Tag: Mario Craver

SEC recruiting rankings following D’Angelo Barber’s commitment to Auburn

Auburn earned the 9th commitment of the 2024 cycle on Tuesday. How does D’Angelo Barber’s commitment affect Auburn’s recruiting ranking?

Auburn football received great news on the fourth of July, as three-star linebacker [autotag]D’Angelo Barber[/autotag] announced his commitment to the program.

His commitment is another step in the right direction for Auburn, as Barber is the No. 25 player from the state of Alabama for the 2024 cycle. Barber, a linebacker from Clay-Chalkville High School, has three other teammates who are considered to be top-25 players in the state of Alabama. Auburn is working to sway fellow Clay-Chalkville Cougar [autotag]Mario Craver[/autotag] from his Florida lean, and landing his teammate may help matters.

How much does Barber’s commitment affect Auburn’s recruiting rankings? Recruiting in the SEC experienced quite a shakeup on Tuesday, as five-star wide receiver Cam Coleman announced that he would be taking his talents to Texas A&M, spurning favorite, Auburn.

Here’s a look at the updated SEC recruiting rankings following the Independence Day holiday, as compiled by 247Sports.

Three-star LB D’Angelo Barber commits to Auburn

Barber is the No. 25 player from the state of Alabama according to 247Sports’ 2024 composite rankings.

Many people across the nation enjoyed a fireworks show on Tuesday, even Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag].

Prior to nightfall on Independence Day, Freeze received the great news that [autotag]D’Angelo Barber[/autotag], a three-star linebacker from Clay-Chalkville High School in metro Birmingham, announced that he would be committing to Auburn.

Barber did not announce publically that he had set a date to commit. However, he told Danny West of HawgSports in June that his decision would be “coming soon” following a visit to Arkansas. On Tuesday, he chose the Tigers over Arkansas and Ole Miss.

Auburn hopes that more dominoes fall following Barber’s commitment. Barber and three of his teammates from Clay-Chalkville are listed in the state of Alabama’s top 25 prospect rankings for the 2024 cycle. One of his teammates, four-star wide receiver [autotag]Mario Craver[/autotag], is one of Auburn’s top targets for the cycle.

Barber tells Christian Clemente of AuburnUndercover that the family atmosphere was a big reason for his commitment, but the bond he has built with linebackers coach Josh Aldridge is what set Auburn apart from the other two schools.

“But from the jump when they offered me, me and Coach Aldridge, we quickly started to build a relationship,” Barber said in an interview with AuburnUndercover. “We started texting every day, hop on the phone and not even talking about football, just talking and building a real, genuine relationship.”

Barber becomes Auburn’s ninth commitment for the 2024 cycle. The Tigers are now No. 48 in 247Sports 2024 recruiting rankings.

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In-state WR names Auburn his leader

Mario Craver is one of the top players in Alabama and the Tigers are surging in his recruitment.

Auburn has made recruiting the state of Alabama a priority in the 2024 cycle and one of its key targets is four-star wide receiver [autotag]Mario Craver[/autotag] who is from Pinson, Alabama.

The interest is mutual. Craver recently named the Tigers the leader in his recruitment in an interview with On3’s Chad Simmons.

“Auburn is the leader right now,” he told Simmons. “I have visited Auburn three times since coach Freeze took over and things have changed. The staff is much more involved with recruiting. The old staff was tense and it was just a different feeling. It is chill now, the staff is cool and the new staff is building something new over there.”

Craver is the No. 268 overall player and No. 45 wide receiver in the On3 Industry Ranking. He is also the No. 15 player from Alabama.

One of the reasons for Auburn’s move up Craver’s leaderboard is his relationship with wide receiver coach [autotag]Marcus Davis[/autotag], who Craver talks to frequently and is able to relate to as a smaller slot receiver.

Craver checks in at 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, nearly identical to Davis, whom Auburn listed at 5-foot-9 and 176 pounds ahead of his freshman season in 2013.

He is far from the only player from Clay-Chalkville High School that Auburn is targeting. They are the favorite to land four-star linebacker De’Angelo Barber and are working to flip five-star cornerback Jaylen Mbakwe from Alabama.

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Auburn is considered a ‘top school’ for local wide receiver

Following a successful stay at the Auburn Elite camp last weekend, four star WR Malcolm Simmons is strongly considering Auburn for his college home.

College football coaches everywhere want to snag the best players in every recruiting cycle. It is even a top priority to keep those who live near the university close to home.

Auburn has the chance to do that with four-star wide receiver [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag].

Simmons, who lives in nearby Alexander City, recently competed in the Auburn Elite camp alongside fellow Auburn targets [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag] and [autotag]Tavion Wallace[/autotag]. While there, he told Jason Caldwell of Auburn Undercover that he is strongly considering Auburn as his college home by saying that the Tigers are “going to be in his top schools.”

He also mentioned that wide receivers coach [autotag]Marcus Davis[/autotag] told him that he hopes to get the chance to coach him. However, the ball appears to be in Auburn’s court. Auburn is also going after fellow in-state wide receivers [autotag]Mario Craver[/autotag] and [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag], so it will all come down to their decisions.

“They are saying for the other receivers they are recruiting and for me, it’s going to be hard,” Simmons told Auburn Undercover. “They were like ‘just be patient and we’ll decide pretty soon.’”

Simmons is a talented athlete who led Benjamin Russell in both rushing and receiving yards last season and scored 19 total touchdowns. He is the state of Alabama’s No. 19 overall prospect for the 2024 cycle and is the nation’s No. 31 wide receiver.

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Four-star wide reciever names Auburn co-leader

The Tigers are battling Florida for the four-star wide receiver.

The Auburn Tigers have made up some ground in their pursuit of four-star wide receiver [autotag]Mario Craver[/autotag]. The Pinson, Alabama product was in Auburn this week for their 7-on-7 camp and after the visit, he called Auburn a co-leader with the Florida Gators.

“I’d say like 1A, 1B with Florida,” Craver told Cole Pinkston of Auburn Live.

While Auburn and Florida are his top schools, Craver also has an official visit to Georgia Tech scheduled.

The trip was Craver’s fifth to the Plains and allowed him to spend time with wide receiver coach [autotag]Marcus Davis[/autotag], someone he can connect with.

“He says he was basically in the same situation I am: a small guy, a slot receiver,” Craver said. “He believes in me as a receiver, he’s laid back, and that’s basically everything you want in a receivers coach for real.”

Craver checks in at 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, nearly identical to Davis who Auburn listed at 5-foot-9 and 176 pounds ahead of his freshman season in 2013.

Craver is the No. 270 overall player and No. 42 wide receiver in the On3 Industry Ranking. He is also the No. 15 player from Alabama.

He is one of several players from Clay-Chalkville High School that Auburn is pursuing. They recently received a crystal ball to land four-star linebacker D’Angelo Barber and hosted the state’s top player and five-star Jaylen Mbakwe on an official visit as they work to land some of the state’s top players.

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Alabama makes top 10 for 2024 WR Mario Craver

2024 wide receiver Mario Craver released his top schools on Wednesday. Alabama was listed as a finalist to land Craver.

Alabama already has one commitment in the 2024 recruiting class from a prospect out of Clay-Chalkville High School, five-star cornerback Jaylen Mbakwe. His teammate, Mario Craver, released his top schools recently and Alabama was listed as a finalist.

Craver has not shown significant interest in the Tide as he has with other schools like Auburn and Florida. However, there is still a lot of ground that the Tide can make up between now and signing day.

As a junior, Craver hauled in 32 receptions for 525 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. His raw athleticism and playmaking ability are what stand out the most about his game. He is explosive enough to contribute early on at the college level.

That could be on the special teams unit or at wide receiver. It will be hard to keep Craver off the field. Alabama remains in pursuit of the in-state prospect.

Roll Tide Wire breaks down Mario Craver’s recruiting profile.

Gators land in this 4-star wide receiver’s top-10 schools list

The Gators made the cut for another blue-chip wide receiver on Wedensday.

Florida football’s recruiting efforts have been coming to fruition of late as the Gators made the cut for another blue-chip prospect on Wednesday. Four-star wide receiver [autotag]Mario Craver[/autotag] out of Pinson (Alabama) Clay-Chalkville narrowed his list of preferred schools to 10, according to On3’s Hayes Fawcett, and Billy Napier’s program earned a nod among those mentioned.

The 5-foot-9-inch, 150-pound pass-catcher offered the following to Fawcett in regards to the Orange and Blue following his first campus visit back on March 8.

“The Swamp itself is just different from the vibe, from the stadium all the way down to the fans. It just has been the most family-like feeling I’ve had from any school so far and also I have family that are big Gator fans.”

He also told Sports Illustrated’s Zach Goodall, “I like that everybody has one big goal: to get Florida back to where they used to be. Like in ’06 and ’08.

“So, I think that coach Napier and those coaches, they have a good plan in mind, and they need playmakers to get the ball, of course, on the offensive side of the ball,” Craver added. “They’re telling me that they need playmakers that they can get the ball into any space they want on their field.”

The high school junior also included the Auburn Tigers, Alabama Crimson Tide, Florida State Seminoles, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Louisville Cardinals, LSU Tigers, Miami Hurricanes, Ole Miss Rebels and Texas A&M Aggies in his list of top schools.

Craver is ranked No. 239 overall and No. 35 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 228 and 37, respectively. Florida currently holds the lone crystal ball prediction from 247Sports while Auburn is in the lead according to On3’s Recruiting Prection Machine, which gives them a 41.7% chance of landing him, while Alabama, Ole Miss and the Tennessee Volunteers lag behind at 18.7%, 8.4% and 7.0%, respectively.

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Four-star WR Mario Craver puts Auburn in top 10

The Tigers are firmly in the mix for one of the best players in Alabama.

Four-star wide receiver [autotag]Mario Craver[/autotag] announced his top 10 schools on Wednesday and as expected, the Auburn Tigers made the cut.

The Pinson Valley, Alabama product also included  Florida, Alabama, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, LSU, Miami, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M in his top schools.

Craver, who recently tabbed Auburn and Florida as his leaders, spoke with On3’s Chad Simmons about why he choose these schools among his two dozen offers.

“I like these 10 because I want to stay in the south,” Craver told On3. “I want to play in warm weather because I do not like the cold. I see these schools as somewhere I have a chance to play early and I think they can help me get to the NFL too. These schools are pushing for me. They are making me feel comfortable and the coaches from these schools have made the process easier for me.”

Craver is the No. 239 overall player and No. 35 wide receiver in the 247Sports Composite ranking. He is also the No. 14 player from Alabama in the 2024 recruiting class.

He has visited Auburn more than any other school in the country with his last visit to the Plains on March 22. The 5-foot-9, 152-pounder also told Simmons that he will be taking his official visits this summer and then announcing his commitment.

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Aggies land in 2024 4-Star WR Mario Craver’s Top 10 program list

Recruiting season is in full gear, and the Aggies have their sights on 2024 4-star wide receiver Maro Craver, recently landing in his Top 10

Texas A&M has its eyes set on dominating the 2024 recruiting cycle, already landing four prospects including highly sought-after four-star defensive end Dealyn Evans, plenty of talented at premium positions have either made their way to College Station for a visit or are planning on making the trek very soon.

On Wednesday, 2024 4-star wide receiver Mario Craver released his Top 10 program list as the electric speedster has narrowed down his options to Alabama, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Lousiville, Miami, Auburn, Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, and last but not least, Texas A&M.

Craver is entering his senior at Clay-Chalkville high school in Pinson, Alabama, and according to 247Sports, is ranked as the 39th wide receiver in the 2024 class, and 14th ranked player in the state of Alabama. Listed at 5-11, and 165 lbs, Craver has plenty of room to add some healthy mass to an otherwise thin frame once he takes on a collegiate nutrition/lifting plan, but as one of the quickest players in the class, he constantly uses his size to his advantage.

In a scouting report from 247Sports analyst Cooper Petagna, Craver fits what  head coach Jimbo Fisher expects in a future slot receiver/punt returner in the SEC:

Efficient mover that possesses outstanding route tempo off the line of scrimmage and in and out of breaks. Shows the ability to separate with excellent short area quickness, suddenness and short area change of direction of ability. Can create mismatches out of the slot with not only his quickness but his speed as he possesses a natural ability to change gears in and out of breaks. Possesses good play speed with the ability to separate from defenders in the open field. Recorded a 10.74 in the 100 meters in April of 2022 as his play speed matches his timed speed.

Appears to display natural pass catching ability at the catch point and flashes excellent make you miss and elusiveness in the open field. Has the ability to create as a runner and has shown the ability to consistently find hidden yardage with after catch elusiveness and the ability to play through contact.

Dynamic undersized athlete that checks multiple boxes with verified speed, explosiveness and home run hitting ability to overcompensate for lack of size. Projects as a potential immediate contributor and a Power Five multi-year starter out of the slot at the next level. Will need a year to add some bulk to his frame but has the ability to thrive sooner rather than later in the right offensive system.

Currently favored to land with the Florida Gators, it’s still very early in his recruiting journey, granting Fisher and his staff plenty of time to work their magic.

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Two SEC schools are co-leaders for four-star wide receiver Mario Craver

Several schools are in pursuit of Mario Craver but Auburn and Florida are standing out to the four-star wide receiver.

Auburn is looking to sign an impressive wide receiver class in the 2024 recruiting cycle and a key target is four-star receiver [autotag]Mario Craver[/autotag].

Craver is from Pinson, Alabama and the Tigers are one of the top teams in his recruitment. They are battling a host of other schools, but Craver told Blake Alderman of 247Sports that Auburn and Florida are his top two schools.

“Amazing, he said of the process. “It’s really going pretty quick. This is the moment where everyone is starting to push. I am trying to stay true to who has been sticking with me the longest and try to see through the fake.”

The 5-foot-9, 152-pounder took unofficial visits to both schools in March and is planning to officially visit both later this spring or in the summer. He also revealed that he plans to commit before his senior season starts.

Craver is the No. 239 overall player and No. 35 wide receiver in the 247Sports Composite ranking. He is also the No. 14 player from Alabama.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and Auburn have already landed an impressive haul of in-state targets in the 2024 cycle. They have commitments from the No. 8 ([autotag]J’Marion Burnette[/autotag]), No. 18 ([autotag]A’Mon Lane[/autotag]), and No. 22 ([autotag]Jayden Lewis[/autotag]) players in the state.

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