They say first impressions is last. But KC Concepcion‘s first impression of Marcel Reed got flipped on its head fast. The new Texas A&M WR didn’t exactly arrive in College Station ready to crown the QB as the guy. In fact, people have whispered that the sophomore QB wasn’t much of a passer. But by the end of his first visit, he was already eating those words. So what changed the receiver’s mind?

If we rewind a little bit, Marcel Reed entered this offseason with a chip on his shoulder. With Conner Weigman gone to Houston, the keys to the offense were fully his, and he didn’t waste the opportunity. While most of the outside noise focused on his limitations, especially after that ugly 17-7 loss to Texas, the QB was busy fine-tuning his timing, touch, and accuracy. And if that impresses anyone, it’s KC Concepcion, the main guy he’ll be throwing to this season. 

A new episode on Texas A&M Athletics on July 30 captured KC Concepcion’s media session after Texas A&M’s first fall camp. “For sure,” he promptly replied when asked if Marcel Reed impressed him. “I’m not going to lie, coming here up on the visit, I didn’t really know Marcel really too well and I was hearing that Marcel wasn’t really a good passer,” he admitted. “But whenever I had came up on the visit up here, he surprised me first day… And then ever since I came down here, we just been working getting together our connection and then it’s just been honestly perfect. I feel like he’s gonna make a major leap this year.” And he’s ready to play a huge role for that to come true. 

Marcel Reed is throwing darts and letting his legs do the rest. But that’s not all. When he took the podium during his first fall camp press conference, it was clear the man had matured. “I know y’all have all also heard it, just like I have, I’m not a passer,” he said. But the numbers tell a different story. In just three games as a freshman, he completed 58.3% of his passes. Still, the quote had the tone of a man who had heard the noise but decided not to feed it. Instead, he chose to grind, and he’s been quietly turning heads working with a new OC in Collin Klein and a revamped WR room. 

“I feel like I’ve had tremendous growth in my passing this offseason,” Marcel Reed said. “We’ve had some great receivers come in, and having the great O-line that we have, the great running backs that we have, they’ve made it easier for me to sit back there.” But it’s KC Concepcion that gives him the highest form of confidence a QB can get from his receiver. “He talks to me all the time and tells me, ‘If you throw it anywhere, I’m going to catch it,’” he said. Chemistry and trust are the first steps to winning big. And even the new receiver is very optimistic about Texas A&M’s offense heading into 2025. 

KC Concepcion’s confidence leads to a bold SEC confession

This is where it gets spicy. Not only has KC Conception flipped his opinion on Marcel Reed, he’s now leading the hype train for Texas A&M’s offense in 2025. “I project for us to be the best offense in the SEC, honestly,” he stated boldly. He’s not predicting but proclaiming. And with reason. The Aggies’ offense last year lacked identity after Le’Veon Moss’s injury. But this year? 

“It’s just we got everybody back. We got the offensive line coming back. We got Marcel going into year two. We got all of the running backs coming back and then we brought in a whole bunch of new receivers, exposed receivers, and all of us can do something with the b— in our hands,” KC Conception said. So now, Marcel Reed doesn’t have to carry the load alone. And with KC’s speed and route-running precision, he finally has the kind of WR1 who can make a QB look elite. But if you think it’s just hype, wait till you hear what Mike Elko had to say.

“What an unbelievable playmaker,” the HC raved ahead of the fall practice. “He was a guy that we paid a lot of attention to when we played him, and he has absolutely lived up to it.” That’s coming from a head coach who game-planned against him twice at Duke. The Aggies’ air attack might be the best-kept secret in the SEC, but not for long. Marcel Reed isn’t looking for headlines. He’s looking to get better every day leading up to that August 30 season-opener against UTSA. But if KC Conception is right, then don’t be shocked if Texas A&M’s offense becomes the storyline of the fall.