ACC announced Wednesday that NC State linebacker Payton Wilson and freshman wide receiver Kevin “KC” Concepcion earned Defensive Player of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year and the Offensive Rookie of the Year for the 2023 football season, respectively.
Wilson eclipsed the 400-career tackle mark in the final week of the regular season, just one of five active FBS players to achieve the feat. Throughout his storied career for the Wolfpack, Wilson has accumulated stats that rank him inside the top 10 of active FBS players in total tackles, tackles per game, solo tackles, solo tackles per game, assisted tackles, assisted tackles-for-loss, total tackles-for-loss, and tackles-for-loss per game.
Wilson leads the conference and ranks fifth nationally this season with 138 tackles and an average of 11.5 tackles per game and has tallied the most total tackles for a Wolfpack player in a single season since Earl Wolff had 145 in 2012.
On nine occasions this season, Wilson recorded double-digit stops, highlighted by a 16-tackle game against Miami. Wilson also added 6.0 sacks and 17.5 tackles-for-loss, with his tackles behind the line of scrimmage the most among ACC defenders. The Hillsborough, North Carolina, native has added a trio of interceptions, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries to his resume.
Over a four-game stretch against Virginia, Louisville, Marshall, and Duke, Wilson recorded at least one-half sack and 10 tackles in each game, highlighted by a two-sack showing against Louisville and a 14-tackle game versus Marshall.
Wilson has been named a semifinalist for both the Butkus and Bednarik Awards, while also earning a spot as a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. Wilson has earned ACC Linebacker of the Week honors five times throughout the season as well as the Butkus Linebacker of the Month award in September.
Concepcion put together a freshman season for the record books. The wideout worked his way into the ACC Freshman record books, currently ranking second in touchdown receptions (10), fourth in receptions (64), and 10th in receiving yards (767). The freshman sensation also broke NC State’s freshman records for receptions and receiving touchdowns and is eyeing down the yardage record of 853 held by Kelvin Harmon.
Not only did Concepcion shine among ACC players, but the Charlotte, North Carolina, native leads all FBS freshman receivers in both receptions and receiving yards. Concepcion is the first true freshman in NC State history to post two 100-plus yard receiving games in a season and have at least eight touchdown receptions in a season.
Concepcion has been named a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award, presented annually to the outstanding freshman player in college football.
This season, Concepcion was named the ACC Rookie of the Week four times and the Receiver of the Week once.
Wilson has been named a semifinalist for both the Butkus and Bednarik Awards, while also earning a spot as a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. Wilson has earned ACC Linebacker of the Week honors five times throughout the season as well as the Butkus Linebacker of the Month award in September.
Voting for the awards was conducted by a 65-member voting panel consisting of 51 selected media and the conference’s 14 head coaches.
A complete breakdown of the 2023 ACC Football Player of the Year voting:
Player of the Year
Jordan Travis – Florida State (31)
Payton Wilson – NC State (25)
Malik Washington – Virginia (4)
Drake Maye – North Carolina (3)
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. – Clemson (1)
Offensive Player of the Year
Jordan Travis – Florida State (42)
Malik Washington – Virginia (12)
Drake Maye – North Carolina (8)
Jawhar Jordan – Louisville (1)
Omarion Hampton – North Carolina (1)
Defensive Player of the Year
Payton Wilson – NC State (58)
Ashton Gillotte – Louisville (3)
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. – Clemson (2)
Kalen DeLoach – Florida State (1)
Rookie of the Year
Kevin “KC” Concepcion – NC State (44)
Rueben Baine, Jr. – Miami (12)
Eric Singleton, Jr. – Georgia Tech (4)
Anthony Colandrea – Virginia (2)
Khalil Barnes – Clemson (2)
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Kevin “KC” Concepcion – NC State (54)
Eric Singleton, Jr. – Georgia Tech (5)
Anthony Colandrea – Virginia (4)
Francis Mauigoa – Miami (1)
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Rueben Bain, Jr. – Miami (31)
Khalil Barnes – Clemson (14)
T.J. Parker – Clemson (8)
|Samuel Okunlola – Pitt (4)
Kam Robinson – Virginia (4)
Conrad Hussey – Florida State (3)
Per Release
