North Carolina enters mix for NC State transfer WR KC Concepcion

NC State transfer wide receiver KC Concepcion is currently at Texas A&M, wrapping up a swing of trips that included stops at Alabama, Colorado and Miami. Sources tell On3 that North Carolina and Bill Belichick have entered Concepcion’s recruitment in a big way, though.

Belichick and UNC general manager Michael Lombardi spoke with Concepcion’s camp on Thursday night, making clear the Tar Heels want to keep Concepcion in the state of North Carolina. The current plan is for Concepcion to finish his visit with the Aggies and head to Charlotte for the holidays. When the dead period ends on Jan. 1, the wide receiver plans to visit Belichick at Chapel Hill.

Concepcion is attracted to playing for Belichick, who is a six-time Super Bowl champion. Landing Concepcion would be a major portal statement for Belichick, grabbing the No. 3 player in the On3 Industry Transfer Portal Rankings. North Carolina has lost in back-to-back seasons to the Wolfpack.

Other schools in the mix for visits in January are Florida State and South Carolina. The 6-foot, 170-pound wide receiver is still considering Penn State, too. Concepcion had a breakout freshman campaign in 2023, hauling in 71 passes for 839 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also contributed another 320 yards on the ground as a do-it-all playmaker. This fall Concepcion turned 53 receptions into 460 yards and six touchdowns with two more rushing scores.

It’s unclear who Belichick will roll out as his starting quarterback in 2025. Max Johnson is still on the roster, and the Tar Heels picked up a commitment from Purdue transfer Ryan Browne. Johnson suffered a season-ending injury in the 2024 season opener against Minnesota. Sources have told On3 that the Tar Heels tried to take a swing at Washington State transfer John Mateer, who committed to Oklahoma earlier this week.