell will have to prove himself against all this new talent. I don’t doubt at all that he can do this; he’s got great coverage skills. However, it’s worth mentioning that he’s not guaranteed a spot as he may have been previously.
In any case, this is a great retention for Elko. Both Chappell and Bisontis seemed to be out the door without question when he came into this job, and he has brought them both back into the fold. Both will provide a lot of value to this 2024 Texas A&M football team.