Texas A&M Football 2023 Season Preview: DB Demani Richardson

One of the most experienced defensive backs in the entire SEC, this fall will officially mark the fifth season for Demani Richardson in College Station. A multi-year starter with Texas A&M football, what will the 2023 season have in store for Richardson?

Texas A&M Football 2023 Season Preview: DB Demani Richardson

A former in-state prospect out of Waxahachie High School in Texas, Richardson originally came to College Station among the biggest names in the Aggies 2019 recruiting class, where he was rated as a four-star safety. Also considered a Top 100 prospect in that class according to the 247Sports Composite, Richardson would go on to make an immediate impact for the Aggies once in College Station, and has simply been a major factor in the Texas A&M secondary since he stepped foot on campus.

As a freshman, Richardson would start in 11-of-12 games for the Aggies during the 2019 season, which translated to 71 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks, one INT, three PD, and one FF. At seasons end, Richardson would be named to the 2019 SEC All-Freshman Team, and would carry over the 2019 success into the 2020 season where he started in all eight games he played, amassing 36 tackles, 2.5 TFL, one INT, and two PD after receiving preseason All-SEC honors.

Richardson would go on to start in all 12 of the Aggies’ games as a junior in 2021, which was also one of the former four-star’s most productive seasons in College Station, amassing 65 tackles, 6.5 TFL, two sacks, one INT, four PD, and a FR. As for last season, Richardson would also start in all 12 games for the Aggies defense, compiling a career-high 73 tackles, 2.5 TFL, one INT, six PD, one FF, and one FR as one of Texas A&M’s team captains.

An experienced defensive back who will certainly play a significant role on the Texas A&M defense, what might the 2023 season now look like for Richardson?

Texas A&M DB Demani Richardson 2023 Season Prediction: 80 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks, 1 INT, 6 PD, 1 FR

As mentioned previously, Richardson, a 6-foot-1, 215 pound senior defensive back, is simply to play a significant role in the Aggies secondary this season, as well as for the Texas A&M defense overall.

The senior has a combined 245 tackles across 44 career collegiate games at Texas A&M, almost all of which he has started. Not only has Richardson started almost all of the Aggies’ games the last four seasons, but he has certainly made a massive impact in those as well, ranking top five in tackles for the team across three of those four years (No. 6 in 2020), as well as leading Texas A&M in the stat last season.

To keep things simple, if you think that the impact Richardson has had will decrease this season, then well, you’re likely wrong.

The senior is once again projected to start at safety for the Aggies this season, and could easily be set to surpass his career-high total in 73 tackles from a year ago. Don’t necessarily bet against a few other career-high’s in other statistical categories for Richardson either, along with the Texas A&M football defensive back potentially being in the mix for All-SEC honors at seasons end either.