2025
2025 WINNER – (KC Concepcion )
Concepcion Leads Texas A&M to Next Level with Record-Setting Season
By Brylea Smith, Texas A&M Athletics Communications
KC Concepcion entered the transfer portal in 2024 with an eye on taking his game to a new level after two solid seasons at NC State University. Following a breakout season that included being named college football’s most versatile player as the winner of the 2025 Paul Hornung Award, the 5-11, 190-pound Concepcion clearly accomplished this goal while also playing an enormous role in Texas A&M’s ascension to uncharted territory in the College Football Playoff.
“KC helped reshape Texas A&M’s offense into a more explosive, dynamic, multi-dimensional attack,” Aggies offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins said. “His ability to make plays all over the field gave us the go-to playmaker that we needed this past season.”
Football has been in Concepcion’s blood ever since he can remember. His father, Kevin Sr., was a defensive back and punt returner at the University of Buffalo, so it was only natural for “Kevin Jr.” to find himself on the field as well.
The wide receiver started his football career at Julius L. Chambers High School in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he caught 65 passes for 977 yards and 12 touchdowns. During his high school career, he led the Cougars to back-to-back North Carolina 4AA state championships in 2019 and 2020.
Heading into college, Concepcion had scholarship offers from schools across the country. Navigating the recruiting process is a challenge and there is a lot of pressure on young athletes to make the right choice for their future. Luckily, Concepcion had his mother, Ariel, to help him find his future academic and athletic home. She trusted her son to make the right decision for himself but gave her motherly input because that is something her son valued.
“Honestly, the best advice that my mom has given me for football is just go out there and be yourself,” Concepcion said. “The most important thing she has told me is that family always sticks together.”
Concepcion decided to stay in his home state and attend NC State. He had a standout freshman season with the Wolfpack in 2023 as his 839 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns led all freshmen nationally and earned him Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
His sophomore season with the Wolfpack fell short of the standards he had set for himself. While he still had 53 catches, his receiving yards took a dip to 460, with his yards per catch dropping from 11.8 to 8.7.
In December 2024, Concepcion entered the transfer portal and visited Texas A&M as the Aggies prepared for its appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl. While Concepcion was just then learning about Aggieland, second-year head coach Mike Elko knew all about the fleet-footed, all-purpose player. Concepcion had caught six passes for 63 yards and ran the ball four times for 33 yards in a losing effort against Elko’s former team, the Duke Blue Devils, in 2023.
“When we went up against him as a freshman, he was really doing it all,” Elko said. “He was lining up as a slot, they were running a lot of vertical, go-balls with him and he was having a lot of success doing that. Then, they were bringing him into the backfield and handing him the ball as a running back. They were doing jet-sweep stuff with him. He was a guy they were trying to put in position to impact the game as a true freshman. That obviously stood out, and he was a guy we paid a lot of attention to when we played him because of that.”
Once he saw his future coaches and teammates, he knew College Station would be his new home.
“Whenever I came up here, everything was so real to me,” Concepcion said. “I had conversations with Coach Elko and he was honest with me. I had conversations with Coach Wiggins and (former offensive coordinator) Coach [Collin] Klein. Everybody here respected each other, so why not be a part of it?”
He announced his commitment on December 29, 2024 and his impact was immediate as he developed a rapport with his new teammates during offseason workouts.
This opportunity to compete at a new school was a fresh start not only for him, but also for Texas A&M. The Maroon & White had one of their best seasons in school history, opening the year with 11-straight wins, logging an FBS-best three road wins against Associated Press top 25 teams, and bringing a long-awaited College Football Playoff appearance to the 12th Man.
In just one season in College Station, Concepcion was able to leave his mark in Aggie history. Before the season, he had a bold, but simple, description of the skills that Texas A&M fans had yet to see.
“I can play outside, I can play inside, you can line me up at running back, you can line me up at wildcat quarterback,” Concepcion said. “It doesn’t matter where you want to put me on the field, just whatever you want me to do, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability.”
He backed up the preseason talk by becoming the first player in the modern era of Aggie football to score a rushing, receiving and punt return touchdown in a single season. Concepcion earned First Team All-SEC recognition at three different positions in wide receiver, all-purpose and return specialist. He led the team in receptions and receiving yards, with 61 receptions for 919 yards while tying for the SEC lead with nine receiving touchdowns. He also ranked third nationally with 456 punt return yards and second with two punt return scores.
Perhaps Concepcion’s biggest impact came with the growth of the punt return group, which generated just 58 yards the season before his arrival. With Concepcion leading the way, the Aggies were one of just two teams nationally with 500-plus total yards and averaged 15.0 yards per return.
Success on the field comes with a lot of work off it as well. Team camaraderie and the ability to trust your teammates must be developed and strengthened outside of the sport. This is where Concepcion stepped up to help build these relationships. He knew he had to have good chemistry with his quarterback to be able to depend on each other in big moments on the field. He also had to create chemistry with his fellow wide receivers, because they would be the ones to push him to be better.
“As a teammate, he was tough and unselfish,” Wiggins said. “He put the team first by always celebrating the success of others. Additionally, he was dependable, had great attention to detail, and held himself and his teammates accountable.”
The desire for strong relationships with his teammates led to Concepcion consistently hosting team dinners at his house. He loves to cook in his free time so he ended up inviting his teammates to his house for meals to forge relationships and talk ’ball.
Becoming this powerhouse of a player has come with many challenges. One challenge that Concepcion faced from early on was a stuttering speech disorder that he inherited from his dad.
Growing up with something that set him apart was isolating, especially as classmates mocked the way he spoke. He was placed in classes meant to help his stutter, but they only reinforced the feeling that he was different from everyone else. Eventually, he walked away from those classes and the isolation that came with them, choosing instead to work on his speech on his own.
“Everybody has their own flaws, and it’s just about how you embrace those flaws and that makes you you,” Concepcion said.
Now, Concepcion has learned to embrace his stutter. As his football career progressed and his individual performances mounted, media obligations naturally followed. Being surrounded by reporters, with every word scrutinized, can be daunting. Instead of shying away from the moment, Concepcion leaned into it, standing confidently, answering questions, and no longer worrying about how others perceive the way he speaks.
From the start of his football journey to where he stands today, every step of Concepcion’s path has been shaped by growth, resilience and self-belief. From winning state championships in high school, to early success at NC State, to overcoming adversity and finding new life at Texas A&M, each experience has added another layer to the player and person he has become.
Concepcion’s impact goes beyond the stat sheet. Whether it was stepping up in big moments on the field, building chemistry with teammates off it, or embracing the challenges that once made him feel different, he has continued to show maturity and confidence in who he is. All of the highs and lows that have defined his journey have led him to this moment, as Concepcion now sets his sights on the next chapter in his life – the NFL.
FINALISTS:
Jonah Coleman, Washington
A workhorse running back who sees spot duty returning kickoffs, Coleman has 126 carries and a 5.1 per carry average, ranks third on the team in receptions and averages nearly 20 touches per game from scrimmage. He leads the Big Ten and ranks second nationally in rushing touchdowns, is fourth nationally in scoring. Coleman made the Honor Roll in Week Six when he touched the ball 28 times three different ways and scored the game-winning touchdown when the Huskies overcame a 20-point deficit to shock Maryland 24-20 in College Park. He also made the Honor Roll in Week One with 225 all-purpose yards rushing, receiving, handled a kickoff and punt return and scored twice on the ground in the Huskies’ win over Colorado State.
Wayne Knight, James Madison
The team’s leading rusher and one of the top pass game targets also serves as the primary punt returner, averaging 9.2 yards per return. He ranks third in the nation in all-purpose yards. Knight earned the Honor Roll in Week Five when he touched the ball 28 times three different ways for a career-best 199 all-purpose yards and scored on a 40-yard touchdown run in the Knights’ 35-10 home win over Georgia Southern. He made the Honor Roll in Week Six, touching the ball 20 times three different ways and scoring the winning touchdown on a nine-yard run in the fourth quarter in James Madison’s 14-7 road win over Georgia State.
Caullin Lacy, Louisville
Primarily a wide receiver who also handles kickoff and punt returns, Lacy ranks fifth in the nation in all-purpose yards per game, is tied for second nationally in punt returns for touchdowns and second in the ACC in average yards per punt return. He made the Honor Roll in Week Four, touching the ball 13 times receiving and returning kicks and punts for 268 all-purpose yards and a touchdown in the Cards’ 40-17 home win over Bowling Green. Lacy was named Paul Hornung Award Player-of-the-Week in Week 10 in UofL’s come-from-behind win at Virginia Tech with a stellar six-minute stretch in the third quarter: he made a 24-yard touchdown reception, returned a punt 63 yards to the five-yard line setting up the winning score and a returned punt 23 yards to midfield to give the Cardinals excellent field position.
Jadarian Price, Notre Dame
A proven scorer, Price has found the end zone 11 times three different ways – rushing, receiving and on kickoff returns (tied for national lead with two kickoff return touchdowns). He leads the nation with an astounding 40.2 yards per kickoff return and averages 6.7 yards per carry from scrimmage. Price was named Paul Hornung Award National Player-of-the-Week for his massive performance in Notre Dame’s win over USC, touching the ball three different ways for 209 all-purpose yards, two rushing touchdowns and a game-winning 100-yard kickoff return for a score late in the third quarter. He also made a huge impact in the Irish’s 56-30 win over Purdue, recording 214 all-purpose yards, three rushing touchdowns and a 100-yard kickoff return that proved to be the game winner.
J’Koby Williams, Texas Tech
An outstanding athlete who is primarily a running back and prolific pass catcher out of the backfield, Williams also handles kickoff returns. He has scored rushing, receiving and returning kicks and leads the Big 12 in all-purpose yards per game. Williams earned the Honor Roll in Week Nine, touching the ball eight times three different ways and scoring on a 99-yard kickoff return to open the game and a 46-yard reception as the Red Raiders overwhelmed Oklahoma State 42-0 in Lubbock. He made the Honor Roll in Week 10, touching the ball 19 times three different ways – including 17 carries for 135 yards – and scoring on a 43-yard run in Texas Tech’s 43-20 win over Kansas State in Manhattan.