If you remember back to the Notre Dame versus Texas A&M game during the 2024 college football season, it was a mostly defensive game that was won based on the Fighting Irish making some timely offensive plays. The defense, for the most part, completely stifled the Aggie passing attack. Former quarterback Conner Weigman never fully recovered from facing the talented Notre Dame secondary. 

With the underwhelming passing attack and lack of dynamic ability in the wide receiver room a year ago, Texas A&M hit the Transfer Portal hard this offseason. They were able to add Kevin “KC” Concepcion and Mario Craver (Mississippi State) to the offense. Through two games, both players have managed to transform the passing attack and become a ton more explosive. 

Though it is just two games at the end of the day, the duo of Concepcion and Craver has managed to haul in 23 receptions for 381 yards and six touchdowns. While UTSA and Utah State are not the most daunting schedule to begin the season, the Aggie pass catchers have looked exactly what folks around College Station have hoped for, fast and dangerous in space. 

Should Notre Dame try something different defensively?

Heading into the matchup against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, that duo has a chance to be the main catalyst against a talented Irish secondary that struggled in the first game against the Miami Hurricanes. If the Aggies hope to leave South Bend with a victory on Saturday night, they will need to be. They could ultimately be the difference in the final result, and what type of game this ends up being ultimately. 

If Texas A&M decides to play either Craver or Concepcion into the boundary, you have to like the matchup for sophomore cornerback Leonard Moore. He has the clear size advantage against either pass catcher at 6-2 and 200 pounds, and would potentially bully them with decreased space in press. Playing either wide receiver there, however, wouldn’t be the wisest decision, at least not at a heavy volume. 

Offensive coordinator Collin Klein may be wise to use his talented passing game weapons more to the field, and force Notre Dame defensive coordinator Chris Ash to make some calculated personnel decisions with both on the same side of the formation. If Concepcion and Craver both mainly occupy the slot and outside field receiver spot, they would, in theory, be matched up against Christian Gray on the outside, and a combination of Karson Hobbs and DeVonta Smith in the nickel. 

Judging by what we saw against the Hurricanes, you can’t love the chances for the Irish against either wide receiver in the slot right now. This begs a fascinating question: Do you try to get both Moore and Gray to the field in some way? That could mean to either let Moore play on the outside to the field and Gray in the slot, or vice versa. 

There is no question who quarterback Marcel Reed is going to look to when he drops back and passes the football. With that knowledge in mind, and the fact that no other wide receiver has more than 68 yards through two games for the Aggies, trying to dictate the matchups could be smart. At the end of the day, your dudes have to win against the A&M dudes. 

Moore and Gray need to play a strong game, especially when they’re matched up against Craver and Concepcion.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish News

Notre Dame football has an extremely important recruiting weekend in front of them, especially for the future of the WR position

Notre Dame has a chance to create some early momentum with a swarm of top pass catchers during this weekend’s matchup against the Texas A&M Aggies

Ryan Roberts