The plan was always simple for graduate quarterback Grayson McCall — finish his senior year at Coastal Carolina, where he had become the only player to win Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year three times, and enter the NFL draft.

But on an October night in Jonesboro, Arkansas, everything changed.

In a tight battle with conference rival Arkansas State, McCall was having one of his best games of his 2023 season, completing 24 of his 28 pass attempts for 244 yards and two touchdowns.

Halfway through the fourth quarter, it happened. As McCall went to slide on a quarterback keeper, an Arkansas State defender dove at him, hitting McCall with the crown of his helmet. The defender made hard contact with McCall, causing the quarterback’s head to bounce off the turf.

A flurry of flags emerged as the two teams scuffled. McCall laid motionless on the turf.

He remained on the ground for several minutes before being loaded onto a stretcher and carted off the field into an ambulance, where he was taken to a local hospital.

It was later confirmed that McCall suffered a concussion on the hit. Due to the severity of the injury and the NCAA’s strict concussion protocol, he didn’t suit up for the remainder of the season. After suffering such a scary injury, McCall had to consider his long-term health.

“I had to have some tough conversations about whether I was even going to be able to play football again,” McCall said. “Had to see a lot of doctors and have a lot of those conversations and at the end of the day, I didn’t think that I finished the way that I wanted to. I felt like I still had a lot of good football left in me.”

McCall put his name in the transfer portal on Nov. 29, and just two weeks later he committed to the Wolfpack for his final year of eligibility. The Indian Trail, North Carolina native chose to stay local, picking NC State over schools like Oregon State, Baylor, South Carolina and UCF.

NC State has a strong history of producing NFL quarterbacks, including Philip Rivers, Russell Wilson and Jacoby Brissett. However, none of them produced at the collegiate level like McCall, who has thrown for 10,005 yards, 88 touchdowns and 14 interceptions through his three and a half seasons as a starting quarterback.

He is the only player to earn Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year honors three times, winning the award from 2020 to 2022. In addition to three-peating the Sun Belt Player of the Year award from 2020 to 2022, McCall led the Chanticleers to an 11-1 record and as high as No. 12 in the AP Poll as a redshirt freshman in 2020. The following year he set the single-season record for passing efficiency rating in FBS history, a record that was broken last season by 2023 Heisman winner Jayden Daniels.

“I’m a quarterback with a lot of experience,” McCall said. “I’ve taken a lot of snaps and played a lot of football games. I think I’ve really developed into a true pocket passer over the years, a mobile guy that can extend plays and make things happen on his feet … a tough guy who goes out there and plays hard, plays with a chip on his shoulder and ultimately plays for his teammates. I’m excited to bring that brand of football to NC State.”

An adjustment to the College Football Playoff expanded the field to 12 teams, with the conference championship winner of each Power Four conference getting an automatic bid. McCall is familiar with the pressure of conference championships — he led Coastal Carolina to the championship game in 2020 and 2022. If McCall can lead NC State to its first ACC Championship since 1979, the Wolfpack is guaranteed a spot in the playoffs.

“We know that if we take care of our business, we can end up in that ACC Championship game in Charlotte at the end of the year and see where that takes us,” McCall said. “It’s definitely something that’s in the back of our mind. But we have just got to stay process oriented and approach each game with the same mindset.”

McCall arrived on campus in January, just in time to witness NC State men’s and women’s basketball make it to the Final Four and Wolfpack baseball make it to the College World Series. The Wolfpack faithful amassed in thousands all across the country to support the red-and-white, and now, Raleigh is buzzing for football season to begin.

“Getting here and understanding the support that athletics gets from the Raleigh community is awesome,” McCall said. “We’re taking that momentum into our season and hopefully we can bring that type of success for football this year. I’m really excited to meet all the fans and get out in Carter-Finley and enjoy that atmosphere.”

No matter the outcome of the season, this will be McCall’s final year at the collegiate level. After that, he is expected to enter his name into the NFL Draft, though a year later than originally anticipated. But McCall’s hardworking attitude and determination have helped him persevere through such a tumultuous year.

“He’s a football guy,” said head coach Dave Doeren. “He’s got great experience. He’s a winner. He’s got grit running through his veins.”

McCall will make his debut in the red and white on Aug. 29 against Western Carolina. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Carter-Finley Stadium.