On Wednesday, McCall announced on Instagram that he has decided to retire from football after medical experts advised him to quit the sport after he suffered a concussion in NC State’s Week 6 loss to Wake Forest. He said it was something he “couldn’t come back from” after a series of concussions.

“Unfortunately, my dream was shattered,” McCall, 23, wrote. “As you all know, I have struggled with injuries throughout my career, but I can’t come back from this situation. I have done everything I could to move on, but the good Lord has called me here to serve in another area.” Brain specialists, my family and I have concluded that it is in my best interest to continue Hang up football boots.”

In the first quarter of NC State’s 34-30 loss to Wake Forest on Oct. 5, McCall attempted to gain a first down and was hit by several Demon Deacons defenders, including one who touched and tapped McCall helmet-to-helmet He took off his helmet as he fell to the ground. He was carried off the field on a stretcher and taken to hospital.

McCall spent the first five seasons of his college career at Coastal Carolina, where he completed 710 passes for 10,005 yards and 88 touchdowns in 42 games. McCall led Coastal Carolina to its first undefeated regular season in 2020 and was named Sun Belt Player of the Year, the first of three consecutive awards from 2020 to 2022. But his 2023 campaign was cut short after he was injured due to a blow to the head was admitted to hospital.