The Texas A&M Player Who Could Become One of the SEC's Biggest Surprises

The player that could be a surprise should come as no surprise to Texas A&M fans.

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 2026 college football season sits just a little over a month away now, and things are starting to shift into place for the Texas A&M Aggies, even after dealing with NFL draft departures and even an injury to one of their most notable defensive assets.

A&M will look to shake off the late collapse they faced at the conclusion of last season when they missed out on a perfect regular season record with a loss to the Texas Longhorns and saw an early exit in the College Football Playoff at the hands of the Miami Hurricanes.

This season, however, could prove even better for the Aggies as they possess a weapon that everyone knows they have, but could see an even bigger production load in 2026.

Wide receiver Mario Craver.

Mario Craver Set For Career Year With Texas A&M?

Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Mario Craver (1) runs with the ball past Miami Hurricanes defensive back Xavier Lucas (6) during the game between the Aggies and the Hurricanes at Kyle Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Craver, who transferred to College Station before the 2025 season after a stint with the Mississippi State Bulldogs and wasted no time making a name for himself.

In his first three games, he racked up 20 catches for 443 yards and four touchdowns, which included a pair of scores in A&M's opening game against the UTSA Roadrunners and a 207-yard performance in the Aggies' monumental 41-40 win in South Bend over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in Week 3.

And then his production slowly died out as the season went on.

Despite the red-hot pace he delivered at the start of the season, Craver eventually took a backseat role to KC Concepcion and somehow only finished with 919 yards, and after his incredible 86-yard touchdown against Marcus Freeman's team, Craver never found the end zone in the air again for the rest of the campaign.

Craver was on and off the SEC injury reports for a majority of the later half of the season, while still producing the numbers he was expected to, but never had that fire that he showed in the first three games of the season.

This season, another speedy, high-profile transfer is gracing the Aggies with his play, as Alabama's Isaiah Horton is ready to fill the shoes left by Concepcion after the latter's selection in this year's NFL draft.

Though Horton will get his fair share of looks from Marcel Reed, it should be the pre-established connection between the quarterback and receiver that allows Craver to put up the Heisman-esque numbers that we saw out of the former Bulldog last season.

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