The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1523120
30 ■ THE WOLFPACKER ❱ ❱ ❱ WIDE RECEIVERS THE DEEP THREAT BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN E ntering last season, it was unclear what Kevin "KC" Concep- cion's role within the offense would be. It didn't take long for NC State to figure it out; the freshman wideout was going to serve as the Wolfpack's main playmaker. Concepcion's breakout came four weeks into the season when he caught 6 passes for 116 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 24-21 victory at Virginia. The Charlotte, N.C., native went on to finish with 71 catches for 839 yards and 10 TDs, while adding 320 rush- ing yards and winning ACC Rookie of the Year honors. "I don't know how to describe it," offensive coordinator Robert Anae said. "Everybody wants to do well, that I do know. But to have a true freshman come in and outpace guys that have been in the program for five, six years was amazing. As it unfolded, I just wanted to go with what was working. It kept falling toward Kevin Concepcion. By the middle to the end of the year, we finally got it to where that was the focus of the offense." Now, Concepcion is the biggest name in a revamped receivers room. The Pack added a pair of transfer wideouts in redshirt freshman Noah Rogers of Ohio State and junior Wesley Grimes of Wake For- est, while also welcoming highly touted freshmen Terrell Anderson and Jonathan Paylor. The new-look position group excites Anae, who will continue to build off what Concepcion and redshirt ju- nior Dacari Collins did last season. "I'm very encouraged," Anae said. "We had some transfers and a real good freshman class. Together, I think we're going to be a much more threatening [team] down the field." Anderson, a four-star recruit, was the headliner of NC State's 2024 recruit- ing class. The Pack was able to fend off Georgia to secure the No. 9 wide receiver in the country, as rated by On3. "He's every bit of what the rankings suggest," Anae said. "We look forward to great things from Terrell. He's kind of a quiet kid, but don't let that quietness fool you. He's explosive and dynamic. And very physical." Except for Paylor, who arrived this summer, the group was able to build chemistry in spring practice. Anae said it was another step forward in the development process. "Going from paper to spring ball was a really good deal," Anae said. "To go now from spring ball to fall camp, we're looking for another step of improvement. And then as the season unfolds, another step. We're a couple of steps away from seeing where we are, but I'm very encouraged with the trajectory." ■ POSITIONAL GRADES ★★★★ Among country's best; ★★★ Among ACC's best; ★★ Solid or has potential; ★ Too unproven STARTERS ★★★★ NC State may have one of the most talented wide receivers rooms in the ACC, and possibly the country. Kevin "KC" Concepcion was the ACC Rookie of the Year last fall, and he will likely see more time as a traditional slot receiver in 2024. To comple- ment its standout sophomore, the Pack added quality transfers in Noah Rogers and Wesley Grimes. EXPERIENCE ★★ ½ Redshirt junior Dacari Collins is a veteran who spent two years at Clem- son before heading to Raleigh. For the most part, though, this is a youthful group. Most of its members have one year or less of experience at the collegiate level. DEPTH ★★★★ ½ The Wolfpack revamped its wide receivers room in the offsea- son, helping create a position that has elite skills at the top end, along with backups who can contribute in various ways. Coordina- tor Robert Anae likes to have a mix of skill sets in the wide receivers room, and that's exactly what he's got this fall. BY THE NUMBERS 16.5 Wesley Grimes' average yards per reception last season at Wake Forest, a career-best. 71 The number of receptions Kevin "KC" Concepcion logged during his true freshman campaign with the Wolfpack, the sixth-best single-season total in program history. 168 Total snaps Dacari Collins played in the last four games of the 2023 season, a stretch in which he emerged as a key playmaker. SPOTLIGHT PLAYER REDSHIRT FRESHMAN NOAH ROGERS Rogers was a major pickup in the transfer portal. The former five-star prospect from Raleigh returned home to play for the Wolfpack after a year at Ohio State, and his addition has been a major positive. "He's an outstanding young man," offensive coordinator Robert Anae said. "It's very refreshing for me to be around a player with his skill set who has an inten- tion to really push himself and prove himself." Rogers redshirted in his lone season with the Buckeyes and has four years of eligibility remaining. PHOTO BY LARRY BLANKENSHIP PROJECTED DEPTH CHART STARTERS No. Name Year Ht. Wt. Hometown 10 Kevin "KC" Concepcion So. 5-11 187 Charlotte 4 Dacari Collins R-Jr. 6-4 212 Atlanta 5 Noah Rogers R-Fr. 6-2 200 Raleigh BACKUPS No. Name Year Ht. Wt. Hometown 6 Wesley Grimes Jr. 6-2 185 Raleigh 80 Terrell Anderson Fr. 6-2 185 Greensboro, N.C. — Jonathan Paylor Fr. 5-9 170 Burlington, N.C. WAITING IN THE WINGS No. Name Year Ht. Wt. Hometown 21 Jalen Coit R-Jr. 5-11 173 Cheraw, S.C. 82 Keenan Jackson Fr. 6-3 180 Waxhaw, N.C. 83 Christian Zachary Fr. 6-3 178 St. Matthews, S.C. 85 Tank Boston Fr. 5-11 180 Anderson S.C. KC CONCEPCION