SEC WR with most receiving yards inks NIL deal

Leading SEC receiver Mario Craver inked a new NIL deal in the midst of a productive 2025 season. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images © Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The SEC's most productive wide receiver inked a new NIL deal with a pair of trading card companies. Texas A&M standout Mario Craver has signed with Leaf and Wild Card trading cards. The brands will likely take advantage of the deal to include autographed Craver cards in their upcoming products.

It's actually not the first trading card deal for Craver, who signed with Topps in the offseason and has operated under a prior deal with Leaf that has allowed autographs of him in his Mississippi State days to appear in Leaf's card sets. No specific details were released, but it's likely that Craver's on-field brilliance has helped his asking price.

Craver's rise

Craver transferred from Mississippi State to Texas A&M in the offseason. Craver showed flashes of excellence in 2024 as a freshman with the Bulldogs, but ended up with just 17 catches for 368 yards and three scores. Injuries caused him to miss three games and likely did limit his productions.

But with Texas A&M, Craver has become the SEC's most productive receiver. In six games, Craver has snagged 32 receptions for 634 yards and four touchdowns. Craver's biggest game was a seven catch, 207 yard performance against Notre Dame in Week 3 that helped boost both him and the Aggies on the national scene.

Of Craver's 32 catches so far, 15 were for 15 or more yards. With both Craver and NC State transfer Kevin Concepcion, A&M transformed an offense that ranked 13th in the SEC in both passing yardages and passer rating in 2024 to one that is sixth in yardage and seventh in passer rating.

Leaf's NIL strategy

Leaf has been very aggressive in new NIL signings, going after young players and recently announcing a deal with Rivals to incorporate the recruiting giants' star system into its trading cards. The company (like WIld Card) lacks a license with any of the major professional leagues, so it is restricted to issuing cards of up and coming young prospects and retired stars. Craver will be a significant addition to the stable of both companies.