Tag: Mississippi State Football

Former Mississippi State wide receiver will transfer to Texas A&M

Former Mississippi State standout WR Mario Craver will transfer to Texas A&M

Texas A&M’s transfer portal success this offseason continued on Tuesday morning, as it was announced that former Mississippi State wide receiver Mario Craver will head to College Station next season and join former Texas Tech WR Micah Hudson.

On paper, Texas A&M’s 2025 wide receiver room is vastly improved, bringing more speed and run-after-catch ability to a corps in dire need of production to aid the development of quarterback Marcel Reed next season.

During Craver’s first and only collegiate season with Mississippi State, he recorded 17 receptions, 368 yards, and three touchdowns, including 21 yards per catch. With the ability to line up at all three receiver spots, Craver’s run-after-catch ability and toughness would immediately improve the Aggie receiver room.

During his first season, Texas A&M coach Mike Elko recognized the shortcomings in the position. He understood that for the offense to advance, having playmakers capable of executing short, middle, and deep passes is essential for a balanced offensive strategy that seamlessly integrates both the running and passing game.

Craver looks like a long-term option as an Aggie wide receiver as he enters his sophomore season in Aggieland.

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Texas A&M is a finalist to land Mississippi State transfer WR

Texas A&M is a finalist to land transfer WR Mario Craver

Texas A&M’s transfer portal needs are well known to every Aggie fan and media member. The wide receiver room needs to be upgraded next season for the offense to take the next step under OC Collin Klein and help QB Marcel Reed develop into a true dual-threat option.

So far, coach Mike Elko and his staff have landed two commitments from the portal, starting with veteran QB Jacob Zeno and tight end Micah Riley, while several future commits are already in motion.

On Friday, former Mississippi State wide receiver Mario Craver visited Texas A&M and liked what he saw. The freshman receiver has included the Aggies in his final four transfer list, along with Alabama, LSU, and Florida State.

During Craver’s first and only collegiate season with Mississippi State, he recorded 17 receptions, 368 yards, and three touchdowns, including 21 yards per catch. With the ability to line up at all three receiver spots, Craver’s run-after-catch ability and toughness would immediately improve the Aggie receiver room.

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MSU football wide receiver transfer commits to SEC program

A Spartan wide receiver transfer is going from one MSU to another

Michigan State football wide receiver Jaron Glover and the MSU coaching staff agreed to part ways after the 2024 season, resulting in Glover entering into the transfer portal. Now, in the portal, Glover has found his new home.

Glover has announced his commitment to Mississippi State, going from one MSU to another.

In three years with MSU, Glover hauled in 30 catches for 455 yards and 2 touchdowns. A Sarasota (FL) native, Glover is officially heading back down south.

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Texas A&M will host multiple Mississippi State transfers, including WR Mario Craver

Texas A&M will host Mississippi State transfer WR Mario Craver on Friday, and Bulldogs left tackle Makylan Pounders on Friday

Texas A&M’s transfer portal strategy under head coach Mike Elko became much more evident after the Aggies landed a commitment from veteran quarterback Jacob Zeno on Tuesday night. Focused on adding quality depth, Zeno is just the first of the many new additions to come.

We need depth and starting talent at nearly every position, but wide receiver is the most significant need. After several departures across the offensive line, depth is required to solidify the trenches in 2025.

While the visitor’s list is long, Elko and his staff will reportedly host two Mississippi State transfers, starting with wide receiver Mario Craver and Bulldogs left tackle Makylan Pounders.

Craver finished his freshman season with 17 receptions, 368 yards, and three touchdowns, including 21 yards per catch. Pounders struggled in pass protection but still possess potential as a long-term starter or key rotational player.

After receiving a prediction to land former Texas Tech wide receiver Micah Hudson, potentially gaining a commitment from a young talent like Craver would immediately upgrade the 2025 wide receiver corps.

ESPN’s Max Olson reported Craver’s Thursday visit, while On3’s Pete Nakos confirmed Pounders’s Friday visit.

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Notable Pro Football Focus grades after Texas A&M’s 34-24 win against Mississippi State

Here are some of the notable PFF grades from Texas A&M’s 34-24 win over Mississippi State

14th-ranked Texas A&M (6-1, 4-0 SEC) remains in first place in the SEC standings after defeating Mississippi State 34-24 on Saturday afternoon, as the Aggies will host 8th-ranked LSU inside what could be a sold-out Kyle Field in Week 9.

While a win is a win, Texas &M’s offense left too many plays on the field, mainly due to starting quarterback Conner Weigman’s poor footwork and accuracy issues that led to two costly interceptions. However, enough plays were made through the air and on the ground, including junior running back Le’Veon Moss’s two rushing touchdowns.

Defensively, head coach Mike Elko and DC Jay Bateman made several adjustments that led to an impressive second-half outing, as the Aggies pressured Bulldogs freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren and essentially shut down Mississippi’s passing attack.

After the game, Pro Football Focus released the latest grades from the matchup. Here are the most notable grades on both sides of the ball for every Texas A&M contributor:

Offense:

Quarterback Conner Weigman finished the game with a team-low 48.5 PFF grade, a 36.1 offensive grade, and 33.1 passing grade within a clean pocket. Weigman’s two interceptions came in a clean pocket, as the signal caller was only pressured. Overall, this was one of his worst career performances.

On the offensive line, starting right guard Ar’maj Reed-Adams was stellar once again, finishing with the second highest pass blocking grade (85.8), while starting left tackle Trey Zuhn led the team with an 88.2 pass blocking grade, which is good for third among 209 offensive tackles.

In 38 snaps, senior wide receiver Jabre Barber finished with a team-high 78.9 offensive grade, and and 80.4 receiving grade after leading the team with 92 receiving yards.

Defense:

Defensively, junior linebacker Scooby Williams led the unit with an 84.6 defensive grade, paired with a 84.9 run defense grade and a 77.7 pass rushing grade after recording six tackles and two tackles for loss, including his first career interception.

Sophomore linebacker Taurean York led the Aggies with 12 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, earning 69.0 defensive grade and a team-high 84.7 tackling grade in one his his better career performances.

On the defensive line, defensive tackle Shemar Turner and defensive end Rylan Kennedy were consistently in the backfield making plays, finishing with impressive defensive grades and pass rush marks:

Shemar Turner: 84.3 defensive grade (season-high), 76.9 run-defense grade, 75.9 defensive grade, and a 79.2 pass-rush grade.

Rylan Kennedy: 75.9 defensive grade, 53.9 run-defense grade, 70.8 pass rush grade.

Texas A&M will host LSU at home on Saturday, Oct. 26th, at 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will air on ABC.

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Texas A&M surprisingly drops in the newest Football Power Index rankings after Week 8

Even after defeating Mississippi State in Starkville, Texas A&M dropping a couple of spots in the newest FPI rankings

Texas A&M (6-1, 4-0 SEC) went on the road and defeated Mississippi State 34-24 behind an impressive second-half defensive effort while starting quarterback Conner Weigman and the offense did just enough to keep the Bulldogs at bay.

Head coach Mike Elko. DC Jay Bateman made defensive adjustments after half-time, neutralizing Bulldogs freshman QB Michael Van Buren, who shredded the Aggie secondary for two passing touchdowns in the first half. However, Weigman’s two costly interceptions provided the home team with one of their three touchdowns.

A win is a win, and the Aggies have shifted their focus to the 8th-ranked LSU Tigers for a primetime showdown inside what could be a sold-out Kyle Field next Saturday night. Even after the tough win in Starkville, ESPN’s updated FPI rankings saw the Aggies fall two spots, which is somewhat surprising.

Texas A&M football’s FPI ranking, rating

According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, Texas A&M dropped to No. 14 after defeating Mississippi State with a 15.7 FPI rating, the seventh-highest among SEC teams. The Aggies are projected to win 9.1 games and have a 1.7% chance of winning out. Sitting at 6-1 and 4-0, A&M currently has a 33% chance to make the playoffs and a 3.7% chance to make the National Championship game.

SEC team in FPI

The top-ranked SEC teams in the upper echelon of the rankings include the Texas Longhorns (27.2), followed by Alabama (3rd, 23.2), Georgia (4th, 22.9), the Ole Miss Rebels (5th, 22.1), and Tennessee (21.0) came in 7th.

LSU (16.9) moved up two spots after defeating Arkansas, and the Missouri Tigers (20th, 12.2) dropped one spot after defeating Auburn to finish the Top 20. Here are the rest of the SEC teams in the rankings:

  • Florida (22nd, 11.3)
  • South Carolina (23rd, 11.1)
  • Arkansas (31st, 7.7)
  • Auburn (32nd, 7.4)
  • Vanderbilt (42nd, 5.4)
  • Mississippi State (60th, 2.0)

Texas A&M will host LSU at home on Saturday, Oct. 26th, at 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will air on ABC.

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Did Texas A&M ascend in the newest AP Top 25 Poll after Week 8?

Texas A&M stays put in the newest AP Top 25 Poll, while several team dropped significantly

Texas A&M (6-1, 4-0 SEC) is off the program’s best start in SEC play since entering the conference at the start of the 2012 season, as the Aggies have reeled off six consecutive wins after defeating Mississippi State 34-24 on in Week 8.

While it wasn’t pretty for most of the game, Texas A&M’s defense tightened things up in the second half, shutting down Mississippi State’s defense to less than 100 yards, and freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren shredded the Aggies’ secondary through the air in the first half.

However, credit to Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko and DC Jay Bateman for making adjustments in the second half, leading to the Aggie defense pressuring Van Buren to throw errant passing while recording 11 tackles for loss and 9 pass deflections, deserving a majority of the credit for the victory.

Around the rest of the SEC, Alabama once again disappointed after scoring just 17 in Saturday’s road loss to Tennessee. At the same time, the Texas Longhorn’s first real challenge this season resulted in a loss to Georgia at home, sending the media darling back down to earth.

After another interesting week of college football, the newest AP Top 25 Poll showed significant movement for both the Crimson Tide and the Longhorns. At the same time, undefeated Indiana three spots to No. 13, and 5-2 Vanderbilt finally cracked the rankings at No. 25 ahead of hosting Texas next week.

After Texas’s loss, undefeated Oregon (7-0) is now the No. 1-ranked team in the poll.

Here is where every SEC team, including Texas A&M, currently ranks:

2. Georgia (6-1)

5. Texas (6-1)

7. Tennessee (6-1)

8. LSU (6-1)

14. Texas A&M (6-1)

15. Alabama (5-2)

18. Ole Miss (5-2)

21. Missouri (6-1)

25. Vanderbilt (5-2)

https://twitter.com/ap_top25/status/1848062707263791472?s=61&t=gDmhHUz9cznriqmLvqFHRQ

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Did Texas A&M rise in the newest US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 8?

Texas A&M’ 34-24 win over Mississippi State didn’t quite move the needle in the newesest US LBM Coaches Poll

Texas A&M (6-1, 4-0 SEC) is off the program’s best start in SEC play since entering the conference at the start of the 2012 season, as the Aggies have reeled off six consecutive wins after defeating Mississippi State 34-24 on in Week 8.

While it wasn’t pretty for most of the game, Texas A&M’s defense tightened things up in the second half, shutting down Mississippi State’s defense to less than 100 yards, and freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren shredded the Aggies’ secondary through the air in the first half.

A win is a win, but Aggies’ starting quarterback, Conner Weigman, needs to slow things down and get back to better footwork and decision-making before Texas A&M hosts LSU next Saturday.

Around the rest of the SEC, the then-No. 1-ranked Texas Longhorns sustained their first loss of the year against Georgia, who looked like the Bulldogs team that won two out of the last three National Championships, especially on defense.

Alabama lost its second game of the year after falling late on the road to Tennessee, while Vanderbilt earned its fifth win of the year in a close home victory against Ball State.

With the Longhorns’ loss, here is the updated US LBM Coaches Top 25 poll after Week 8:

Rank Team Record Points
1 Oregon 7-0 1,323 (51)
2 Georgia 6-1 1,238 (2)
3 Penn State 6-0 1,197
4 Ohio State 5-1 1,107
5 Miami (FL) 7-0 1,087
6 Texas 6-1 1,082
7 LSU 6-1 946
8 Tennessee 6-1 916
9 Clemson 6-1 907
10 Iowa State 7-0 829
11 Notre Dame 6-1 809
12 BYU 7-0 740
13 Indiana 7-0 651
14 Texas A&M 6-1 641
15 Alabama 5-2 554
16 Kansas State 6-1 488
17 Missouri 6-1 486
18 Ole Miss 5-2 444
19 Boise State 5-1 379
20 Pittsburgh 6-0 359
21 Illinois 6-1 347
22 SMU 6-1 249
23 Army 7-0 185
24 Navy 6-0 115
25 Vanderbilt 5-2 37

Schools Dropped Out

No. 22 Michigan; No. 25 Nebraska;

Others Receiving Votes

UNLV 28; Syracuse 27; Washington State 25; Duke 7; Memphis 6; Liberty 6; Wisconsin 3; Tulane 3; Cincinnati 2; Nebraska 1; Arizona State 1

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Texas A&M’s uniform against Mississippi State has been revealed

Here is Texas A&M’s uniform combination ahead of Saturday’s road test vs. Mississippi State

Texas A&M (5-1, 3-0 SEC) is just a few hours away from facing Mississippi State (1-5, 0-3 SEC) inside a packed Davis Wade Stadium in a game where the Aggies are heavy road favorites have reeling off five consecutive wins.

However, coming off the first of two bye weeks this season, A&M could deal with some early-game rust, while the Bulldogs are a week removed from one of their best offensive showings in last Saturday’s road loss to Georgia. This game will come down to the Aggie offense, especially the ground game led by junior running back Le’Veon Moss.

Ahead of the matchup, Texas A&M will be highly visible compared to Mississippi State’s home uniform combination, as the Aggies will go with the maroon helmet, white jersey, and maroon pants for the first time since 2019, as new head coach Mike Elko continues to experiment with A&M’s game day looks.

Here’s a video of senior defensive tackle Shemar Turner showing off the game-day digs ahead of the 3:15 CT. Kickoff.

https://twitter.com/aggiefootball/status/1847034981010624604?s=61&t=8oFqLV6woR9VOy4qh-s-mg

Texas A&M will face Mississippi State on the road on Saturday, Oct. 19, at 3:15 p.m. CT. The game will air on the SEC Network.

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Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State injury report: Latest updates, news for Week 8

All the latest updates and news on Texas A&M’s injury report ahead of a Week 8 game vs. Mississippi State

Texas A&M (5-1, 3-0 SEC) has arrived in Starkville (MS) to face Mississippi State (1-5, 0-3 SEC) in a Saturday afternoon showdown. The two programs are on opposite ends of the spectrum, as the Aggies are in first place in the SEC, while the Bulldogs are winless with just one win over Eastern Kentucky.

This week, Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko has been adamant that he and his team aren’t taking the Bulldogs lightly despite their dismal record. Freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren is coming off a 306-yard passing performance with three touchdowns through the air in last Saturday’s road loss to Georgia.

While Texas A&M’s secondary needs to keep Mississippi State’s passing game at bay, the Aggie offense led by quarterback Conner Weigman and running back Le’Veon Moss needs to produce every quarter. Ahead of the game, here is the latest injury update according to Friday’s SEC-mandated availability update:

Texas A&M injury report

OUT:

  • Rueben Owens – RB (Out for the season)
  • Mark Nabou – OL (Out for the season)
  • Tyreek Chappell – DB

Doubtful:

  • Jaylen Henderson – QB

Probable:

  • Terry Bussey – WR

Mississippi State injury report

OUT:

  • Blake Shapen – QB
  • Traveon Wright – DB
  • Creed Whittemore – WR
  • Trent Hudson – WR
  • Kedrick Bingley-Jones – DL
  • Keyvone Lee – RB
  • Kalvin Dinkins – DL

Questionable:

Brylan Lanier – S

Tyler Woodard – S

OL TJ Shanahan injury update

TJ Shanahan returns to the active roster after missing the last two games and should return as the team’s starting center, bolstering both the pass protection and run blocking.

WR Terry Bussey injury update

At the beginning of the week, freshman wide receiver Terry Bussey was listed as questionable with a 50% chance to place. Still, he is now probable with a higher chance to suit up and contribute in the passing game after leading the Aggies in receiving yards against Missouri two weeks prior.

Texas A&M will face Mississippi State on the road on Saturday, Oct. 19, at 3:15 p.m. CT. The game will air on the SEC Network.

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