CONWAY, S.C. — Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall has not been cleared to practice or play and will miss his second straight game since taking a hard hit to the helmet last month.
Chanticleers coach Tim Beck said McCall is considered to have a concussion from when he got hit as he slid with the ball against Arkansas State on Oct. 21.
McCall, the three-time reigning Sun Belt Conference player of the year, was carted off the field and spent the night at an Arkansas hospital for observation before returning to campus.
“It doesn’t matter what they label it, it’s still the same protocol,” Beck said Wednesday. “You can’t have headaches, you can’t be sensitive to light. You’ve got to be able to work out and run and do all those things. Once that starts happening, then he’ll be cleared to play. Until that happens, he won’t be cleared to play.”
The Chants (5-3, 3-2 Sun Belt) head to Old Dominion (4-4, 3-2) on Saturday.
Beck said he’s had conversations with McCall about whether the injury and the quarterback’s condition means he’s finished with his college career. “I don’t think he’s ready at that point to make those decisions yet,” Beck said.
McCall is a 6-foot-3, 220-pound fifth-year senior who has started 40 games for the Chants over the past four seasons. In 2021, he set the NCAA mark for pass efficiency rating (207.6), surpassing Alabama‘s Mac Jones and LSU‘s Joe Burrow.
McCall entered the transfer portal after ex-Coastal Carolina coach Jamey Chadwell became Liberty‘s coach but chose to return for his final season with the Chants.
McCall has thrown for 10,005 yards and 88 touchdowns in his career.