2023 Football Roster
Roster
William McRainey
- Height:
- 6-0
- Weight:
- 228
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Shallotte, N.C.
- High School:
- West Brunswick HS
All-America and Academic All-America candidate at linebacker … Returning starter … Named preseason All-Big South Conference by the league’s head coaches and media … Also a preseason All-Conference choice by Phil Steele Football … Active tackler with a nose for the football … Has great instincts … Strong all-around athlete with good speed and agility … Has started all 15 games of his career to date.
2023 at Gardner-Webb:
William V. Campbell Trophy Nominee
Phil Steele All-Conference
The Bluebloods All-American
2022 at Gardner-Webb: 2021 CoSIDA Academic All-District III ... 2022 CoSIDA Academic All-District and Academic All-America nominee ... Carries a 3.59 GPA in Economics and Finance ... Two-time First-Team All-Big South ... Leads team with 104 total tackles to average 8.0 per game ... Had 9.0 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks to his credit to go along with two pass breakups and an interception ... Forced a fumble in the de-facto Big South Championship game against N.C. A&T and had two fumble recoveries during the year. Ranked among Big South's best tacklers again in 2022. Recorded at least one TFL in all five games during the Big South slate. Notched one solo sacks in four consecutive games including the first three conference games.
2021 at Gardner-Webb: Led the Big South Conference and ranked No. 15 nationally in total tackles with 109 in 11 starts … Ranked No. 20 nationally in solo tackles (5.0 per game) … Had four games with at least 10 stops … Added 13.0 tackles for loss (minus-43 yards) and 3.0 quarterback sacks (minus-19 yards) … Forced two fumbles and recovered one … had three pass break ups … Named Big South Defensive Player of the Week after totaling 17 stops (12 solo) and a tackle for loss vs. Western Carolina (9/25) … Added a forced fumble and a pass break up in that win … Had a career-high 18 tackles (nine solo) and 1.5 tackles for loss vs. Charleston Southern (11/13) … Also had a sack and a forced fumble … Made 13 tackles and had a 71-yard fumble return for a touchdown in a narrow Big South loss vs. Campbell (10/9) … Made eight tackles in five different games.
Spring 2021 at Gardner-Webb: Started all four games as a true freshman … Finished spring season with 20 total tackles (seven solo) and one quarterback pressure … Had six tackles (four solo) in the win over No. 24 Elon (2/27) … Made nine stops in the spring finale at Charleston Southern (4/17).
High School: Played at West Brunswick (N.C.) High under Coach Brett Hickman … Led team to a 10-2 record as a senior … Earned first-team All-Area honors from the Wilmington Star-News in 2019 … Named first-team All-Coastal Preps … Also a first-team All-Conference choice … Key part of a revamped defensive unit that allowed just nine points per game and posted five shutouts on the season … Made 95 total tackles, 19.0 tackles for loss and picked off two passes in 2019 … Earned second-team All-Area honors in 2018 from the Star-News.
