Mario Craver Is One Of College Football's Fastest Risers

Craver’s breakout performance launched him to the No. 32 wide receiver and the No. 268 overall player in On3’s rankings, a massive leap from his preseason marks as the No. 61 wideout.

“Mario Craver was a late-rising 4-star in the 2024 recruiting cycle and quickly emerged as Mississippi State’s favorite deep threat as a true freshman,” On3’s Clark Brooks wrote. “But mellow numbers and being overshadowed by fellow TAMU transfer WR KC Conception had him firmly flying under the radar ahead of this fall. And even though his teammate tallied a pair of tuddies himself, Craver’s performance saw him make one of the biggest leaps of any pass catcher this weekend.”

Heading into the season, most of the conversation around A&M’s offense centered on quarterback Marcel Reed and the rushing attack behind one of the nation’s best offensive lines. 

When receivers were mentioned, it was almost always KC Concepcion, the high-profile NC State transfer who didn’t disappoint with two scores of his own, including an 80-yard punt return TD.

But while Concepcion grabbed headlines, Craver introduced himself to the rest of the country during week one. They quickly found out what most die hard Aggie fans already knew: No. 1 is going to be a problem.

His explosiveness was a breath of fresh air for an Aggie offense that lacked punch a year ago.

“Switching his modus operandi to more of an outlet option, 7 of his 10 targets came behind the line of scrimmage, which put an extra onus on him to produce after the catch,” Brooks added. “Well, he responded by nabbing the most YAC yards (105) along with a share for the most receptions that netted either a conversion or a score (7) in the Power4. And for good measure, he hauled in his lone deep target, hinting he’s capable of winning all over the yard within the Aggies scheme.”

This weekend’s matchup with Utah State offers another chance for the Aggies to fine-tune their passing attack before a daunting week three showdown against Notre Dame. With offensive coordinator Collin Klein likely keeping the playbook conservative, expect Craver to continue seeing heavy volume on screen passes.

If the pass blocking effort from his fellow receiver continues, Craver will have a chance to become the first Aggie receiver to post back-to-back 100-yard games since Evan Stewart in 2023.