Here’s a surprising statistic: the Texas A&M Aggies have had only one 10-win season in the 21st century, which was in 2012. Kevin Sumlin had just become head coach, and the Aggies had recently joined the Southeastern Conference. Not only did they achieve a 10-win season, but they also won the Cotton Bowl that year. However, what has followed are, at best, some niners. But Mike Elko’s 2025 season could be much wilder than Kevin Sumlin’s 2012 season.

College Station is currently on the brink of an offensive resurgence. The Aggies have established what may be one of the strongest offenses in college football. But that’s not enough for them. For their next trick, they are betting on this $2.5 million star wide receiver. And if their vision translates into action on game day, Texas could easily emerge as a playoff contender.

We are talking about Kevin (KC) Concepcion, an NC State transfer who joined the Aggies in December last year. A former 3-star recruit who took the college football world by storm. Kevin was 6th on ESPN’s wide receiver transfer ranking. Why the hype? Well, look at his returns. In his freshman season, Concepcion racked up 767 yards on 64 receptions, including 10 touchdowns. He comes to the Aggies having amassed over 1,600 all-purpose yards in his two seasons at NC State. 

On an episode of The Hard Count, analyst J.D. PicKell also joined the hype train around the wide receiver. “Texas A&M has a dog in KC Concepcion as their number one wide receiver. It’d be impactful because the vibes would be great in College Station. You got a dude who can hurt you downfield and be cool highlights, and maybe Scott Van Pelt is talking about the best thing I saw this week, and it’s Kevin Concepcion making some plays downfield and lighting up the scoreboard.” 

And now, with a healthy and trained roster, Kevin’s synergy with the rest of the offense, which is formidable in itself, is going to be immaculate. “The excitement with Kevin Concepcion for me is you could pair him with a run game that will be both nasty and dynamic [with] Le’Veon Moss. And also with Marcel Reed. With him actually being your dude now going into the season, I promise you they will have a lot more quarterback runs already tailored into the game playing week in and week out.” And with Collin Klein calling the offensive plays, this Texas A&M offense will go a long way.

PicKell is hyped about the Aggies’ chances this season. “I’m only one spring game away of watching Marcel Reed just drop a dime in the bucket to a Kevin Concepcion to picking Texas A&M to be a playoff team.” So, the stars have literally aligned in College Station. However, after displaying some flashes of brilliance last season, is Marcel Reed ready to lead the Aggies? 

All Eyes On KC, But Marcel Reed holds the trigger

Marcel Reed had been in and out as the starter for the Aggies since 2023, but everything changed in 2024. During a game against LSU, the Aggies found themselves down 17-7. Conner Weigman, the starting QB, was having a tough time, completing only 6 out of 18 passes and taking a bunch of sacks. So, Collin Klein decided it was time for a change. In came Marcel Reed, and out went Weigman. What happened next was nothing short of amazing. Reed led A&M to score 21 straight points, flipping that 17-7 deficit into a 28-17 lead. That game really secured Reed’s spot as the starting quarterback. Not long after, Weigman transferred to Houston.

However, with Marcel Reed now having time to customize the Aggies’ offense to his preferences, the narrative will change. Reed is a dual threat; he can pass and run effectively. While his passing needs improvement, he has been dedicating hours to strengthening his arm this offseason. Last year, Marcel Reed threw for 1,864 yards, 15 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Marcel Reed has been an underrated quarterback due to him being a QB2 for the majority of his career. But now that he is holding the helm, conversations will follow.

And when we say now with KC Concepcion in the mix, the Aggies are on a whole new level, we mean it. We did see a glimpse of Texas’ well-oiled offense in their annual Maroon and White spring game. Marcel posted 18/28 passes with KC boasting 64 yards on 7 receptions. The SEC just got a lot more difficult.