Texas A&M Lands Eight Athlon Preseason Honors

Texas A&M football has more fuel for the 2026 hype machine, and this time it’s not coming from message boards or recruiting rankings.

Athlon has dropped its preseason honors, and eight Aggies made the cut.

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Wide receiver Mario Craver and safety Marcus Ratcliffe led the way for Texas A&M, both earning All-America Second Team honors while also landing on Athlon’s All-SEC list.

Offensive lineman Mark Nabou Jr., return weapon Terry Bussey, defensive end Anto Saka, safety Dalton Brooks, cornerback Dezz Ricks and running back Rueben Owens II also received preseason recognition.

Craver is the headliner, and for good reason. The Aggies’ explosive wideout is coming off a monster 2025 season in which he caught 59 passes for 917 yards and four touchdowns.

He also added 81 rushing yards and another score, giving Texas A&M one of the SEC’s most dangerous all-purpose threats.

His loudest statement came at Notre Dame, where Craver erupted for 207 receiving yards and an 86-yard touchdown.

It was Texas A&M’s first 200-yard receiving game in a road contest and the best receiving total by an FBS player against an AP Top 25 opponent in 2025.

Ratcliffe gives the Aggies a nasty presence on the back end. He finished his junior season with 65 tackles and three pass breakups while earning an 80.3 Pro Football Focus grade, sixth among SEC safeties.

He also delivered eight-tackle games against Notre Dame and Mississippi State.

Up front, Nabou Jr. brings experience and stability. The veteran lineman started 12 games in 2025 and helped Texas A&M rank third nationally in tackles for loss allowed, ninth in fourth-down conversion rate and 19th in scoring offense at 33.8 points per game.

Bussey brings juice in the return game after averaging 23.38 yards on 18 kickoff returns, while Saka arrives from Northwestern with 12 career sacks and an 84.1 pass-rush grade from PFF in 2025.

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Brooks, a 2026 team captain, posted 62 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks last season. Ricks added six pass breakups from the corner spot, and Owens led the Aggies with 639 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

Texas A&M opens Sept. 5 against Missouri State at Kyle Field. 

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