Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall says he’s returning to Conway in 2022
Grayson McCall is returning to Coastal Carolina.
The redshirt sophomore quarterback admitted last week that he was considering a transfer, but McCall posted Tuesday an announcement on Twitter that he was returning to start for the Chanticleers for a third consecutive season in 2022.
McCall said in his Tweet: “I am coming back to play another year of college football and it will be in Conway, South Carolina.”
McCall, who was recruited out of Porter Ridge High in Indian Trail, North Carolina, was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year for the second straight season.
He set an NCAA FBS record in passing efficiency at 207.7, shattering the single-season record of 203.1 set by Mac Jones at Alabama last season. He also leads all of FBS in yards per pass attempt by nearly two yards at 11.92 yards, and is second in passing yards per completion at 16.32 yards.
He is fifth in the nation in completion percentage at 73% and has thrown for 2,873 yards in 11 games with 27 touchdowns and just three interceptions in 2021. For his CCU career, McCall has completed 71% of his passes with 54 touchdowns and six interceptions, and has rushed for 870 yards and 11 scores. He is 20-2 as a starter, including 10-1 this season.
McCall was the MVP of Coastal’s first ever bowl win on Friday, 47-41 over Mid-American Conference champion Northern Illinois in the Tailgreeter Cure Bowl at Exploria Stadium in Orlando. He completed 22 of 30 passes for 315 yards and four touchdowns and gained 40 yards rushing in the game.
Coastal head coach Jamey Chadwell said last Wednesday that he had discussed the possibility of McCall transferring with the QB he first inserted as the starter in last year’s season opener at Kansas.
“We have [talked] and everything we’ve been told up to this point is that he’s coming back,” Chadwell said Wednesday. “Now I’m also realistic on how the game works now and how much other things get involved, so our expectation and anticipation is that he’s coming back.”
McCall has two more years of eligibility.
Recent rule changes by the NCAA have made transferring more attractive to some players.
The NCAA is allowing all Division I athletes to transfer one time without having to sit out a year, so McCall would be eligible to play for another college immediately. Players are also now allowed to benefit and profit from their name, image and likeness, so a move to a Power Five program might mean the ability for McCall to earn more money in addition to playing a higher level of competition and potentially gaining more exposure.
When asked last Wednesday if he had put any thought into leaving college after being at CCU for three years, or if he had put any thought into transferring, McCall said: “Obviously, it’s been a thought in the back of my mind. But up to this point, I’m focused on winning this bowl game. I’ll be back. I’ll be playing college football again next year. So there’s a lot to think about, but I’ll obviously focus on this last objective for the guys, the seniors.”
He said Friday following CCU’s 47-41 win over Northern Illinois in the Tailgreeter Cure Bowl at Exploria Stadium in Orlando that he was “85 to 90 percent sure” he would return to CCU but was still weighing his options.
In his Twitter post Tuesday addressed to “Teal Nation”, McCall thanked CCU for giving the 2-star recruit an offer and welcoming him with open arms, thanked CCU’s fans for their support, and added: “With much speculation going on all across the country, I felt you guys should be the first to hear the truth from me. . . . When I say I piss teal, I mean it. One last ride baby! Let’s do it! Chants forever.”
This story was originally published December 21, 2021 at 6:53 PM.
