Shockingly electric Texas A&M transfer unlocks new gear for Marcel Reed and Aggies offense as they win big against UTSA
Transfer WR Mario Craver dominates in incredible debut for Texas A&M Aggies
The Texas A&M Aggies were missing dynamic play from the wide receiver position in 2024. Then they lost their most productive target in Noah Thomas to the transfer portal. Fortunately, head coach Mike Elko and his staff made sure to fix that critical issue this offseason, adding multiple weapons to their offense to help young quarterback Marcel Reed continue to develop into a star.
Most expected the breakout star to be wide receiver KC Concepcion who transferred in from NC State. He had a good game against UTSA himself, but the real shockingly electric Texas A&M transfer star was Mario Craver.
Mario Craver dominates for Texas A&M, taking the Aggies offense to a new level with quarterback Marcel Reed
For those unfamiliar with his game, Mario Craver was an undersized four star wide receiver recruit with elite track speed coming out high school, but unfortunately for him, he chose to begin his career at Mississippi State (out of all 30 offers he received). He immediately impressed as a true freshman in 2024, earning starting snaps by year’s end, averaging over 21 yards per receptions, scoring three times.
However, he saw that he could have a brighter future elsewhere, so Craver transferred to Texas A&M this offseason. Aggies fans should be glad he did. He hit the ground running against UTSA in a big way, grabbing eight receptions for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Obviously he formed a strong connection with QB Marcel Reed this offseason. When asked about that connection and his role on the offense Craver had this to say:
“I’ve always been a ball-in-hands guy. That’s what they brought me in for, for run-after-catch situations. It’s just something I do…We just get the ball in our receivers’ hands quick. Get a chance to go make a play on a safety one-on-one. That’s what we like. We think we’ve got an advantage with that.”
Calling him a “ball-in-hands” guy is quite the understatement. Of his 122 yards, 100 of them came after the catch against UTSA. He often made people miss for extra yards last season at Mississippi State too, but averaging over 12 yards after the catch like he did on Saturday is absurd (as you can see an example of below).
After the game, I reached out to our resident A to Z Sports Mississippi State fan (and LSU writer) Adam Holt to hear a more expanded perspective on what Craver should bring to Texas A&M this year. He was obviously sad to see his team lose Craver this offseason, but loves the talent for the Aggies:
“Sometimes, young weapons in college football just look a bit different when they get on the field as a freshman. That was the case for Mario Craver last season at Mississippi State. Even in an offense hampered by offensive line struggles and an injury at quarterback, Craver’s burst and elusiveness were crystal clear parts of his profile. With the football in his hands, Craver was simply a playmaker no matter the assignment throughout the season. The Bulldogs tried to get him involved in opportunities both that were near the line of scrimmage and down the field. As a first-year talent, that’s notable. Even with a smaller frame, the physical aspects simply popped for Craver.
Now, for the Aggies, I completely expect them to do the same and alongside some more refining, he can produce like their top wideout in the offense, overall. Excited for his outlook going forward.” – Adam Holt
Texas A&M Aggies News
Marcel Reed silences doubters as he leads Texas A&M to blowout victory over UTSA in surprising fashion
Aggies critics had questions on Marcel Reed’s passing ability, but perhaps no more
If Craver continues to develop his connection with Marcel Reed then Texas A&M fans should get ready to see one of the best offensive seasons out of their Aggies in years. Fellow wide receiver KC Concepcion is going to continue growing into his likely WR1 role as the season progresses. The run game should be as dominant as ever. If the team has a trustworthy WR2 like Craver who can make everyone else’s job easier with the space he creates, Texas A&M is going to be a tough out for any team they play.
We’ll be back with more Texas A&M coverage here at A to Z Sports soon! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!
