Texas A&M enters the new season with only one player showing up in ESPN’s Top 100 college football rankings, and that lone Aggie is junior wide receiver Mario Craver.
Craver landed at No. 86 on the list after a first season in College Station that produced 59 catches, 917 receiving yards and four touchdowns. His breakout year also included 11 carries for 81 yards and a score, and he finished second on the team in receptions and receiving yards in nine starts.
ESPN senior writer Adrea Adelson pointed to Craver’s impact and the kind of plays that made him impossible to ignore.
"Craver had a breakout year in his first season with Texas A&M in 2025, finishing second on the team in receptions and receiving yards in nine starts. He also added 11 rushes for 81 yards with one touchdown.
Just check the tape from the Notre Dame game -- in which he had more than 200 yards receiving -- for what he can do with the ball in his hands. With Marcel Reed and a veteran receiver group returning, expectations are high for the Aggies to return to the CFP."
That connection with redshirt junior quarterback Marcel Reed matters even more now. Reed is coming off a career-high 3,169 passing yards, along with 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and he heads into his second full season as the starter with Craver already established as one of his top targets. Craver is expected to spend most of the year in the slot.
Texas A&M also added another weapon in Alabama transfer Isaiah Horton, who brings size at 6-foot-4. Horton posted 42 receptions for 511 yards and eight touchdowns in his lone season with the Crimson Tide, giving the Aggies another option alongside Craver, Ashton Bethel-Roman and former five-star Terry Bussey, who has also drawn attention during preseason camp.
Even with Craver as the only Aggie recognized by ESPN, there’s a sense around the roster that Texas A&M has more talent than the rankings suggest. Reed, Northwestern transfer edge Anto Saka and linebacker Daymion Sanford are among the players who could have forced their way onto the list, and should have been in the conversation based on their skill sets, NFL upside and importance to the team’s CFP hopes.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Backfield Takes A Hit As Elko Stays Confident
Texas A&Ms backfield took an early-season blow when coach Mike Elko announced that Deondrae Tiger Riden Jr. will miss the regular season because of an undisclosed injury. Riden had been part of the running back mix the Aggies expected to lean on, so his absence changes the shape of the rotation before the games even start.
Elko, though, sounded steady about what remains in the room, pointing to Rueben Owens and Jamarion Morrow as players who can help carry the load. He also noted that freshmen KJ Edwards and Carsyn Baker made a strong impression in preseason camp, giving the Aggies some younger options as they work to replace the production and depth Riden would have provided. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Just Got A Favorable Twist In Week 2
Arizona State has settled on its quarterback for the upcoming season, naming Kentucky transfer Cutter Boley as the starter heading into a Week 2 matchup with Texas A&M on Sept. 12. Boley brings some real experience with him after starting several games for Kentucky last year and completing 65.8% of his passes, so the Aggies now have a clearer sense of who theyll be preparing for early in the season.
For Texas A&M, the timing matters. Instead of waiting to learn the identity of an opponents passer deep into game week, the Aggies can begin planning around a known commodity and a player with live-game reps already on his rsum. It does not make the matchup any easier, but it does remove some of the uncertainty that usually hangs over an early nonconference test. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Has One Huge Preseason Question Fans Can't Ignore
Texas A&Ms offseason roster picture took another hit with Mike Elko confirming that freshman defensive tackle Chace Sims and redshirt freshman running back Tiger Riden Jr. will be out for the 2026 regular season because of injuries. The Aggies are also dealing with a pair of departures for personal reasons, with offensive lineman Nelson McGuire and wide receiver Jerome Myles no longer on the roster, adding more uncertainty to a group that has already had to adjust in a hurry.
Even with those absences, there is at least one area inside the program drawing positive reviews. Rising sophomore edge rusher Marco Jones said the revamped offensive line has impressed him, and that unit now includes four new starters, many brought in through the transfer portal. For a team trying to settle its depth chart before the season begins, the front five may end up being one of the most important parts of the puzzle. [Read more 🡒]