KC Concepcion Didn’t Stand Out Much on 2024 Game Film

Wide receiver KC Concepcion looked like the classic “jack-of-all-trades and master of none” prospect on his 2024 game film at NC State.

Concepcion has since transferred to Texas A&M and is ranked as the No. 35 prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft by NFL Mock Draft Database. That means they’re projecting him to go early second round.

But that’s not what this is about.

It’s not about what he has done in 2025.

It’s about what he looked like on game film in 2024 from an NFL perspective.

In a word: underwhelming.

Concepcion didn’t stand out when I studied him. He looked like a small fish in a small pond.

What do I mean by that?

Level of competition is a piece of every prospect’s puzzle. It’s something to consider. NC State played two top-25 ranked teams in 2024, and Concepcion didn’t “pop” on film.

Not a big-play receiver

I didn’t study his games in the order they were played in.

With that said, I had to wait until the fifth game I was watching for him to score a touchdown. He didn’t score against Tennessee, Clemson, CAL, or Georgia Tech.

They did a lot with Concepcion from an offensive game planning perspective. He lined up most of the time in the slot (inside) receiver position pre-snap, but they motioned him a lot. They lined him up in the backfield sometimes. He even took a few direct snaps.

This is what gives him that “Swiss-Army knife feel.”

But, once the smoke clears from all that gadget scheming, Concepcion is a short-range (0-9 yards) slot receiver.

There’s nothing special about that.

Undependable catcher

This is another area of concern for Concepcion.

His hands.

This is the single most important trait a receiver can have. Their job is to catch the ball!

2024:

• 53 receptions
• 91 targets

That’s a catch rate of 58.2%.

It didn’t look like he had natural hands on film either.

Route running troubles

It was a recurring theme on Concepcion’s 2024 game film:

1. Issues creating separation for most of the season.
2. It did not seem like he was getting to the right spot when the quarterback was throwing the ball.

NC State did a lot of “creative” things trying to free up Concepcion. His routes got impeded a few times, and he just plain had a hard time freeing up from corners. His coach’s response was to motion him pre-snap, and they “stacked” him further behind the line of scrimmage pre-snap in an attempt to create “more space” for him with “mixed results.”

The other big thing ⎯

No matter who the quarterback was, Concepcion and the quarterback were noticeably not on the same page. Countless times, the “point” Concepcion reached on his route and where the ball was thrown to was like 1+1=3. It looked awkward. Passes appeared to be anywhere but on target. If it were just with one quarterback, maybe I could understand, but when I saw the same trend with another quarterback, that’s when I began to wonder.

Came on late in the season

No question, I liked Concepcion better against Stanford, Duke, and North Carolina.

He played in these three games with noticeably more energy, and his route running looked crisper.

He “suddenly” looked better.

That too is a different kind of concern.

#10 KC Concepcion (that was his jersey number at NC State) 5-foot-11, 190 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2025 Fall Grade: Fourth-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a Second Round prospect as of November 20, 2025

2024 game film evaluated: Western Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana Tech, Clemson, Northern Illinois, Wake Forest, Syracuse, CAL, Stanford, Duke, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Looks diminutive and played small. Best against zone coverage. More quick than fast. Decent contract balance. Limited YAC upside. Average athletic ability and catch radius. Can front face too soon on underneath routes. Slight fumbling tendency. Limited punt return experience.

What to watch for during the 2025 college football season

1. How does he look intermediate to deep (10+ yards)?

2. How does his route running look?

3. Catch rate?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. Featured in USA Today. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.