Tag: Mario Craver

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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Gators in the mix for this 4-star WR after extending offer

Florida’s looking to get this blue-chip Alabama recruit to the Swamp in March once the dead period is lifted.

Over two weeks ago, the Florida Gators offered Clay-Chalkville (Pinson, Alabama) athlete/wide receiver [autotag]Mario Craver[/autotag] a scholarship.

Although he hasn’t visited the Swamp just yet, Gators Online caught up with Craver and confirmed that he has plans to be in Gainesville on March 4 once the dead period is lifted.

Over the months, Craver has kept in contact with wide receivers coach Keary Colbert, but he’s not quite sure which Florida staffer extended the offer. His coach informed him of the good news without too much information, but he’ll get to meet everyone in person once he gets to campus for a visit.

Craver’s offer list is deep and includes elites such as Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma and Texas A&M among plenty of other Power Five programs. The On3 recruiting prediction machine favor Alabama to land him with 31.9% odds at publishing time, and Auburn is in second with 27.9% odds. The Gators old less than a 1% chance to land him right now, but the visit could change things significantly.

The On3 consensus ranks Craver No. 144 overall in the class of 2024 and No. 26 among receivers. The 247Sports composite has him roughly in the same spots at No. 147 and No. 30 among players at his position.

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Every wide receiver offered by the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2024 recruiting cycle

Who are the Oklahoma Sooners targeting at wide receiver in the 2024 recruiting cycle?

The wide receiver position at Oklahoma has provided some fantastic production over the years. Big-name players like Sterling Shepard, CeeDee Lamb, and Marquise Brown are still having success at the NFL level.

Marvin Mims is the latest player to breakout, recording the first 1,000-yard season of his career in 2022. Jalil Farooq didn’t have as big a season as Mims, but he became an integral part of the offense in both the pass and run games.

In the 2022 recruiting cycle, the Oklahoma Sooners signed two four-star talents like the towering Jayden Gibson and Nic Anderson. In 2023, Oklahoma added four-star prospects Jaquaize Pettaway and Keyon Brown to the wide receiver depth chart.

The Oklahoma Sooners will look to build off of the depth they’ve already created by adding to the talent in the 2024 recruiting class. They’ve already received predictions to land four-star speedster Mario Craver out of Alabama.

Though we’re still a long way from the 2024 early signing period, here are the wide receivers they’ve targeted thus far in the cycle.

Clemson offer ‘would definitely be special’ for speedy Alabama receiver

The Clemson Insider recently caught up with a top receiver prospect in the class of 2024, who has been drawing attention from Clemson and Tyler Grisham. Clay-Chalkville (Pinson, Ala.) four-star Mario Craver – a 5-foot-10, 160-pound sophomore in the …

The Clemson Insider recently caught up with a top receiver prospect in the class of 2024, who has been drawing attention from Clemson and Tyler Grisham.

Clay-Chalkville (Pinson, Ala.) four-star Mario Craver — a 5-foot-10, 160-pound sophomore in the class of 2024 — is planning to visit Tiger Town this summer. He’s not sure if he’ll camp at Clemson, but a visit is certainly in the cards.

“I’ve only been talking to Coach Grisham,” Craver said. “He told me that I was definitely an ‘offer guy,’ but Coach Swinney would like to build a relationship and he takes his recruiting really slowly because they’ve only offered (two) ’24s. He was like if he gets me on campus, it would be hard for Coach (Dabo) Swinney to deny.”

Craver is a fan of what Grisham has done with his past receivers and said that he’s pretty sure that Clemson’s wide receivers coach could help him reach the next level.

“He’s a cool guy,” Craver said of Grisham, “and he’s real genuine. Of course, every coach is going to tell you what you want to hear, but he also keeps it real with me.”

For Craver, that level of honesty is refreshing. As we mentioned above, Grisham has told Craver that based on his film, he’s an offer guy for Clemson, but at the same time, he wants to get to know him as a person.

What would it mean for him to earn an offer from Clemson?

“It would be special,” he said, “Like I said, only (two) people in the country got ’em or in the world has it? Yeah, that would definitely be special.”

As far as his recruitment is concerned, Craver is enjoying the process. He knows he still has a couple of years and a lot of time on his hands before he plays at the next level, so with that said, he doesn’t want to rush anything and wants to make the best decision for himself and his family.

Craver currently holds offers from Oklahoma, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida State, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Marshall, Michigan, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Tennessee, Texas A&M and UCF.

Craver visited the University of Oklahoma at the end of last month and has also taken unofficials to Alabama, Georgia, Auburn and Florida State. He doesn’t have any other visits scheduled at the current moment, though.

Craver currently ranks as the No. 30 wide receiver and the nation’s No. 172 prospect for the class of 2024, according to 247Sports.

As we attempted to get a better feel for Craver and his game, we asked him to describe himself as a player.

“Just a speed guy, who also has hands and an explosive player,” he said. “I can make a play from anywhere on the field.”

— Photo for this article courtesy of @MarioCraver on Twitter.

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The Insider Report: Latest on multiple receiver targets, official visitors & more

It’s time for this week’s edition of The Insider Report. We hope everyone had a great weekend. More official visitors on tap Over the weekend, The Clemson Insider was able to confirm two more official visitors for the weekend of June 3-5. Westlake …

It’s time for this week’s edition of The Insider Report. We hope everyone had a great weekend.

More official visitors on tap

Over the weekend, The Clemson Insider was able to confirm two more official visitors for the weekend of June 3-5.

Westlake (Texas) four-star edge rusher Colton Vasek and Buckingham Browne & Nichols School (Cambridge, Mass.) four-star athlete Ronan Hanafin both confirmed their plans to officially visit Clemson via text messages with TCI.

Vasek — a former high school teammate of freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik — was on Clemson’s campus on Monday, March 14 for an unofficial visit and subsequently left town with a scholarship offer in hand.

“When I got offered, it meant a lot,” Vasek said. “Coach Swinney, they don’t offer a ton of people. They offer the fewest number of people in college football. It takes a lot more than being a good football player to be able to play there and for them to offer me, it really meant a lot.”

Where does Clemson currently stand in his recruitment?

Vasek indicated that the Tigers are definitely up there. He referenced how 247Sports’ recruiting services sometimes have certain programs on a prospect’s list of schools listed as “warm” and that’s pretty much how Clemson is with him. Vasek already can’t wait to get up there.

“I would go as far as saying that this is probably my favorite visit I’ve been on out of all the schools I’ve visited so far,” he said.

As for Hanafin, he would make his way to campus over two weeks later. He had been in contact with Clemson wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham prior to his visit and left feeling like he was a part of the Clemson family.

Clemson wants Hanafin to continue to be a part of the family, as the Tigers presented him with a scholarship offer. After practice, he and his family got back to the facilities and Clemson coach Dabo Swinney invited Hanafin into his office.

“We had a great conversation,” he said, “and at the end, he wanted to make it clear how few players they offer. He thought I was a great fit for the program, so he offered me a scholarship.”

5-star pass-rusher planning to visit this summer

TCI recently checked in on Platte County (Platte City, Mo.) five-star edge rusher Chandavian Bradley, who told us that he’s still planning out his summer visits, but is aiming to visit Clemson during the first week of June.

There is certainly mutual interest between Clemson and Bradley. That was especially true when he included the Tigers in his top-10 schools, even without an offer.

Bradley has talked with defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall about a potential offer. He knows that Clemson will eventually present him with a scholarship offer, but first and foremost, they would like to get him on campus first. Bradley has been made aware of how the Tigers like to do things and understands through some of his recruiting contacts that they’re certainly a program that likes to offer in-person.

Bradley (6-6, 215) currently ranks as the No. 4 edge rusher and the nation’s No. 28 overall prospect for the class of 2023, per the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Clemson, Notre Dame battling for another O-lineman

As we reported in last week’s edition of The Insider Report, Notre Dame appears to be in prime position to land a commitment from one of Clemson’s offensive line targets in the 2023 class — South Point High School (Belmont, N.C.) four-star Sullivan Absher — following his extended stay at Notre Dame two weekends ago.

Clemson O-line target Sam Pendleton of Reagan High School (Pfafftown, N.C.) committed to Notre Dame last Monday, and there’s another O-lineman that both the Tigers and Fighting Irish have been heavily involved with – Oceanside Collegiate Academy (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) four-star Monroe Freeling.

Freeling made his way to campus for Clemson’s second junior day of the year on Saturday, March 5, and he spent several days at Notre Dame two weeks ago in conjunction with its Blue-Gold Game.

Per a source, Freeling and Absher spent a lot of time together when they were both on campus at Notre Dame, and they went out to dinner with each other as well as Irish offensive line coach Harry Hiestand and offensive recruiting coordinator Dre Brown. Freeling and Absher saw each other at Clemson a few months ago as well and are building a bond with one another.

Hiestand has done a good job of recruiting Freeling, gaining his trust, and Notre Dame certainly helped itself with Freeling during his visit to South Bend.

Clemson was the perceived leader in the clubhouse for Freeling following his trip to Tiger Town in March. Did Notre Dame do enough to get back in the mix with his visit there?

“Yeah, for sure,” he said.

Elite Alabama WR looking to visit

TCI recently caught up with a top receiver prospect in the class of 2024, who has been drawing attention from Clemson and Tyler Grisham.

Clay-Chalkville (Pinson, Ala.) four-star Mario Craver — a 5-foot-10, 160-pound sophomore in the class of 2024 — is planning to visit Tiger Town this summer. He’s not sure if he’ll camp at Clemson, but a visit is certainly in the cards.

“I’ve only been talking to Coach Grisham,” Craver said. “He told me that I was definitely an ‘offer guy,’ but Coach Swinney would like to build a relationship and he takes his recruiting really slowly because they’ve only offered (two) ’24s. He was like if he gets me on campus, it would be hard for Coach Swinney to deny.”

What would it mean for him to earn an offer from Clemson?

“It would be special,” he said, “Like I said, only (two) people in the country got ’em or in the world has it? Yeah, that would definitely be special.”

Craver currently ranks as the No. 30 wide receiver and the nation’s No. 172 prospect for the class of 2024, according to 247Sports.

Highly touted WR growing bond with Grisham, planning to camp this summer

We wanted to pass along the latest on another highly regarded wide receiver who remains firmly on Tyler Grisham’s recruiting radar.

Milton (Ga.) High School four-star Debron Gatling – the No. 10 wide receiver and a top-100 national prospect (No. 90 overall) in the 2024 class, per Rivals – continues to stay in touch and strengthen his relationship with Clemson’s receivers coach.

“Definitely,” Gatling told TCI when asked if his bond with Grisham is growing tighter. “I feel like I can just talk to him like he’s one of boys. We just have a real good conversation. Ain’t no nervousness or nothing like that.”

Gatling (6-2, 185) most recently visited Clemson on March 12, when he — and his mother — came away very impressed by the unofficial visit.

“My mom loved it,” Gatling said to TCI after the visit. “She said she really liked it, and she really liked Coach Swinney and Coach Grisham.”

Gatling participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp last summer and told TCI he plans to compete at the camp again this June in hopes of earning an offer from the Tigers. His loaded offer list currently features schools such as Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Auburn, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas, Miami, Florida State, Michigan, Penn State and Oregon.

In addition to Clemson, Gatling’s offseason visits thus far have included UCF, Ole Miss, Miami, Alabama and Southern Cal. He’s looking to check out schools like Oregon, Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, Tennessee, Penn State and Florida this summer, along with getting back to Clemson and Alabama.

According to Gatling, Miami, Ole Miss and Tennessee are a few of the schools coming after him the hardest right now, while Alabama has been keeping in contact with him even though the Crimson Tide haven’t yet offered, and he said Clemson is “definitely” up there as far as the schools showing the most interest although the Tigers haven’t yet offered either.

If Clemson comes into the mix with an offer moving forward, it will be a strong contender for Gatling’s services.

“They pull the trigger, I definitely think they’d be one of my top schools,” he said. “I definitely think they’d be one of my top schools if they pull the trigger.”

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