Beyond impressive touchdowns, KC Concepcion fuels Texas A&M's success by forging team bonds and strategic game planning through shared meals.
The Texas A&M Aggies have had a fantastic season, starting 9-0 for the first since 1992, including their first 6-0 start in conference play since their 1998 Big 12 Championship Season. For a team with a myriad of question marks entering the season, it’s been a fairly surprising start.
They’ve been led by some familiar faces, such as Marcel Reed at quarterback and Cashius Howell on the defensive line. But there’s also been a list of newcomers that have contributed to the strong season, most noticeably wide receivers Mario Craver (Mississippi State) and KC Concepcion (North Carolina State).
Concepion specifically has taken on a leadership role with the team. While his on the field totals of 40 catches, 629 yards, and eight touchdowns to go along with two punt return touchdowns have been impressive enough, it’s his role off the field that has recently caught attention.
Since he transferred to the team in January, Concepcion has been growing his relationships with his teammates through the most relatable medium: food. In a feature that aired on the SEC Network prior to the Aggies’ game against the Missouri Tigers, Concepcion discussed how hosting meals at his apartment has helped create quick bonds with his teammates, including his quarterback.
While it’s been common for coaches to host these types of events for their players for years, the onset of NIL has allowed players to afford to host them for their teammates. And they’re not just mere social gatherings.
Concepcion discussed how watching film at these meals has helped the players understand their tendencies and preferences on the field, specifically mentioning his touchdown against Mississippi State and how Reed knew precisely when to throw the ball during Concepcion’s route so that the wide receiver would have enough time to locate and track the ball with enough time to still create after the catch.
The Aggies struggled to find consistently productive and explosive receivers last season, so much so that both Craver’s 775 yards and Concepcion's aforementioned 629 yards this season already blow Noah Thomas’ 2024 team high 574 yards out of the water. Finding two such players in one portal class was an absolute masterstroke that has vaulted the team to its stupendous start.
But more than the on field production, it would appear that the team found something that it didn’t even realize it was missing at the position: a true off the field leader.