Texas A&M players, DC speak to the media after fourth spring practice
Texas A&M wrapped up another practice session on the gridiron on Thursday, as the Aggies prepare for another campaign under head coach Mike Elko in 2026.
After starting 2025 with an 11-0 record for the first time since 1992 and capturing its first College Football Playoff birth, Texas A&M is looking to take another step forward in 2026. To do so, especially with the first year of a nine-game SEC schedule, it will take returning stars like wide receiver Mario Craver to explode for the Aggies.
Craver, who transferred from Mississippi State to Texas A&M before the start of last season, ranked second on the team behind KC Concepcion with 917 receiving yards and four touchdowns in his first year in Bryan-College Station. The junior from Birmingham, Ala., enters 2026 as one of the most highly touted wideouts in college football and will be an integral piece of the Aggie offense, with quarterback Marcel Reed returning for his third year in the Maroon and White.
On the defensive unit, the departure of Cashius Howell , Albert Regis , and many more to the NFL will have a significant impact on production, leaving the success in the trenches up to players like T.J. Searcy. The senior from Thomaston, Georgia, spent two years with the Florida Gators before transferring to Texas A&M in 2025. At 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds, Searcy could be the Aggies' next game-changing end.
Here are some quotes from Craver, Searcy and first-year defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill, following the conclusion of Texas A&M's fourth spring practice:
Craver gives his definition of leadership
Craver on his development as a player
Craver's goals for the upcoming campaign
Craver on the added height to Texas A&M's wide receiving corps
Searcy on defensive line coach Elijah Robinson
Searcy's thoughts on defensive end Anto Saka
Searcy on what Texas A&M's defensive unit brings to the table this season
Searcy discusses his reputation for consistency
Hemphill on what he's seen from Searcy
Hemphill's thoughts on defensive end Marco Jones
Hemphill on linebacker Daymion Sanford
Hemphill on the productivity from the group in the fourth practice of spring football
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M players, DC speak to the media after fourth spring practice
