Experts Say Texas A&M's Kevin Concepcion Primed for Breakout Season
The Texas A&M football squad averaged just over 30 points and just under 400 offensive yards per game in 2024.
Advertisement
Experts say the Aggies could be even more explosive in 2025 — for a number of reasons:
It will be head coach Mike Elko's second season on the sidelines after coming over from Duke after 2023.
It will be quarterback Marcel Reed's second full season behind an offensive line returning all five starters.
2024 leading receiver Noah Thomas is returning after 39 catches for 574 yards and eight touchdowns.
Leading rusher Le'Veon Moss returns after going for 10 touchdowns and 906 yards from scrimmage.
These are important factors. However, the rocket fuel in the Aggies' 2025 attack is likely to come from three Top-50 pass catchers the program gained in the offseason transfer portal. These include Mario Craver and Micah Hudson, from Mississippi State and Texas Tech, respectively, and high NFL draft prospect Kevin Concepcion.
North Carolina State Wolfpack wide receiver Kevin Concepcion (10) transferred to Texas A&M for 2025.Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
A transfer from NC State, Concepcion is ranked solidly in the top 10 among all NCAA receivers. ESPN has him at No.10. NFL Draft Buzz pinned him at No. 9. And On3 listed the former Wolfback snagger as the third-best receiver in the 2024 transfer portal.
Advertisement
On June 12, Pro Football Focus — better known as PFF.com — listed Concepcion as one of its 10 Impact Transfer Portal Players to Know. Yes, that's a mouthful. Nevertheless, Aggies nation should be pumped about Concepcion's upside.
Concepcion was the 2023 ACC Rookie of the Year, and earned second-team All-ACC honors as a true freshman. That year, he also broke the NC State freshman record with 71 catches, 839 yards, and 10 TDs.
On June 4, Elko talked to reporters about Concepcion at a Houston Coach's night. He had coached against 'KC' in 2023, when his Duke team smothered NC State 24-3. The freshman wideout still had 99 total yards that night, on six catches and four rushing attempts.
'I played against (Concepcion) his freshman year at Duke,' Elko said. 'He has been a really mature kid. He has that captain make-up.'
Advertisement
He's also a breakaway bandit. PFF.com noted in its June 12 article that, since 2023, Concepcion is second in YAC (yards-after-catch) with 792, and is 14th in receiving touchdowns, with 16. That's not all. The versatile Concepcion ranks third among all returning wideouts in rushing yards with 357.
He's a vial of nitroglycerin in an offensive room stacked with dynamite.
Related: College Football's Great Rivalries: Texas vs. Texas A&M
Related: Texas A&M Football: 2025 Preview – Offensive Expectations
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Duke's Manny Diaz indifferent on new ACC availability reports
The ACC had a version of injury reporting when Manny Diaz was Miami's coach. Now that the league has mandated public availability reports every week, Diaz is indifferent to doing them at . 'When I was at Miami, we had it and then it went away,' Diaz said on Monday. 'You know, I don't spend a whole lot of time thinking about that. We'll do what they tell us to do.' ACC commissioner Jim Phillips announced last month that injury reports will come to the league for football, men's and women's basketball and baseball. Before every ACC football game, teams will submit an availability report two days before the game. It will be updated the next day and on the day of the game. 'This decision is directly connected to our ongoing commitment to best protect our student-athletes and our multi-faceted approach to addressing the effects of sports wagering,' Phillips said in Charlotte. 'In this case, it would alleviate pressure from entities or individuals who are involved in sports wagering that attempt to obtain inside information about availability from players, coaches, and other staff.' There is uniformity in requiring these reports. In recent years, some coaches would be more open and honest than others about the status of injured players. The policy Diaz is referring to was a non-public injury report shared between ACC teams before games. That was nixed sometime around 2018 or '19. Diaz kept things fairly close to the vest last season, his first at Duke. He discussed players who suffered season-ending injuries but stopped short of delving too much into details beyond that. Designations submitted before game days will be available, probable, questionable or out. The day-of updates will be submitted two hours before each game and each player will be designated as available, game time decision, or out. In basketball and baseball, reports will be submitted the day before each ACC game and on the day of the game. All availability reports and the full conference policy will be available on the ACC's website. Failure to follow the policies will be subject to review and potential penalties.
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Texas A&M Safety Preview-Can A&M's safety group take a step forward in 2025?
The 2025 football season is coming up fast, and there's plenty of excitement surrounding year two under Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko. One of the most scrutinized position groups this season will be the secondary, especially the safeties. Unless you were living under a rock after the bowl game loss to USC, you heard Elko make it immediately clear: he was furious about the team's poor pass coverage and promised significant changes. Unlike the cornerback position coach Elko the only player added to the safety room was true freshman Rashad Johnson Jr. This shows the amount of faith the staff with the player on the roster to improve. Depth Chart Snapshot Player Spotlight Freshmen Class: Rashad Johnson Jr Scheme Fit & Outlook Elko's safeties must deliver: Ratcliffe, as the third safety on the field, unlocks more blitz and disguise options. Anderson remains the brain, Brooks brings the bite, and the depth group offers a mix of experience and upside. This unit won't just hold the line, it'll bait, confuse, and punish if they can put it all together. Final Thoughts There's upside here, but it's all speculative. Ratcliffe adds versatility, and Anderson brings needed stability. Beyond that, Brooks hasn't anchored a full season, Kerr's the only proven depth, and communication issues still hang over the room. If the vets lock in and the younger guys come on fast, this unit could help A&M turn a corner. But for now, the talent's intriguing, the cohesion isn't. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on X: @whosnextsports1.
USA Today
9 hours ago
- USA Today
Rivals ranks Texas A&M has one of 20 'July recruiting winners'
Texas A&M's 2026 recruiting success this summer has only been matched by several programs, as the future is set at several positions, including running back, after landing four-star Jonathan Hatton and four-star KJ Edwards, who are both considered elite and future stars. Since June, 16 of the program's 27 commits chose the Aggies, led by five-stars Brandon Arrington, Tristian Givens, and Bryce Perry-Wright. Arrington, who will play cornerback at the next level, chose Texas A&M over Oregon in the final stretch of his recruitment. He is considered the best athlete in the class, while Givens and Perry-Wright are considered two of the top pass rushers, who, outside of NIL, felt Mike Elko and defensive line coaches Tony Jerod-Eddie and Sean Spencer's development background on the defensive line, paired with the program's history in the trenches, was too much to pass up. On offense, Elko, OC Collin Klein, and WR coach Holmon Wiggins have locked down wide receivers Aaron Gregory, Madden Williams, and Mike Brown. At the same time, four-star Jace Mathews, who will announce his commitment on Friday, is another name to watch. Texas A&M's tight end future also looks secured with four-star Caleb Tafua, while TE coach Christian Ellsworth beat out Notre Dame and Iowa State for Waukee, Iowa, native and four-star Evan Jacobson. Last week, Rivals writer Adam Gorney ranked its ten "July recruiting winners," including Texas A&M, which is no surprise given what we just discussed above. Texas A&M's 2026 class is currently ranked 3rd nationally, and unless Elko and his staff pull off one or two more commitments or flips, this will likely be the final ranking by the time we reach Early Signing Day on December 4. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
