With his flowing mullet and dynamic style of play, Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall has become something of a college football folk hero over the past two seasons. Now, he’s achieved a new level of fame as an auto racing icon.
McCall will be featured on the car of NASCAR driver Ryan Vargas in this weekend’s Xfinity Series race at Darlington Raceway in Darlington County, S.C. McCall will appear behind the rear wheels in cartoon form, the latest—and possibly among the most creative—instance of NIL opening up ways for college athletes to capitalize on their ever-growing platforms.
The deal was made possible via Myrtle Beach-based apparel printing company Native Sons, which is the primary sponsor for Vargas’s car. The company signed McCall to an NIL deal in August.
“I’m excited to partner with Native Sons. They have been great to work with, they are a local company and big supporters of Coastal Carolina,” McCall said of his partnership with Native Sons, per Dean Straka of 247Sports. “Being able to participate in designing my signature line of apparel is very exciting and is a dream that myself and every 21st-century athlete have today.”
McCall has helped guide the Chanticleers to unprecedented success in his two years as the starting quarterback. Coastal Carolina has gone 22–3 since the start of the 2020 season, and finished ranked No. 14 in the AP poll that year. Last season, Coastal Carolina went 11–2 with a win over Northern Illinois in the Cure Bowl. McCall has thrown 53 touchdowns with just six interceptions in that span, winning Sun Belt Player of the Year honors twice.
