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Texas A&M’s injection of speed, explosiveness into offense powering Aggies’ meteoric rise

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Texas A&M’s injection of speed, explosiveness into offense powering Aggies’ meteoric rise


BATON ROUGE, La. — KC Concepcion zig-zagged up Tiger Stadium’s turf, tightrope walked his way around defenders to remain in bounds next to the home team’s sideline and sprinted back in the opposition to jog the second half of his punt return completely untouched.

A member of LSU’s staff spiked his headset into the dirt before the Texas A&M wide receiver had even crossed into the end zone.

Speed and explosivity — especially the variety which the Aggies have — may cause that side effect for opponents.

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The Aggies (8-0, 5-0 SEC) steamrolled their way to a 49-25 win Saturday night at Tiger Stadium in large part because they were the most physical team and the most cohesive offense, yes, but the pure athleticism and agility displayed by their quarterback and wide receivers were what lit the fuse for a definitive win in head coach Mike Elko’s tenure.

“I think that’s the biggest thing we talked about having to do, to flip, where we were trying to go,” Elko said. “If you look at teams that have won the SEC, the teams that have gotten far in the playoffs, they have explosive playmakers on offense that can take the game over.”

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That’s more than an anecdotal reference. Ohio State won last year’s national championship with wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (who reached 21.7 mph in a game last season) and running back TreVeyon Henderson (who ran a 4.43 second 40-yard dash time at this spring’s NFL combine) factored heavily into their scheme.

Texas lost to those Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl but reached the semifinals in part because of wide receivers Matthew Golden (4.29 second 40-yard dash time) and Isaiah Bond (4.39 second 40-yard dash time). The Longhorns had wide receiver Xavier Worthy and his ludicrous 4.21 second 40-yard dash time the season prior when they reached the semifinals for the first time. Ask them if they’d like to have those caliber of athletes back this season.

The Aggies don’t need to beg. Concepcion ran a 4.43 40-yard dash time last summer, per 247Sports.com, and Craver clocked a 10.74 100-meter dash time at the high school level. Running back Rueben Owens Jr. charted four sub.-11 second 100-meter dash times at El Campo before he enrolled early at College Station and Reed has his own wheels. He outran the entire Tigers defense for a 41-yard touchdown in the first quarter of Saturday night’s win and totaled 108 yards on the ground.

“Me running down the field, 40 something yards, at whatever weight I and and whatever height I am, I don’t know, those guys should be faster than me,” the 6-foot-1, 185 pound Reed said. “They’re not.”

They weren’t quick enough to catch Concepcion, either, and he finished with 177 total all-purpose yards because of it. Craver caught a modest four passes Saturday night but has been a must-cover big-play threat for the Aggies this season. His acrobatic 86-yard touchdown against Notre Dame last month helped spark A&M’s first ranked road win this fall.

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Concepcion, a N.C. State transfer, and Craver, a Mississippi State transfer, may arguably create A&M’s most talented wide receiver duo in at least a decade. Craver’s 716 receiving yards and Concepcion’s seven touchdowns both rank second in the conference. Craver has the highest receiver grade in the SEC, per Pro Football Focus, and Craver ranks fifth. They are the only teammate duo within the top five.

“We felt like it was critical when I took over that we add those elements,” Elko said. “We have them in the backfield, we have them at wide receiver, we have them at quarterback with the ball in his hands every play. I think that makes us a really challenging offense to defend.”

    College football poll (Oct. 26): A&M receives first-place vote, Texas climbs after OT win
    SMU haunted by familiar last-second defeat, but this one has far more severe consequences

Find more college sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

Find more Texas A&M coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.



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Texas Football Opt-Outs: Who’s Likely Playing and Who’s Out for the Citrus Bowl

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Texas Football Opt-Outs: Who’s Likely Playing and Who’s Out for the Citrus Bowl


At this point in time, opting out of bowl games is nothing new, but Texas is going to have more opt-outs in the Citrus Bowl against Michigan than many—self included—expected. This problem pales in comparison to what’s going on in Ann Arbor, but the amount of lost experience will be something for Texas to overcome, primarily on defense.



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Latest in recruiting war for elite 2028 QB has Texas Football joyful

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Latest in recruiting war for elite 2028 QB has Texas Football joyful



Neimann Lawrence list the Longhorns as one school that is standing out

As the Longhorns continue to build for the future, one of their targets is four-star prospect Neimann Lawrence. The Miami native is one of the best quarterbacks in the 2028 class and is attracting interest from some of the nation’s top programs. On Monday, Lawrence revealed the schools that have stood out so far, including the Longhorns. 

While Mondays update was encouraging, Texas was not the only school Lawrence mentioned. He also highlighted Michigan, Miami, Ohio State, Texas A&M, and Tennessee. That is not an easy list of schools to go to battle with; the Longhorns have time to make themselves stand out. 

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Currently, the Miami Northwestern High star is ranked as the fourth-best quarterback in is class by 247Sports. They also rank him as the ninth-best player from Florida and the 39th-best player in the nation. With collegiate debut still over a year away, those rankings could change. 

At the moment, the Longhorns do not have a commitment in the 2028 class, but they have made offers to some of the top recruits. That includes Brysen Wright, Jalanie George, Jamarios Canton, Micah Rhodes, and King Pitts. Landing any of those players would give Texas a bright future. 

With a decision still months away, Lawrence will be a player to watch. A lot could change as his recruitment continues, but it is a good sign for Texas that they are standing out early on in the process. 



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Orange County wedding photographer deported on way to job in Texas

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Orange County wedding photographer deported on way to job in Texas


An Orange County photographer is speaking out after he was deported as he was heading to Texas to photograph a wedding.

What they’re saying:

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“I was trying to do it the right way, the legal way and it just feels like they don’t care about that,” said Adan Caceres.

Caceres came to the United States under asylum in 2014, fleeing a violent El Salvador.

“My mom’s sister was murdered and she was thrown in front of our house. She also was abused sexually before they murdered her and then my brother and I were threatened by the gangs,” said Caceres.

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He says he never received the deportation order that was issued in 2018 and only learned about it in 2023. He then started the process of reopening his case.

“I was paying my taxes. I’m a business owner, I’m a wedding photographer. I’m also married,” said Caceres.

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In October, Caceres was going through security at John Wayne Airport, heading to a job in Texas, when he was detained. He says from Santa Ana, he was sent to the Adelanto Detention Center then one in El Paso, Texas where he says the conditions were inhumane.

“We’re not even asking ‘hey let us out’ we’re asking for water, we’re asking for us to be able to use the restroom, these are basic human rights,” said Caceres.

He says now that he’s back in the country he once fled, he’s most concerned about his wife back in Orange County.

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“I was providing a lot of income for our household and now my wife has to take care of all of those things on her own; paying car insurance, the rent, all the bills,” said Caceres.

Caceres says he had no criminal history and feels he was on the path to citizenship when it was ripped away from him, leaving his future with his family uncertain.

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“I don’t know if I’m going to see them. I don’t know when I’m going to see them,” said Caceres.

The other side:

FOX11 reached out to the Department of Homeland Security asking about Caceres’ case but had not heard back at the time this story aired. 

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The Source: Information for this story came from an interview with Adan Caceres.

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