Texas A&M is already down one of their top receivers with the loss of Terry Bussey for the season, which Mike Elko announced a little over a week ago now. The struggling pass game misses Bussey's explosivity, as this was supposed to be his breakout year as a receiver, but things may have just gotten worse with the release of the initial injury report for the Aggies.
Mario Craver was listed as "questionable" on this report, meaning that he is at about a 50% chance to play in the game on Saturday. Craver has had to leave both the Kentucky and LSU games with injuries before eventually returning to both, so it's hard to know whether this is a result of those injuries or if it is something new he has sustained.
The initial SEC Student-Athlete Availability Report ahead of Texas A&M’s Week 5 matchup with Arkansas at Kyle Field: pic.twitter.com/lJB0SiVDTu
— TexAgs (@TexAgs) October 1, 2026
To lose Craver would take an already-struggling pass game from bad to awful. Now, you have something working in your favor in that you are going to be playing one of the worst pass defenses in the nation in Arkansas, who has given up more than 10 YPA to every Power 4 team they've played, but losing Craver is still a big deal.
Texas A&M fans brace for another injury loss as Mario Craver is listed as questionable
Craver had a very high-volume game against the Wildcats, but it ended up costing him. He's not the biggest guy, but he's extremely fast and elusive, making him a threat in the screen game as well as when he turns on the burners and gets downfield.
Despite that speed, though, the size can be an issue when you are taking repeated big hits from SEC defenses. That's what we saw happen a couple of times both against UK and LSU, and fans were grimacing every time it took place.
Again, Craver re-entered the game both times, which communicated that the injuries were minor enough for him to return and just manage whatever pain was present. But it's possible that either things have continued to deteriorate after the game, or he could have sustained something entirely new.
If this passing game is going to get back on track at all, they need to be as close to full power as possible, and that means having Craver out there. Getting Ashton Bethel-Roman back was a welcome development last week, and it looks like it will continue into this one, but Craver's abilities are unmatched on this team.
Isaiah Horton has also been quiet over the last couple of weeks, so that only highlights the importance of keeping no. 1 in the lineup. Marcel Reed is struggling big time, so to take away one of his top targets at this point would be nothing short of debilitating.
There will be an updated injury report later this evening, and we'll have to see if Craver's status changes at all. If he moves to "doubtful," that means he only has a 25% chance to play, but if he moves to "probable," he will be up to 75%. Here's hoping we see that move be made to the latter.
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