The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1519757
MAY/JUNE 2024 ■ 45 felt like it was smooth. I'm going to keep learning and keep working." An accomplished quarterback at Coastal Carolina, McCall threw for 10,005 yards with 88 touchdowns and 14 inter- ceptions as a four-year starter. He has been around the block and knows what he needs to do as a collegiate signal-caller. Wake Forest transfer wideout Wesley Grimes watched McCall's development this spring and appreciated his desire to get to know everyone on the team, espe- cially the players he will be throwing to every day in the fall. Grimes compared McCall's experience to that of Sam Hartman, who was a domi- nant quarterback at Wake Forest before he transferred to Notre Dame before last season. "Besides Sam, Grayson is the oldest, veteran-type quarterback I've played with," Grimes said. "He's very mature, handles himself in a great way, but he's also really cool. We talk a lot, eat lunch. We've been getting to know each other better. The chemistry is getting better, not just with me, but the whole receiving corps." McCall's chemistry with his wide re- ceivers has already started to pay off on the practice field. Senior cornerback Aydan White, the Wolfpack's lockdown defender on the outside, has seen McCall's arm up close. He noted that the Pack's new signal-caller has impressed him. "I'd say he's definitely a veteran quar- terback. You could tell that in my first couple days out there," White said. "He'll look you off, look like he's throwing the underneath [pass], but end up throwing the deep seven cutter or the go ball. I'm excited for him and what he can show." A Dual Threat Although McCall is a proven passer, he is also very capable of taking off as a run- ner. He ran for 1,113 yards in five seasons at Coastal Carolina after logging 3,003 yards on the ground during his high school ca- reer at Indian Trail (N.C.) Porter Ridge, where he operated out of a triple-option offense. While McCall did not use his legs to the same degree as quarterback Brennan Armstrong did last season with the Wolf- pack, he is more than able to do so. "He's got the skill set to be a runner," Doeren said. "How much we run him, we've got a lot of work to do before that happens. Even when he drops back, like Brennan, he's going to have some free- lancing that goes on because of his ath- leticism. And then the designed runs, that comes over time." McCall was off-limits to tacklers in the team's annual spring game on April 6, so the exhibition wasn't a true test of his scrambling ability. But he did have an opportunity to show off his arm. Mc- Call went 16-of-20 passing for 205 yards with a touchdown toss to junior tight end Justin Joly on an early fourth-and-goal situation. That was just a preview of what is to come in the fall for McCall and the Wolf- pack. He's looking forward to using NC State's transfer portal pickups — Ohio State wideout Noah Rogers and Joly to point out a couple — when the lights come on for the season opener against Western Carolina on Aug. 29. "I have a lot of weapons on offense," he said. "We just have to continue to build that chemistry and get on the same page with each other. I think we can do big things this year." Stacking Days McCall radiates excitement when talk- ing about the offense that coordinator Robert Anae is building around him. He liked how NC State was able to spread the ball around the unit last season, while also using motions and shifts to keep opposing defenses off balance. It's still early in the preparation for the 2024 campaign, though, and McCall is fo- cused on "stacking days" on the practice fields in Raleigh ahead of the fall. "I'm really excited about what we're going to do on the offense," McCall said. "And I'm really excited to keep learning." The next step is watching the spring game film throughout the summer, look- ing to improve as an offense. Rogers, a former five-star recruit out of nearby Rolesville High, set a high bar for the Wolfpack offense. "It's so exciting," he said. "In my mind, I don't think there should be a drive that we don't score or get positive yards on." McCall is a big part of Rogers' high ex- pectations. The signal-caller is focused on keeping that rolling so the team can pick up where it left off when it resumes its practice routine in August. "I'm looking forward to taking the momentum over into fall camp this sum- mer and seeing where things go," McCall said. ■ " I'm looking forward to taking the momentum [from spring practice] over into fall camp this summer and seeing where things go. " McCall McCall completed 16 of 20 passing attempts for 205 yards and a touchdown in the Wolfpack's spring game on April 6. PHOTO BY LARRY BLANKENSHIP