by A quick trigger, high-level processing skills, and this innate ability to sense both pressure and space, Grayson McCall he might be the shiniest quarterback in the Port TransferL. Its rating of 94 and slot no. 3 overall – above all other QBs – in the Sports Transfer Portal rankings 247 confirm this.
At the very least, McCall is the most productive and one of the most unique talents of the open market. He was a whiz managing the extraordinarily entertaining and unique triple-option offense that the former Carolina Costa coach Jamey Chadwell built and built over time.
So many of McCall’s pitches are open, because the play is so solid. But it works both ways; the pattern stands because McCall performed so well, with the aforementioned traits making him a master of RPO/quick release play, as well as the deep emphasis Chadwell has mixed in the extended triple option quick attack.
Conflict is the name of the game and McCall has managed to capitalize on the confusion this system has created among defenders. The 22-year-old North Carolina native has three years of starting experience, passing for 8,019 yards and 78 touchdowns with 8 interceptions.
Oh, and he also has 1,053 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. Pro Football Focus has rated him between 88.2 and 92.4 over the past three seasons, so he’s efficient as well as productive.
Three traits that make McCall such an attractive QB in this market:
1. Deep ball accuracy
McCall doesn’t have a cannon. His pitching torque is limited, with most of his work in the center of the field…and that’s a concern P5 teams will need to figure out if they can work around or improve.
But don’t confuse that with a lack of deep ball ability.
McCall is a legitimately great deep ball pitcher, combining touch and accuracy with ground-based pitching. Kind of remember what Gardner Minshew he was in college.
This skill appears when you look at it, but it is reflected in the metrics. PFF gave McCall a 98.2 grade on passes over 20 yards on a straight line. Who led the country.
2. Quick release
The game RPO performs at such a high level for McCall because he is an excellent game processor, with quick diagnostic capabilities.
But you also need to get rid of the ball quickly.
And McCall’s ability to go from weaving a handoff with a runner to pulling and snapping is superb.
3. Running ability
Not an elite racer, but McCall is damn good. And smart.
He is adept both as a scrambler who can keep a game alive and as a runner/passer when he comes out of the pocket.
And McCall is also a whiz at finding creases and working forward an extra yard as a designed runner. At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, he’s the size to finish the runs.
There is a core skill set that teams across the country should find intriguing. What programs would make sense for McCall and vice versa?
Here are five programs I think McCall could thrive in…
