The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1523120
28 ■ THE WOLFPACKER SPOTLIGHT PLAYER GRADUATE GRAYSON MCCALL In addition to McCall's passing and running skills, his ability to lead the squad with a veteran mindset may be one of his best attributes. Red- shirt junior wide receiver Dacari Collins witnessed it early in spring practice. "The first day he got here, he was just showing characteristics of leadership, and I think that's big for our team," Collins said. "It's big for everybody. It's going to help us just having a guy who is very confi- dent in that role." McCall's experience has allowed him to pick up the playbook quickly. He knows how to diagnose defenses at a high level while also playing mind games on the gridiron. His defensive teammates saw it in spring practice. "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," senior cornerback Aydan White said. "I'm excited for him and what he can show." ❱ ❱ ❱ QUARTERBACKS A PERFECT FIT BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN N C State held a quarterback competition in spring practice and came out of it knowing who the starting signal-caller would be this fall: Coastal Carolina transfer Grayson McCall. McCall, a four-year starter with the Chanticleers, was one of the most-proven quarterbacks in the transfer portal. For NC State coach Dave Doeren, the recruiting process was an easy one — more of a conversation than an extended chase. "He didn't have to sell himself to us," Doeren said. "It was more about getting to know each other at that point … and just making sure in his last year that he had the right fit. He compared us to two other schools. He was diligent about it and wanted to make sure it was the right situation." It ended up being a perfect match. The Wolfpack found the veteran quar- terback it wanted, one who fits offen- sive coordinator Robert Anae's system like a glove, while McCall was able to return to his home state. The Indian Trail, N.C., native finished his Coastal Carolina career with just over 10,000 yards pass- ing and a gaudy 88-to-14 touchdown-interception ratio. He also ran for 1,113 yards and 18 touchdowns. McCall might not be called upon to carry the ball as often as Brennan Armstrong did last year, when he led the team with 665 rushing yards, but NC State's new signal- caller is more than capable of doing it. Mc- Call rushed for more than 3,000 yards dur- ing his high school career at Porter Ridge. While McCall is the top option at quarterback, NC State has a pair of young backups seeking to learn from the starter. The Wolfpack brings back redshirt freshman Lex Thomas, who did not appear in a game last season, and has welcomed true freshman CJ Bailey, a three-star recruit from Miami (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna. Bailey arrived on campus in January and drew rave reviews during spring practice. His performance in the team's offseason drills convinced the staff that it didn't need to scour the transfer portal in search of an experienced backup. During his senior season at Chaminade-Madonna, Bailey completed 215 of 301 passes for 3,125 yards, with 47 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions. He displayed a lively arm in practice this past spring and appears to be in line for the starting spot in 2025. Thomas, the younger brother of former NC State players Drake and Thayer Thomas, will likely be the Pack's third- string quarterback this fall. BY THE NUMBERS 42 Total number of games played at the collegiate level by Grayson McCall. 116 Touchdown passes thrown by CJ Bailey during his four-year varsity career at Miami (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna Prep. 10,005 McCall's career passing yards in five seasons at Coastal Carolina. ■ POSITIONAL GRADES ★★★★ Among country's best; ★★★ Among ACC's best; ★★ Solid or has potential; ★ Too unproven STARTER ★★★ Although Grayson McCall posted his lowest statistics last season at Coastal Carolina, he arrives in Raleigh with an opportunity to bounce back. He has an accurate arm and should do well in offensive coordinator Robert Anae's system this fall. McCall is mo- bile, too, which is an added benefit, as Brennan Armstrong showed last season. EXPERIENCE ★★★★ McCall has played five seasons of college football and was the Sun Belt Confer- ence's first three-time player of the year. He has seen it all in his time at the colle- giate level, which should smooth his transition to the ACC. DEPTH ★★ CJ Bailey appears to have a leg up on Lex Thomas to be the Wolfpack's backup signal-caller. A true freshman, Bailey is an elite talent but has yet to see action at the college level. OVERALL GRADE ★★★ ½ If McCall gets back to his three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year production, the Wolfpack would be a clear-cut contender to make the 12-team College Football Playoff in December. With Bailey behind McCall, the future at the posi- tion looks bright. PROJECTED DEPTH CHART STARTER No. Name Year Ht. Wt. Hometown 2 Grayson McCall Gr. 6-3 220 Indian Trail, N.C. BACKUP No. Name Year Ht. Wt. Hometown 16 CJ Bailey Fr. 6-6 190 Miami WAITING IN THE WINGS No. Name Year Ht. Wt. Hometown 12 Lex Thomas R-Fr. 5-11 195 Wake Forest, N.C. PHOTO BY LARRY BLANKENSHIP GRAYSON MCCALL