CCU star quarterback Grayson McCall reportedly headed back to Conway, leaves transfer portal

Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall is seemingly headed back to Conway, withdrawing from the transfer portal days after playing in the Birmingham Bowl, according to a 247Sports.com report and his own social media account.

McCall, 21, is CCU’s all-time touchdown leader with 78, racking up more than 8,000 passing yards and emerging as one of the nation’s most dominant Group of Five players.

The Indian Trail, N.C. native announced Dec. 12 he planned to depart CCU after playing in the Dec. 27 Birmingham Bowl against East Carolina. The Chants dropped that game, 53-29 and ended their season at 9-4.

McCall posted a message to his Instagram account late Jan. 1, writing “run that (expletive) back turbo” soon after 247Sports.com broke news of his apparent decision.

The RealMcCall.com, a fan website that tracks his statistics and accomplishments, is attached to CCU football’s home page.

• This past season, his 24 touchdown passes put him among the top 30 FBS quarterbacks in America.
• He completed 69.1% of his pass attempts this past season, ranking seventh nationally
• He’s a three-time Sun Belt Conference player of the year
• Broke the NCAA Division 1 Football Championship Subdivision record for passing efficiency at 207.6, putting him ahead of now NFL starters Joe Burrow and Mac Jones
• Responsible for the longest pass in CCU history when he connected on a 99-yard pass to Isaiah Likely against Arkansas St. in 2021

The Chants’ signal caller led powerhouse offenses coached by Jamey Chadwell, who on Dec. 4 departed CCU to take over as Liberty University’s next head coach. Former N.C. State offensive coordinator Tim Beck was introduced as the program’s new leader a day later.

McCall left the Birmingham Bowl in the second quarter after landing on his head following a touchdown run. He didn’t return and finished the game 10 for 12 passing with 67 yards. He also rushed for 12 yards.

Beck said during his introductory press conference he had mixed feeling about the transfer portal, which he called a “four-letter word” for coaches.

“My advice, and I talked to the team a little bit, if you’re looking to get into the transfer portal, I hope you have a place to go, because it is extremely crowded,” he said Dec. 5. “I think young men today think if things aren’t going right or there’s some changes, they want to get in that and create a new start..unfortunately, college coaches don’t view it as that.”

This story was originally published January 1, 2023 at 8:58 PM.