The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1516111
44 ■ THE WOLFPACKER to transfer, it was not his first experience in the portal. He had previously entered it after the 2022 season when coach Jamey Chadwell left Coastal Carolina for Liberty. McCall's portal entry that year gave rise to plenty of conjecture about his fu- ture. He quickly found his name linked to Auburn but did not end up commit- ting to the Tigers or enrolling there. There was speculation on social media that his transcript was holding him back, but Jody McCall said the real problem was that his son didn't have enough credits and would have had to take extra courses. "I was kind of hoping he was going to go to Auburn, just because it's a bigger school and there's more exposure," Jody said. "But he chose to stay at Coastal for one more year." McCall's experience with the transfer portal proved beneficial when he entered it again late last year. NC State had been interested the first time around, and Mc- Call built a relationship with head coach Dave Doeren and quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper. That gave the Wolfpack a head start. NC State was toward the top of his list when he put his name in the portal and was one of the first schools to reach out. The interest was mutual, but Central Florida also wanted McCall's services. He visited NC State first, and although he didn't commit while in Raleigh, he left town knowing that it would take a daz- zling experience at UCF to change his mind. "After my visit here, I knew that the other school would have to blow me away," McCall said. "The culture here, the family identity and the facilities are top-notch." McCall committed to NC State later that week, and he moved into his Raleigh living space a few weeks afterward. Finally, after three seasons as a starter in high school and four more at Coastal Carolina, McCall has his chance to run the offense of a power-conference foot- ball team. It's what he wanted to do com- ing out of high school, and after taking a unique path, his opportunity has arrived. "It's a full-circle moment, for sure," McCall said. "A dream come true. "I'm just so grateful, feel so blessed to be here. This place gave me the opportu- nity and is going to hand me the keys to the offense of this team. It's something I don't take for granted." ■ Wolfpack Football's 2024 Transfer Class Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Elig. Hometown/Last College Rating* Corey Coley CB 6-1 180 Sr. Jacksonville, Fla./Maryland HHH Started six games in three seasons at Maryland, including three starts as a freshman. Finished the 2023 season with 9 tackles and 2 pass breakups while starting games against Ohio State and Illinois. Tamarcus Cooley NB 5-11 205 R-Fr. Knightdale, N.C./Maryland HHH Played primarily on special teams and totaled 4 tackles in his first and only season with the Terrapins. Zeke Correll OL 6-3 307 Gr. Cincinnati/Notre Dame HHH Played in 39 games during his time with the Irish and made 23 starts at center the past two seasons. Earned Notre Dame's second-highest pass-blocking grade (78.0) from Pro Football Focus last fall before suffering a concussion against Clemson that cut short his final season in South Bend. Val Erickson OL 6-5 324 R-So. Chicago/Missouri HHH Was the No. 56 offensive tackle prospect in the 2022 class, per the On3 Industry Ranking, but did not see game action during his two seasons at Mizzou. Wesley Grimes WR 6-2 185 Jr. Raleigh/Wake Forest HHH Was the first player to join NC State's transfer class, announcing on Dec. 8 that he was headed to Raleigh. Had 20 catches for 339 yards in eight games for the Demon Deacons last season. Justin Joly TE 6-3 235 Jr. Brewster, N.Y./Connecticut HHHH Caught 74 passes for 828 yards and 4 touchdowns in two seasons at UConn, averaging 11.2 yards per reception. Donovan Kaufman S 5-10 204 Sr. Metairie, La./Auburn HHH Played in 32 games in three seasons with the Tigers, finishing his junior year with 37 tackles, including 4.5 for loss, and 1 interception. Devon Marshall CB 5-11 193 Jr. Boston/Villanova HHH Totaled 60 tackles, including 45 solo stops, and 13 pass breakups in two seasons with the Wildcats. Grayson McCall QB 6-3 218 Gr. Indian Trail, N.C./Coastal Carolina HHH Was a three-time Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year during his tenure at Coastal Carolina. Threw for 10,005 yards and a school-record 88 touchdowns while completing 69.9 percent of his passes with the Chanticleers. Also rushed for 18 scores. Noah Rogers WR 6-2 200 R-Fr. Raleigh/Ohio State HHHH Saw action in four games during his only season with the Buckeyes but did not have a reception. Finished with more than 3,200 receiving yards in his career at Rolesville High. Hollywood Smothers RB 5-11 182 R-Fr. Charlotte, N.C./Oklahoma HHH Played in only four games during his lone season with the Sooners, carrying 11 times for 42 yards. Jordan Waters RB 6-0 215 Gr. Fairmont, N.C./Duke HHH Rushed for 1,624 yards and 23 touchdowns in his career at Duke, while adding 30 receptions for 305 yards and 1 TD. Earned third-team All-ACC honors last season after rushing for 753 yards and 12 scores. * On3 player rating McCall threw for 10,005 yards during his tenure with the Chanticleers, hitting just under 70 percent of his attempts and tossing a school-record 88 touchdown passes. PHOTO COURTESY COASTAL CAROLINA ATHLETICS