NC State QB Grayson McCall carted off field on stretcher after nasty hit to helmet

RALEIGH, NC - OCTOBER 05: North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback Grayson McCall (2) signals to the crowd as he is taken off of on a stretcher during the college football game between the North Carolina State Wolfpack and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on October 5, 2024 at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, NC. (Photo by Nicholas Faulkner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NC State QB Grayson McCall was carted off in the first half of Saturday's loss to Wake Forest. (Photo by Nicholas Faulkner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

North Carolina State QB Grayson McCall was carted off the field on a stretcher in the first half of his team’s game against Wake Forest.

McCall took a massive hit before fumbling while running the ball on third down. His helmet flew off when he was hit in the head and he appeared to be unconscious when he hit the ground. The hit was not flagged for targeting. Wake Forest recovered the fumble and returned it 88 yards.

McCall was making his first start since Sept. 14 against Louisiana Tech. He left that game with what the team said was an undisclosed injury. He walked to the locker room with a towel over his head after leaving the game and didn’t return.

NC State went on to lose 34-30 to Wake Forest on Saturday. Hours after the game, NC State tweeted that McCall had been released from a local hospital and was alert and in good spirits.

The Coastal Carolina transfer is in his first season with the Wolfpack and Saturday’s hit appears to be at least the second head injury in the past 12 months. In October of 2023, McCall was knocked out and suffered a concussion when he got hit while sliding. McCall’s head hit the turf on that play.

That hit ended McCall’s career at CCU as he didn’t return for the rest of the season. Over five years with the Chanticleers, McCall was one of the most productive QBs in college football. He threw for over 10,000 yards in three-plus years as the team’s starting QB and had 88 TD passes to just 14 interceptions.