Coastal Carolina QB Grayson McCall signs ‘sophomore season’ NIL deal with Darlington Raceway

Last summer, Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall signed a year-long deal with Darlington Raceway. At the time, it was a first-of-its-kind NIL partnership.

Now, according to a social media post by the raceway, McCall has agreed to another NIL deal that’s been dubbed “the sophomore season.”

While Atlanta Motor Speedway has partnered with Georgia players, and Ohio State tight end Cade Stover was named the grand marshal for the Honda Indy 200, no race track has signed an athlete to a contract like McCall’s. And now McCall is back for another lap with the raceway in Darlington, South Carolina, that’s nicknamed “The Track Too Tough to Tame” by NASCAR fans and drivers.

“The spirit of competition, speed and aggressiveness are no more personified in the sport of NASCAR than just about anywhere,” McCall said in a statement to On3. “I personally feel that intensity in football. This year is a special one for me, and continuing my partnership with my friends at Darlington Raceway during NASCAR’s 75th anniversary is a step towards fulfilling the legacy I want to leave here and solidifying the brand I’m working to build.”

McCall will use his social media channels to promote NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway. Like last year, McCall will also serve as the face of the track’s marketing campaigns. The racetrack hosts the Goodyear 300 on May 14 and the Cook Out Southern 500 on September 3, which is part of the 2023 NASCAR Playoffs.

McCall led Coastal Carolina to a perfect regular season and an 11-1 overall record in 2021, winning Sun Belt player of the year honors. His 2022 campaign was following a similar script before he an injury in November ended his regular season early. After the 2022 season, he entered the transfer portal but later decided to return to Coastal Carolina. He’s been nothing but spectacular over the past three seasons with the Chanticleers, tossing 77 touchdowns and just eight interceptions in 33 games.

Grayson McCall cashing in on NIL potential

McCall has not had trouble finding NIL deals during his time at Coastal Carolina. He previously signed with Tom Brady’s apparel brand and rolled out his own merchandise through Native Sons, a custom apparel company based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He is represented in NIL dealings by ESM.

McCall holds an On3 NIL Valuation of $244K, which is No. 176 in the On3 College Football NIL Ranking. McCall has a strong following on social media, with more than 43,000 followers.

The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college athletes. A proprietary algorithm, the On3 NIL Valuation calculates an athlete’s NIL value using dynamic data points targeting three primary categories: performance, influence and exposure.

About On3 NIL Valuation, Brand Value, Roster Value

While the algorithm includes deal data, it does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals athletes have completed to date, nor does it set an athlete’s NIL valuation for their entire career.

The On3 NIL Valuation accounts for an athlete’s roster value and brand value. Roster value is the value an athlete has by being a member of his or her team at his or her school, which factors into the role of NIL collectives. Brand value factors in an athlete’s personal brand and the value it could bring to regional and national brands outside of the scope of NIL collectives. The On3 NIL Valuation is publicly available. Performance, Influence, and Exposure ratings along with the athlete’s personal Brand Value Index and Roster Value Index are available only to the athlete in the “Athlete Verified” private dashboard on the On3 Athlete Network.