CAREER STATISTICS

ACADEMIC HONORS
• Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, Fall 2022; Spring 2023

ATHLETIC HONORS
• 2022 All-Sun Belt Conference (honorable mention)
• MVP of 2021 TaxAct Camellia Bowl
• Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week, Nov. 15, 2021
• 2019 Southern Conference All-Freshman Team
• 2019 SoCon Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 9)
• 2019 STATS FCS National Freshman of the Week (Sept. 9)

AT GEORGIA STATE: Two-year starting quarterback ... 2022 All-Sun Belt selection who has started GSU’s last 23 games ... Has accounted for 46 touchdowns in a GSU uniform (37 passing, nine rushing) ... Ranks second in program history in TD passes and TD responsibility, fourth in passing yards (4,158) and total offense (5,552). ... Stands seventh in rushing yards (1,394) and first among quarterbacks ... Enrolled at GSU in January 2021 after transferring from Furman ... Including his time at Furman, he has 5,561 career yards passing and 52 touchdowns, along with 1,747 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns for 7,308 yards of total offense and 66 TDR in 42 games ... Played two seasons for the Paladins, starting in 2018.

2022: Earned honorable mention All-Sun Belt recognition ... Passed for 2,443 yards and 18 touchdowns while completing 58.6 percent of his passes with seven interceptions ... GSU’s leading rusher with 734 yards (No. 9 in Sun Belt) and six touchdowns. His rushing total is the most by a GSU quarterback and the program’s sixth-best season overall ... Second in the Sun Belt and No. 10 in FBS with 14.04 yards per completion ... Ranked third in the Sun Belt in total offense (264.8 ypg); his 3,177 yards are the fourth-best season total in GSU history.

Passed for a then-career-high 343 yards and four TD vs. Charlotte, going 22-for-34, also career highs. Threw TD passes of 32 yds (Jamari Thrash), 34 yds (Robert Lewis), 9 yds (Kris Byrd) and 6 yards (Kris Byrd), along with a 73-yard completion to Thrash for GSU’s longest pass play since 2016 ... Threw for 186 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 75 yards vs. North Carolina ... Passed for 157 yards on just eight completions vs. Army, including the game-clinching, 57-yard TD pass to Ja’Cyais Credle on 3rd-and-5 with three minutes left. Also rushed for 48 yards with a 13-yard TD run ... Had 70 yards rushing and 186 yards passing with two touchdowns in win over Georgia Southern ... Passed for 175 yards and one TD and rushed for 104 yards and another score in 31-17 win over Old Dominion ... Rushed for a career-high 143 yards on 13 attempts in win at Southern Miss, highlighted by a 60-yard run to set up a TD. Passed for 133 yards and two touchdowns ... Career highs with 25 completions, 40 attempts and 349 yards passing vs. ULM, alo

2021: Enjoyed a strong season, capped by MVP honors in the TaxAct Camellia Bowl ... Passed for 1,715 yards and 19 touchdowns while rushing for 670 yards and three scores ... Made his first GSU start in Game 2 vs. Charlotte and led the Panthers to a 20-9 victory ... Threw 19 TD passes and just four interceptions in his 11 starts while leading GSU to an 8-3 record, including seven wins in the final eight games, capped by victory in the TaxAct Camellia Bowl ... Led Sun Belt quarterbacks with 670 yards rushing (11th overall)while ranking fourth with 19 TD passes ... His 19 touchdown passes are more than any GSU quarterback in a season except Nick Arbuckle and Dan Ellington.

MVP of the TaxAct Camellia Bowl after accounting for four touchdowns in the 51-20 win over Ball State. Completed 15-0f-19 passes for 203 yards and three TDs while rushing for a career-high 122 yards, including a 34-yard scoring run. Just the second GSU quarterback, and the first since 2011, with 200 yards passing and 100 yards rushing in a game ... In GSU’s 28-point third quarter that blew the game open, he was 7-for-7 for 89 yards and two touchdowns while rushing five times for 57 yards and a score.

Named Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week after leading the Panthers to a 42-40 win at No. 22/21 Coastal Carolina, the program’s first-ever win over a ranked team, in his hometown of Conway, S.C. Completed 18-of-24 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns. Threw the go-ahead TD pass to Terrance Dixon on 4th-and-goal from the 2-yard line to give GSU a 35-34 lead with five minutes left.

Tied the GSU record by accounting for five touchdowns while directing one of the top offensive games in program history in 55-21 win at ULM. Passed for 230 yards and rushed for 84 while leading GSU to 572 yards and school-record 55 points. Threw two TD passes each to Aubry Payne and Ja’Cyais Credle and scored on a 1-yard run ... Directed game-winning touchdown drive in final 1:39 for win at Georgia Southern. Rushed four times for 35 yards to set up Jamyest Williams’ 23-yard run for winning TD with 26 second left ... Passed for 200 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for a career-high 91 yards in win over Texas State.

Made his first start in Game 2 vs. Charlotte and passed for 139 yards and two TDs while rushing for 64 yards on 16 carries. Threw TD passes of 35 yards to Jamari Thrash and 28 yards to Ja’Cyais Credle ... Rushed for 61 yards and threw a pair of TD passes at No. 23 Auburn ... Played off the bench in the first two games ... Rushed for 56 yards on five carries at No. 22 UNC, including a 36-yard run down to the 2-yard line to set up a touchdown ... Threw a 66-yard TD pass to Tailique Williams vs. App State.

AT FURMAN (2018-19): Named to the Southern Conference All-Freshman Team while serving as Furman’s starting quarterback in 2019 ... Started 11 of 13 games, including the Paladins’ game against Georgia State, when he had his best game of the season ... Hit 16-of-25 passes for 311 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 53 yards and a score in the Panthers’ 48-42 win and was named SoCon Offensive Player of the Week and STATS FCS National Freshman of the Week ... Helped Furman to an 8-5 record, at-large berth to the FCS playoffs, and No. 16 ranking in the AFCA Coaches final poll...Passed for 1,222 yards and 13 touchdowns while rushing for 316 yards and five scores on the season ... Another top performance came against Samford as he passed for 183 yards on just six completions, four of them for touchdowns covering 38, 17, 25, and 61 yards ... Played in four games and made one start (vs. Elon) during a redshirt season in 2018 ... Threw a 16-yard touchdown pass against Clemson ... Came off the bench to pass for 92 yards, including a 77-yard TD pass, against Samford.

HIGH SCHOOL: Played at Conway High School for coach Carlton Terry ... Played wide receiver before making the switch to quarterback prior to his senior year of 2017 ... 2017 Myrtle Beach Sun News Toast of the Coast All-First Team honoree ... Also named to All-Region VI-5A, WPDE All-Zone, and WBTW All-Blitz Teams ... Completed 120-of-233 passes for 2,125 yards and 18 touchdowns and rushed 115 times for 641 yards and four scores in pacing Conway to a 10-2 record, region championship, and second round playoff appearance .... Accounted for 307 yards in total offense and four touchdowns in a 40-14 first round playoff win over Wando ... Conway dropped a 35-28 decision to Spring Valley in Lower State semifinals the next week in a game that saw him rush for 108 yards and pass for 174 and a touchdown ... Also starred in basketball.

PERSONAL: Full name is Darren D’Waun Grainger ... Birthday is July 21 ... Son of Dwayne and Danita Grainger.

Darren Grainger