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USA Today
11-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UNC's all-time passing yards, TD leader named Top 25 true freshman since 2000
Just how good was Sam Howell's 2019 season at UNC? It's extremely difficult to be a freshman in any sport, regardless of whether you're playing college football or high school basketball. One freshman who had no issue stepping into the spotlight is Sam Howell, who left UNC as its all-time leader in career passing yards and touchdowns. Howell started all 13 games during his 2019 freshman season at North Carolina, which ended in a 55-13 thumping of Temple in the Military Bowl. With 3,641 passing yards and 38 touchdowns, it came as no surprise when Howell won ACC Rookie of the Year honors. Not only was Howell's true freshman season the best-ever amongst Tar Heel quarterbacks, but one of the best since 2000. In CBS Sports' "Top 25 True Freshman of the Century" rankings, Howell slotted in at 19th. "Howell helped begin Mack Brown's second stint in Chapel Hill with a bang," Chris Hummer wrote. "He threw for 3,641 yards and an ACC-best 38 touchdowns against just seven interceptions, helping the Tar Heels improve by five wins compared to a 2-9 effort during the 2018 campaign under Larry Fedora. The only true freshman quarterback with a better statistical debut than Howell is the No. 1 player on this list." Howell played sparingly during his 2022 rookie NFL season, then took over as the Washington Commanders' starter in 2023. Howell backed up Geno Smith on the Seattle Seahawks in 2024 – and will now do the same to J.J. McCarthy on the Minnesota Vikings. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
10-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NFL Draft Summer Scouting Report: Kevin Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
Summer is here, and it is everyone's favorite time of the year, scouting time. Every year, we do Summer Scouting to preview college football for Vikings fans, but also give them an idea of names to follow and watch in the fall as needs pop up for Minnesota. Are we going to write about quarterbacks? You know it, but why? Because other NFL teams will draft them, just as they will draft every other position. It all matters whether these players end up on the Vikings, the Bears, or the Steelers. We write these so Vikings fans can be the most informed fans. So if you are still with us, enjoy our latest Summer Scouting report as we prepare you for the Fall. Player Information Player: Kevin Concepcion School: Texas A&M Height/Weight: 5-11/187 lbs. Player Background - 4-Star Recruit - ACC Rookie of the Year in 2023 - Second-Team All-ACC in 2023 - Transferred from NC State to Texas A&M Career Stats Heading into the 2025 Season - 124 Receptions - 1,299 Receiving Yards - 10.5 Yards Per Reception - 16 Touchdowns Notable PFF Numbers Heading into the 2025 Season - 69.4 PFF Receiving Grade - 6.3 Yards After Contact Per Reception - 1.81 Yards Per Route Run - Average Depth of Target of 7.8 Yards - 7 Contested Catches Player Traits - Quick, decisive cuts in his routes - Good body control during routes and attacking the ball - Separates well due to his footwork and burst at the line - Can be used in a variety of ways (manufacture touches) - Excellent YAC ability due to speed and vision Player Summary Kevin Concepcion is one of the more dynamic playmaking wide receivers in college football in 2025. He has some issues to address in his game, namely his hands and lack of ball control, which are major concerns, but the playmaking outshines those moments. I really enjoy watching him run routes and use his body control to work defenders with and without the ball in his hands. Concepcion really thrives using his speed to pick up extra yards and take advantage of every touch he gets, as NC State tended to manufacture touches for him often. Going to Texas A&M, it will be interesting to see how they use him as he has the making of a dynamic playmaker, but their offense may make him a better pro in the end than a college player.
USA Today
10-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NFL Draft Summer Scouting Report: Kevin Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
Summer is here, and it is everyone's favorite time of the year, scouting time. Every year, we do Summer Scouting to preview college football for Bucs fans, but also give them an idea of names to follow and watch in the fall as needs pop up for Tampa Bay. Are we going to write about quarterbacks? You know it, but why? Because other NFL teams will draft them, just as they will draft every other position. It all matters whether these players end up on the Bucs, the Bears, or the Steelers. We write these so Bucs fans can be the most informed fans. So if you are still with us, enjoy our latest Summer Scouting report as we prepare you for the Fall. Player Information Player: Kevin Concepcion School: Texas A&M Height/Weight: 5-11/187 lbs. Player Background - 4-Star Recruit - ACC Rookie of the Year in 2023 - Second-Team All-ACC in 2023 - Transferred from NC State to Texas A&M Career Stats Heading into the 2025 Season - 124 Receptions - 1,299 Receiving Yards - 10.5 Yards Per Reception - 16 Touchdowns Notable PFF Numbers Heading into the 2025 Season - 69.4 PFF Receiving Grade - 6.3 Yards After Contact Per Reception - 1.81 Yards Per Route Run - Average Depth of Target of 7.8 Yards - 7 Contested Catches Player Traits - Quick, decisive cuts in his routes - Good body control during routes and attacking the ball - Separates well due to his footwork and burst at the line - Can be used in a variety of ways (manufacture touches) - Excellent YAC ability due to speed and vision Player Summary Kevin Concepcion is one of the more dynamic playmaking wide receivers in college football in 2025. He has some issues to address in his game, namely his hands and lack of ball control, which are major concerns, but the playmaking outshines those moments. I really enjoy watching him run routes and use his body control to work defenders with and without the ball in his hands. Concepcion really thrives using his speed to pick up extra yards and take advantage of every touch he gets, as NC State tended to manufacture touches for him often. Going to Texas A&M, it will be interesting to see how they use him as he has the making of a dynamic playmaker, but their offense may make him a better pro in the end than a college player.
USA Today
05-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Three rising SEC powers that could earn College Football Playoff bid in 2025
In the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoffs last year, the Southeastern Conference had three teams vying for a spot in the national championship game. Tennessee joined Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Texas and Oklahoma as the only current SEC programs to reach the CFP since its inception during the 2014-2015 season. That could change in 2025, as several contenders are building strong rosters in preparation for this year's campaign. As the SEC officially opens the regular season in 54 days, when Missouri takes on Central Arkansas, teams across the league will attempt to claw through the brutal conference slate to make their first CFP appearance. Here are the SEC teams that could finish atop the league and earn a bid to this year's playoffs: 1. Texas A&M With quarterback Marcel Reed returning for his sophomore season, Texas A&M is positioned to make noise in the program's second year under head coach Mike Elko. To combat the loss of production at wide receiver, Elko landed talented transfers like former NC State wideout KC Concepcion. The former ACC Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year was ranked as the No. 6 wide receiver in the transfer portal by 247 Sports. Additional commits such as former Mississippi State wideout Mario Craver and the return of running backs Le'Veon Moss and Rueben Owens II will provide Elko's offense with electric playmakers in 2025. The defense is nothing to glance over either, as multiple standout transfers like defensive backs Jordan Shaw (Washington) and Julian Humphrey (Georgia) add tremendously to the Aggies' defensive unit. Texas A&M's schedule is also considerably favorable, besides the three important road tests at Notre Dame, LSU and Texas. If Elko and company can steal one of those difficult road games, the program will be in the race for a potential bid into the CFP this season. 2. South Carolina South Carolina is one of the most underrated teams in the country this season. The Gamecocks return a talented gunslinger in quarterback LaNorris Sellers for his sophomore campaign, after securing the SEC Freshman of the Year (coaches) award and the FWAA (Football Writers Association of America) National Freshman Offensive Player of the Year in 2024. As one of the most feared EDGE rushers in the country, Dylan Stewart's dominance on the gridiron for South Carolina has garnered much attention from NFL scouts. Pro Football Focus projects him to become a top-five pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, as he continues to wreak havoc against opposing offenses. While the stars are aligning for South Carolina's roster this season, the offensive line will need to step up and stay healthy in the upcoming year to protect Sellers, which should keep the defense off the field and give Stewart time to do what he does best. The schedule is brutal for the Gamecocks in 2025, with contests against LSU, Ole Miss, Alabama, Texas A&M and Clemson, but the program in Columbia, S.C., could shock the country with multiple upsets. If head coach Shane Beamer can lead his teams to nine wins with a strength of schedule ranked No. 7 per On3 Sports, it is going to be difficult not to put the program in contention for an at-large bid. 3. Ole Miss Rebels Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels have been so close to making the CFP in recent years, but continue to fall just short of obtaining a bid. The program has struggled during the big moments, but this year could be a different story. After putting on a showcase in the Rebels' 28-10 victory over the Georgia Bulldogs in 2024, sophomore signal-caller Austin Simmons will take the snaps for Kiffin's fast-tempo offense heading into this year's campaign. Simmons has a cannon for an arm and has displayed true poise in moments where he stepped in for Jaxson Dart last season. Heading into the offseason, the program lost much production on both sides of the ball, but the man known as the master of the transfer portal worked his magic to bring in the No. 3 transfer class in the country, according to On3 Sports. The return of leaders like linebacker Suntarine Perkins and wideout Cayden Lee will be integral this season, as the Rebs travel to Georgia and Oklahoma. However, the schedule is mighty favorable if all the pieces come together like most predict. Ole Miss fans have been anxiously awaiting the moment that Kiffin brings home a national title to Oxford, Miss., but the time for waiting could finally be over in 2025. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.
USA Today
27-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Mavericks' Jason Kidd wants to push Cooper Flagg: 'I want to make him uncomfortable'
Cooper Flagg joins the Dallas Mavericks, highly touted out of Duke, and coach Jason Kidd wants to do everything he can to ensure the 18-year-old reaches his full potential on the court. Flagg was the AP national college player of the year, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks on 38.5% shooting from 3-point range. He became the 22nd player in program history to be named a consensus first-team All-American. The 6-foot-8 forward officially became the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft on Wednesday after establishing himself as the face of college basketball last season. He arrives with plenty of hype as the top pick, though he isn't necessarily focused on those expectations. "I'm coming in, just trying to learn and get better every single day," Flagg said on Friday. "I think, if I can do that to the best of my ability, expectations and pressure other people put on me and my team will kind of work itself out. I'm just trying to come in and be the best that I can be and win at the highest level." Flagg was the overwhelming favorite to be selected by the Mavericks once the organization was awarded the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery on May 12. They entered with only a 1.8% chance of winning the top pick, the fourth-lowest odds to win since the lottery system began in 1985. The Maine native is viewed as a generational prospect because of his size, athleticism and ability to affect games on both ends of the court. He is also highly regarded for his ability to process plays in real-time and his decision-making with the ball in his hands. Kidd said last month that he believes the Mavericks are an excellent landing spot for Flagg, with their mixture of established veterans and up-and-coming players. He believes he can help them win now and will be pushing him on the court every day to maximize his development. "When you talk about his gift, he is a basketball player and a winner," Kidd said. "I don't look at the position. I want to put him at the point guard. I want to make him uncomfortable and see how he reacts, being able to run the show. Being able to play the 2, play the 3, he is comfortable playing that, but we want to push, and I think he is going to respond in a positive way." Flagg arrives on a roster headlined by Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, who is expected to sign a three-year, $119 million contract extension. He is projected to make an immediate contribution to the team, which finished 39-43 last season and lost in the play-in tournament. The ACC Rookie of the Year has drawn comparisons to several legends of the game, thanks to his ability to impact games in various ways. He will look to put that to the test next season with a team that hopes to make another deep playoff run. "I think it is a blessing," Flagg said. "A lot of people in this position or situation aren't granted this opportunity, so I just feel really blessed and grateful for the situation I've been given. I'm just looking forward to being a sponge, getting down here. I'm excited to learn, soak it all in and learn from the guys who are older and have been through it all before."
