QB Grayson McCall on transferring to NC State, the return of his mullet, offensive weapons and more

the yeah it's just home man uh love South Carolinas um grew up in Charlotte to be specific um born and raised been here my whole life and then obviously um did some time in South Carolina Conway Myrtle Beach area so um just love it and awesome to have the opportunity to play in what was your family's reaction when you said hey on the field yeah man uh extremely exit you know just just for the opportunity um to keep playing ball it's been a long journey so I know they're excited I'm a little bit closer to home so so they'll be able to make all the gam so I know they looking for what was the draw to Raleigh for you I mean why why NC State not yeah I think the uh the the blueprint and and the culture fits and matches what I do um the mindset just the the play style of football um the way coach D runs this program I think is a perfect fit back to my visit I found out exactly that um then I was able to sit down with off coaches coach n coach R and learn more about the system and how they would Implement my style of play into the offense um something that really intrigued me and something that was really excited so confident I made the best decision quarterback play something that kind was missing know consistently for this team in recent years how do you feel that you translate with what you did in postal and what you did right so yeah how does that translate for you I think just uh just me being myself playing the same style of football that that I played that's got me to this point um I think I just have to continue to grow continue to to to enjoy the process and the day-to-day grind the preparation week to week that um that that's led me to a lot of success in my career um just go out there and be myself and and not not second gu just let R and having fun short shortly after you committed the expectation level forc State increased is there some added pressure with that or do you do you welcome it I mean that you know you're just one guy but it really did change the Outlook yeah I mean I I I mean I love it I think the expectation in in Raleigh is to win and uh to win the league and um it's something they've been so close to doing the past couple years and um I think it was just a accumulation of me and the other guys they were able to acquire in the transfer Port was just exciting it's exciting time in obviously with the the men Women's Basketball team baseball Going On The Run things like that it's just a lot of buzz in Raleigh and people are excited we have an unbelievable fan base and um a lot of support so um the people love football and I think they're ready to to see a championship in righ once you put your name in the portal how quickly did the offers come or the interests come for you yeah um my phone was ringing before I walked out of the compliance office um so that was a little stressful um but it's good to feel wanted you know to to to know that that people believe in me and to give me the opportunity to play at some Prestige schools such as in state is um it's a great feeling something that I I knew I always had in me um and was able to play some good ball and put myself in that position so um definitely a whirlwind of an experience in the transfer portal but um you know grateful that it's over and grateful to be in such a great spot at State how's been kind of building that relationship with K and some of the other receivers you have at your dispos yeah man it's awesome aome Casey another Charlotte guy obviously so so some things like that a lot of local guys a lot of instate guys but it's been awesome man I mean I have nothing but play makers around me um you turn on the tape from last year you see that and then all the guys that we've added I mean it's exciting so it makes my job a whole lot easier uh I just got to distribute the ball to the fast guys at the right time um so love working with KY he's going to have another great year and just all the guys around me have been great with the pressure of you know complimenting the defense with some good offense this year kind of have you other offensive guys kind of approached that this offseason and I mean how you guys plan on dealing with that during during this year yeah I think uh it started in the spring and with iron sharpening iron it's something that coach talks about all the time and um there's always been strong defense in Raleigh and um just just competing against those guys every day and making each other better the competition level is extremely high every day um we know there's a lot of expectation on the offensive side of the ball and um we've been working extremely hard to to be able to execute at the highest level possible so really excited to get going and to be to be exced so gra I know you're new to the ACC conference what do you know about theate you know man not too much um I know it's a lot of good football games uh I was able to go to the the unnc State basketball games that was cool uh y'all got us in that one obviously but uh but yeah man excited for it uh we get to come to you guys this year so looking forward to it and good to see you brother martle Beach guy right here martle Beach I know you and Coach both talked about winning the AC in the first year of the 12 team playoff how much excitement is there from a player level that you don't have to get to the top four to get that thing and it's going to open the door for a lot teams yeah I mean I think it's exciting for a lot of programs um you know smaller schools these G5 schools that go and and have these crazy runs you know was the the coastal 2020 so much room go and you get unable opportunity to do something that's you know really never been done before been able know we at the end um I mean I do I think think you kind of have to right it's it's a prestigious league and um a lot of really good football teams but um for me it's just I'm I'm the same guy you know I I've gotten better in terms of my mental and my body and just as a quarterback in general but um it's going to be the same guy out there playing you know a lot of energy uh chip on my shoulder toughness grit just um out there having a lot of fun doing what I love and um being a great teammate at the end of the day I want to be a great teammate and um you know bring all those guys along with me try to make them as best they B can sir CH on your shoulder yeah just I think it's just kind of been my blueprint growing up you know coming out of high school won a lot of football games put a lot of really good stuff on tape and had you know four four offers coming out and then um you know get the opportunity to go play Coastal Carolina um have three really good years put you know play a lot of really good football win a lot of big football games and just kind of still flying under the radar you know just um just kind of still feel a little disrespected like I like I don't um um exactly get the respect that I deserve um you know that's why I'm here I'm I'm here at NC State to prove that and um to be the best quarterback and the best leader that this team needs so um just just kind of always been my Mantra and my style of play to to have that chip on my should do you feel like the mullet is a source of power I do I do yeah I think so I uh whenever I showed up in Raleigh and I didn't have the mullet guys were a little confused so uh got a lot of mullet requests so I guess we're going to let it fly one more time how much longer will it get it's going to get long I'm going to let it go so here in about a month or so it it'll be pretty long but yeah I'm going let it go I'm all in shop downstairs I'm thinking maybe maybe I get one let's go yeah we can I'll go down there get are you and Dawson doing it together one day oh yeah yeah I'm uh I think I've got Zeke in now Zeke Krell uh he's got his growing out so we just got to shape up the sides and hopefully he'll be in with you too what do you think of all the weapons that they've uh they' assembled around you it's exciting man um a lot of a lot of really good football players a lot of fast guys that um you get the ball in their hands they can do special things and uh makes the job of the quarterback much easier you know what uh what did you know about KC concepion before you got to NC State and what are your impressions of him now that you're there and you've been throwing the ball to him yeah like I said uh Charlotte guy grew up in the area so knew the name coming up obviously was a a really highly recruited guy that that played a lot of really good football in high school um you watch the kid play I mean he's electric I mean you guys saw alasha for the first time being such a young guy and um doing what he was able to do is impressive and just um you get there and you work with him and his you know his football IQ and his spatial awareness and the kid just understands how to get open you tell he wants the ball and um you put the ball in his hands and good things happen so love KC and love working with him excit what's specifically about Dave dor you to in yeah I think it was important for me in the process to find a program that um had a standard you know set in stone and a coach that um has some stability that's been there for a long time and obviously coach Dorne going into year 12 now I believe um the program and in the standard set and um having a coach like that to lean on a guy that knows the area and um knows the university like the back is hand is important for me so um I I I love coach Dorne and love his coaching style and how he goes about his business so what about what about the differences in scheme from Coastal heading in yeah I mean obviously different um looking forward to it obviously got to be in a new system last year um and do some different things but um I think I fit great into the system the spring was great um learned a lot and was able to you know play smoothly um in that system so I think what they're able to do with me and the system is going to be special time unbelievable memories man um you know kind of like I said one of those schools that that took a chance on me and um you know whenever got there it was 5 and seven 5 and seven and then um you know we come on the scene in 2020 and have an unbelievable year and just kind of you know kind of Chang the program around and um that place is special to me it always will be um and I really really enjoyed my time there never really wanted to leave but at the end of the day I had to make a decision that was best for me but um love Coastal Carolina love that place and um yeah you mentioned 2020 how frustrating was it to you and your teammates to not even really be considered for the playoff and now that it is a 12 teams I have to think you are a yeah I mean you know understandable right like you put in strength of schedule and all those things like that like understandable um we had a good football team that that uh won some big games and um you know something that we were looking forward to and obviously you know won the league that year and played with some unbelievable guys had a lot of Talent on that team but um you look at it now in the landscape of it now you know if a team goes and does that I mean the possibilities are endless and the opportunities just roll in so um definitely wish we would have got that opportunity but you know definitely looking forward and excited for this year Grayson who won the Kendrick uh Drake beef I have no idea honestly I don't even I didn't even keep up with that honestly I think I heard Kendrick song or something but like I couldn't even tell you much about it honestly good question though because of what you did the PO there selfconfidence you're changing leagues changing teams that you know you kind of a Bel you know you can do a good job yeah I mean I'm I'm extremely confident um and myself and my teammates and I know I can get it done I I've known for a long time that I could play football at this level and um yeah I mean I think for anybody you go out and you have a lot of success your confidence is boosted um the the self-confidence is so huge especially for young players you know you go out there and you um you you see that you can do it and then it's just football and then you're just playing football again so uh my confidence has never never been higher I'm in a great spot I'm excited you recap some of those this feel a fres start not first while You' a year not as the play pressure on uh I don't know man I think um you know doing it three years in a row in the sunell there was definitely some pressure built up but um yeah I mean it's extremely refreshing to be in a new spot and um I mean the pressure is always there you know but um I would say yeah it it's a little bit off that you know all the light it's not on me you know how it was for 3 years but um definitely refreshing man and and it's been great so far so I'm really excited to there state quarterbacks that reached out to you like hey good luck man yeah I've uh I've spent some time with Mike Lennon um kind of talk to Mike a good bit and um was lucky enough to be able to go to Philip River's Hall of Fame induction got to sit down and talk to him um a lot of good quarterbacks have played n you know so um was able to talk to those two guys great dudes um obviously unbelievable quarterbacks are really good guys have you been able to talk to Jamie shell since how was that yeah yeah I uh I talk to those guys every once in a while and um keep up with those guys you know their family to me um and and you know they're important to me so talk to those obviously they're doing their own thing and extremely busy but um yeah keep up with those guys as much as I can and love here in what's your reaction the video game it's pretty sweet dude yeah it's it's like it's kind of hard not to you know uh yeah it's unreal dude like just playing with myself in a video game this doesn't seem real but uh it's addicting I'm trying to like not let myself play it so much cuz like once I get on I feel I can't get off but definitely pretty defin what's your favorite you guys start your ACC in a schedule at Death Valley andson what does it mean to you to be able to start your away schedule like that yeah I mean uh it's going to be unbelievable atmosphere um I'm excited for it I mean it's definitely going to be a tough one on the road in Death Valley like one of the best atmospheres in college football and um yeah I mean I'm really looking forward to it um obviously have some big games before that so we we're going to take it week by week but um that one's definitely circling on the calendar and we're definitely excited to go on there play because you've got both Tennessee and Clon in in September is there a sense this team has to really kind of hit the ground running and be be ready to go and just EAS the yeah I think that's always the mindset you it it doesn't matter who you play you have to prepare with the same mindset every week and um that week one game against Western Carolina is just important as the week four game Clon um I mean Seasons here camps here so we're hitting the ground running and uh here in a month we'll be ready to go so yeah we're we're going into a full steam ready to go what is your favorite pregame snack that's a good question um I love pistachios I love pistachios and I always got to have a banana um for some potassium but yeah pistachio guy I love pistachos talk about that Clemson game sort of the unique vial that you're entering into with State now have you got any Impressions from your teammates about that just what have you heard about what this unique Bradley has been building for the last couple years yeah um was able to watch the game last year and just the environment and um you know it's a big game every year obviously to Traditions that have been very rich in college football for a long time and um two extremely relevant programs so anytime the red and the orange go against each other it's a big game so um haven't heard too much about it but was able to watch the game last year and just feel the energy from both sides and um really excited to go down there and play those guys can you recap some of the injuries that you kind of dealt with just how difficult it was trying to get back yeah yeah um had a a rotator cup injury in my throne and shoulder in uh 2021 and had a repair on that and then obviously the the head injury the concussion last year probably the two biggest ones but um you know a little bit of a mental roller coaster especially last year with the head injury but um just so grateful to be healthy and be fresh and ready to go and um I I think it's just just makes the story that much sweeter at the end of the day you know what I mean but um yeah those were tough but just grateful to be here and be healthy and be ready to play football are you going to take fewer hits this year the coaching staff said maybe you don't take as many brues some hits as you took a coach I mean yeah that's always the plan right um you get out there and you play football and things don't always work out like that but yeah it's my job to to be available and uh to take care of myself out they're obviously going to bring the aggressive play style that I bring running the football but um when it comes down to and I can protect myself and get down on the ground something I definitely want to do how much do you consider yeah I yeah that was always the plan um after last season was to to enter the draft and see what happened and then obviously the injury kind of set me back and um you know everything was kind of reset I didn't know what I was going to do if I was going to play football again what that next step was going to be and um just sitting down talking to my mentors and my coaches and my family and just def came up with the decision to enter the portal and um I wasn't just going to enter the portal and go somewhere to go somewhere I was going to go in the portal and make sure I found a perfect F before I went that I think I found exactly that so you were worried you might not play football again you were worried you might not play football again I mean just just dealing with a a brain injury you know a bad concussion you know it comes into the conversation you know doctors will definitely kind of shy away from that just because that's their job to advise I mean the brain's nothing to play with you know what I mean and and football is a is a physical sport and you're going to have that but yeah I mean definitely came up into conversation that there was a possibility I wasn't going to play two quick video game questions sir can I ask two quick video gam first how much do you play more than I should probably no I'm just kidding I um I I I started a road to Bo so I've been doing that but really haven't gotten into the other modes but unreal video game pretty pretty cool and you play rating what was it and what was your reaction to the rating and and maybe just the way you look at the game some guys don't like the the picturesus yeah um I mean I'm pleased with my rating 88 uh I like it they made me kind of fast too which I respect I don't know if I still got wheels like that but I like it um my guy can throw the ball which I love um yeah pleased with the rating the guy looks nothing like me but um still pretty cool to see my name in the jersey and and uh they got the game day swag and everything on point so it's pretty Grayson when you look at the position groups or individual players who do you think has a chance for us to be talk yeah I think um I mean coach Doran talked about a little bit but obviously Noah rers and wesle gr from the transfer portal two really good players um that grew up in the era that are going to be really good um obviously Jordan Waters is unbelievable guy and a really good football player and um some of these guys we brought in on defense in late portal cycle with with DK from from Auburn and and those guys are are some studs and really looking forward to playing with those guys get over yeah um I mean it was a setback for sure it was it was a lot of a lot of mental a lot of a lot of adversity that that I wasn't expecting obviously and um I mean it was tough just first of all anytime you have to watch the sidelines you can be out there with your teammates it's tough and um just so much going through my head about what the future looked like and and what my plans were and um at the same time trying to still prepare and get back on the field it was a lot um I grew so much from it though and um so grateful to be healthy and a fresh start it's been [Music] great yeah I mean I think whenever the day comes where I have to stop playing football it's going to be a tough day um it's a game that I love a game I've loved my whole life a game that's changed my life really changed my family's life and um that's going to be a tough day whenever that comes but having that conversation come up is just surreal that you know any moment it can be taken away from you and um just kind of completely changing my mindset just just being so grateful for the opportunity to wake up and walk in the building and play football is is uh it's unbelievable it's something I'm really grateful for you wor at all about taking I don't and I think if I have that mindset it'll just hinder me you know I think I just got to go out there and let it rip and um and just play Fast prepare myself and put myself in the best possible position to stay healthy and um do everything I can off the field to to keep my body healthy and in shape but no man I I I feel great my my my head's clear and uh I don't really have any worries so I'm ready to go how crazy was the week when you played BYU when you look back how much do you think your profile naturally changed because of that game yeah um unbelievable year obviously the co year um weren't supposed to play him I think they scheduled the game on like a Wednesday or Thursday um playing on college game day was Unreal um Prett surreal and obviously got the win and a crazy night but yeah I think kind of just my whole life changed you know that game the bullets everything um unreal I mean I can't say enough good things about Coastal Carolina and that 2020 team um you know really kind of mive player I am though you ever talked to Jeffrey Gunter at all about his NC State time yeah absolutely man I love Jeff um obviously Jeff grew up in Durham and it spent some time in state and um yeah me and Coach Thunder were actually talking about Jeff a few weeks ago uh love Jeff blessing to be able to play with the guy like that it was crazy how it all worked out with Coach back and and his staff and um coach tricket knows Tony Gibson I mean it's like you surrounded by people in a small circle yeah small world but um you know everything Abit for a reason and God is good and put me in a great spot so just really grateful to be here when you hit the portal how manys yeah I mean a good bit um I tried to narrow it down as quick as I could just because I had a short window and everything was so hectic um only took two visits went to Raleigh obviously and then went down to Orlando and visited UCF um I think I had like four or five in mine South Carolina was in there um Oregon State started talking to the Baylor coaches late um but yeah man I mean it was a whirlwind of an experience and um the year before previously when I kind of sprinkled in the transfer portal I was able to talk to the N State coaches and kind of develop a relationship so it's kind of like they were ahead of everybody going an agent helping you through the [Music] process yeah I have a a marketing team that had all the nil conversations um when I got on the phone it was strictly football and and you know quarterback and offense and um what what your program is and and what it brings and how I can go there and contribute and um didn't want to talk anything about nil with coaches or anything like that just um wanted to talk football wanted wanted to be recruited so after watching some of the tape from last year um what kind of areas did you see in state fall short and what can you do to kind of improve upon that especially on the offense side yeah I mean I think it's it's just a team effort I think some guys were put in some tough positions and um you know they still won a lot of football games everybody talks about the offense being down but I mean the offense played well to an extent obviously couldn't get over the hump to win 10 games to win the league and things like that but the offense played well and I think the guys we're bringing in will really get us over the hump and get us where we want to go how much homework did you do on on maybe the whole ACC just defenses and how familiar are you with with other teams in the league yeah I mean not much really going into it obviously a lot more now um getting familiar with how the league plays defense and schematically what they want to do but um not that much I mean growing up in Charlotte always watch a lot of AC football um but I mean not too familiar with the defense obviously watching a lot more now but not too much going is there any individual guys on the defensive end that you're just looking forward to playing maybe somebody you respect thinks one of the best best in the league I mean nobody in specific man I'm I'm just excited for the challenge week in and week out to play in such a prestigious League um with a lot of really good football teams so I'm just excited for that big from Charlotte be for you to play Tennessee Bank of America state for real man full circle moment um you know Stadium I grew up as a kid going to watching the Panthers play um that's going to be a crazy one Stadium's going to be rocking um two really big fand bases that love football so um really looking forward to that how much would team M call have in the stand a lot a good bit yeah um people have been asking for tickets months now so um that I'll have a big crew there for sure what's State dor like un believe dude uh authentic he's real what what you see is what you get um he's the same person every day great leader um a great motivator and a really good football coach really smart um understands it from every aspect offense defense special teams um the the guy that you see on the media and you talk to is the same guy that comes in every day and coaches us so um a great guy that leads the football team to where they want to go and a great guy to be around Carina Panthers um you grew up watching the Carolina Panthers you know that it's very smart to uh um have a healthy fever of Steve Smith and what he says last year Steve Smith came after NC State a little bit Dave Doran stood up to Steve Smith in the state of North Carolina and defended his team what does it mean to be following somebody out there who who's not afraid of the mighty Steve Smith yeah um I mean coach dor loves n State and um he's put so much into the program in the football team over the years that um you know people want to talk bad about the program he's going to make sure to stand up for him and um after such a big win like that I think he was just fired up and wanted to get some things off his chest but um that that's that's him that's coach Doran the energy he brings and um that's him every day so he's awesome to be around have you been to a game not what other adults in the room put make an impression on you some of the other coaches people that you're interacting with at NC State uh say that again I adults coaches at NC State making a great impression yeah I think just just it's a group effort and the the whole staff in general has been unbelievable um Kurt Roker my quarterback coach is phenomenal one of the best in the country and so smart he's been around a lot of really good quarterbacks has developed a lot of really good quarterbacks and um just the staff and the family environment as a whole I mean the guys we came with today the media team to the photographers the videographers just like everybody is all in in this thing together and bunch of really good people in righ you ch for in how long before it became in state became your normal before that was the yeah um I think it took about a month to really get settled in um the first week was kind of crazy trying to understand how they do things and meeting all the people but um you know 3 to four weeks I get there and start feeling really comfortable and everybody's welcoming me and U yeah I would say about a month then I started feeling really comfortable and just kind of started becoming a norm you got now you're almost in T-minus mode you're almost counting backwards to the regular season how deeped are you for that and then when you get in game week prep how exciting is that I'm extremely excited man almost want to slow down time a little bit you know it seems like once you start the season everything just kind of flies by and days get mixed and things like that but um I'm excited man I can't wait to to kick off Thursday night and card friendly and get this thing rolling have you already kind of formed the connection with one particular wide receiver um I don't think so man I think just the whole group it's a really good room um and and some guys that have played some really good football that kind of lead the guys and um I mean I have a close relationship with all of them even the young guys and the Freshman that just came in um we're kind of all on this thing together and I spent a lot of time with the white out so I love all those guys Grayson what's excited you the most or what have you been most impressed about with like Casey and even Jordan on this offense yeah just just getting out there in this you know in spring camp with them and watching them play football up close you know you watch him on tape and and on TV what KC was able to do last year and um just his understanding of the game his facial awareness the kid knows how to get open and he wants the football and when you get him the football good things happen and uh Jordan I mean he's a veteran when he's a unbelievable guy to have him the backfield with me it's like having another quarterback out there um played a lot of snaps and knows what it takes on a week toe basis so um Jordan's definitely a vet and I'm glad he's in the back field with you uh you're coming to NC State 10,000 yards passing I think probably nationally people looking at this and saying oh NC State's like leveling up or they got their guy the truth is you probably throw about 25 times a game on average in your career you're going to a team that two years ago 36 times a game last year 30 times a game uh this might be an opening things up for you um did you feel like when you were were looking for schools looking at NC State that this was going to give you an opportunity to show a different side of your game no doubt I think I have to continue to to put new things on tape and um you know we're going to do what we're good at if that's throwing the 40 times a game that's what we'll do if the Run game is carrying us to where we need to go and more RPO based things like that you know I'm really comfortable doing anything right now and um I've been training it this offseason under Center stuff I mean Pro style play action all that stuff so um I'm really comfortable doing anything and um whatever's best for the offense and the team you know I'm ready to do it um just really excited you know they're kind of giving me the keys and let me take the thing so I'm excited