Texas A&M Aggies Player Spotlight of the Week: Mario Craver

After near single-handedly taking over the game versus Notre Dame, this Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver has been nothing short of unstoppable in his little time with the Maroon and White.

Notre Dame cornerback Christian Gray (6) tackles Texas A&M wide receiver Mario Craver (1) in the first half of a NCAA football game at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas A&M football is having itself a legendary beginning to its 2025 season, including knocking off No. 8 Notre Dame on the road and eclipsing 40-plus points in all three of its wins this year. There's a lot of folks to thank for such a strong showing against the Fighting Irish, but one name sticks out above all the others: wide receiver Mario Craver.

Facing a depleted wide receiver corps heading into this past offseason, head coach Mike Elko made it a point to hit the ground running in the transfer portal, which would bring Craver to College Station after a one-year stint at Mississippi State.

The young pass catcher has been quarterback Marcel Reed's target of choice as of late, and his efforts in the 41-40 win over Notre Dame were nothing short of phenomenal.

New Shade of Maroon

Aug 30, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Mario Craver (1) running with the football in the second half against the UTSA Roadrunners at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Sean Thomas-Imagn Images | Sean Thomas-Imagn Images

Craver joins the Aggies after spending his true freshman season with the Bulldogs, where he preformed admirably in Starkville, hauling in 368 yards and three touchdowns. However, since coming to A&M, he has switched into a new gear.

Against Notre Dame alone, Craver caught seven passes for 207 yards, including an 86-yard catch and run that became the Aggies' first touchdown of Saturday night's contest. This epic stat line is just the surface of his true talent as a wide receiver, as he is coming off his third-straight game of 100-plus yards receiving.

That streak is tied for the most in school history, and Craver finds himself the stand-alone leader of receiving yards in not just the Southeastern Conference, but in the entire nation with 443 yards. When the Aggies were searching for a WR1, they went to the right guy, who averaged over 21 yards per catch a season ago.

Craver is sitting right about that range right now, with an average of 22.1 yards per catch, and the Aggies currently rank seventh in the country in passing plays of over 20-plus yards, in part thanks to the efforts of the speedy transfer.

The new era of A&M football under Elko is in full swing now that Reed has developed further as a passer, and thanks to Craver, he has a receiver to depend on when it comes to taking over games. Craver has done just that, taking the top off of defenses and showing what he is capable of.

If the Maroon and White have true aspirations to reach the College Football Playoff, the game plan is simple: keep throwing to Craver.