NC State quarterback Grayson McCall, who leads all active NCAA quarterbacks in career passer rating, announced his retirement after a string of head injuries.
McCall started the first three games of the season for the Wolfpack but left the third against Louisiana Tech with an undisclosed injury that would then sideline him for the next two games. He returned to the field on Oct. 5 against Wake Forest but took a vicious hit in the first quarter during a scramble. He was hit by multiple Wake Forest players, which led to him fumbling and the Demon Deacons returning it 88 yards to NC State’s two-yard-line.
But while players were in pursuit of the Wake Forest ball carrier, NC State medical personnel was running onto the field to tend to McCall, who would eventually be carted off the field. That would be the final play of McCall’s 6-year college career, which began with five seasons at Coastal Carolina. On Wednesday, he posted on Instagram his retirement from the game after consulting with doctors that specialize in head injuries.
McCall’s 2024 season ends the same way his 2023 season ended while at CCU. In an Oct. 21 game against Arkansas State, McCall was again scrambling when he slid at the end of the run. However, he was still hit by defender Trevian Thomas, who drew a personal foul on the play, and that resulted in McCall’s head bouncing off the turf. Just as was the case against Wake Forest, McCall laid on the field for several minutes before getting carted off.
A North Carolina native, McCall then transferred from Coastal Carolina to NC State this offseason as a sixth-year graduate student. He was hoping for a better ending to his second college stop, but he still leaves the game as one of the most productive quarterbacks of not only his era but in college football history.
A three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year at CCU, McCall has a career passing efficiency rating of 174.7. That is the best mark amongst active FBS quarterbacks, topping the likes of Jalen Milroe and Quinn Ewers. Overall, McCall ranks eighth in the statistic all-time, with the seven players ahead of him comprised of only quarterbacks who were first-round picks in the NFL Draft such as Tua Tagovailoa, C.J. Stroud, and Baker Mayfield.
His 69.9 completion percentage ranks first all-time in the Sun Belt Conference, while his 88 passing touchdowns at Coastal Carolina place him second in Sun Belt history. His 69.6 completion percentage over his entire career is tied for the best mark amongst all active NCAA quarterbacks, alongside Will Rogers of Washington.
In his lone season at NC State, which consisted of four games, McCall threw three touchdowns, two interceptions, and had 518 passing yards. For his career, he finishes with 91 touchdowns, 16 interceptions, and 10,523 passing yards.
Prior to this season, McCall was garnering interest as a possible late-round NFL Draft pick if he was able to continue his Group of Five success in a power conference like the ACC, but that’s now a moot discussion. While his playing career is over, McCall hopes that his football career continues, albeit in a different capacity, as he stated in his retirement message.
“I look forward to taking my passion and love for the game into the coaching space to serve and lead the next group of kids with a dream,” McCall said on Instagram.
NC State, which began the season ranked No. 24 but is now unranked with a 4–4 record, now turns to freshman CJ Bailey under center. He replaced McCall when the latter suffered his undisclosed injury against Louisiana Tech, started the next two games with McCall sidelined, and then again replaced the sixth-year senior when he got hurt versus Wake Forest.
The team is 2–2 with Bailey as the primary quarterback after being 1–1 with McCall taking most of the snaps. The Wolfpack need to win two of their final four games in order to become bowl eligible and to have a chance at winning their first bowl game since 2017.
