It’s no secret that NC State football’s offense has been underwhelming due to a lack of consistency. Inconsistencies at quarterback, dropped passes and poor protection have plagued the offensive side of the ball all season, but there has been one constant: freshman receiver Kevin “KC” Concepcion.
There is no telling where the Pack would be without Concepcion — he leads all NC State receivers in catches, yards and touchdowns. The freshman sensation has also provided a spark in the run game with 27 carries for 242 yards, which ranks fourth on the team.
Concepcion is having the best freshman receiver year in NC State history, as he has already broken the freshman receptions record and touchdown record in a season. Here are some key qualities that have engineered his breakout season.
Run after catch
What separates Concepcion from the rest of NC State’s receiving corps is his ability to gain extra yards after the catch. For most receivers, when they catch the ball, the play is over because they are either tackled or run out of bounds, but for Concepcion, the play is just getting started.
Virginia found this out the hard way when Concepcion caught a ball just past the Virginia 30-yard line and used his speed to blow by the Cavaliers’ defenders on his way to the endzone. This was Concepcion’s official breakout game — in Charlottesville, he recorded his first 100-yard game of the season in addition to two touchdowns.
Clemson must not have gotten the message because Concepcion broke off his longest touchdown of the season against the Tigers weeks later. He ran a quick slant and caught the ball at the Pack’s 35-yard line and once again left the defense in the dust for a 72-yard touchdown.
The ability to run after the catch is a rare ability in college football and a trait shared by the most elite receivers in the game. It makes a quarterback’s life much easier when he knows his receiver can break off a big play at any time and puts a lot of stress on the defense to make the first tackle or Concepcion will be giving them deuces on the way to the endzone.
Football IQ
Many times throughout the season, head coach Dave Doeren has praised Concepcion’s football IQ. He wants everyone to understand how impressive it is for a freshman receiver to come into a new system, learn it and then thrive the way that Concepcion is.
Offensive coordinator Robert Anae has proved how much trust he has in Concepcion’s intellect by making him the number one option in the offense. Since Concepcion is the number one threat on the opponent’s scouting reports, Anae moves him around a lot on the field with motion, which is a tough concept to learn for anyone, let alone a freshman.
Not only does Concepcion already have a deep understanding of his responsibility within the offense, but he also knows how to attack defenders with his leverage. While most receivers run the route they’re told, Concepcion can easily read what his defender is doing and counter it.
For example, if Concepcion’s defender has his hips facing the sideline, he uses his twitchiness to fake outside and make a quick move to the inside, putting his defender in recovery mode. It can’t be overstated how impressive it is for a freshman to understand what his defender is doing in real-time and be able to counter it in mere seconds.
More than one position
As Concepcion started to emerge as the number one weapon in the Wolfpack offense, it was clear Anae was going to do anything to get him the ball, even if that meant putting him at running back. In four of the Pack’s past five games, Concepcion has been the first or second leading rusher.
Concepcion isn’t just a small part of the running game; he’s become heavily relied upon to create explosive plays out of the backfield. Against Clemson, Concepcion took off for a 50-yard run that led to a touchdown. In a similar fashion against Wake Forest, the freshman took a jet sweep 65 yards, and a touchdown followed soon after.
When a team has a special player like Concepcion, it would be a disservice not to use him in the way NC State has. He is an explosive play waiting to happen and can use his football IQ to read what the defense is doing as a runner as well. It’s clear Concepcion is the best receiver on the team, but it could be easily argued he is the best runner on the team as well.
