Darren D'Waun Grainger (born July 21, 2000) is an American football quarterback who plays for the Georgia State Panthers. He previously played for the Furman Paladins.
Early life and high school
Grainger grew up in Conway, South Carolina and attended Conway High School where he lettered in football and basketball. He was an unranked quarterback recruit and committed to play at Furman.
College career
Furman
During Grainger's true freshman season in 2018, he played in four games and started one of them. He finished the season with completing 13 out of 27 passing attempts for 181 yards, two interceptions and two touchdowns and was awarded a redshirt along with an extra year of eligibility. During the 2019 season, he played in all 13 games and finished the season with completing 79 out of 161 passing attempts for 1,222 yards, three interceptions and 13 touchdowns.
On December 23, 2020, Grainger announced that he would be transferring to Georgia State.
Georgia State
During the 2021 season, he played in all 13 games and finished the season with completing 136 out of 228 passing attempts for 1,715 yards, four interceptions and 19 touchdowns. He was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week after his performance against Coastal Carolina where he completed 18 out of 24 passing attempts for 198 yards and two touchdowns. During the 2021 Camellia Bowl, he passed for 203 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 122 yards and was named the game's MVP. During the 2022 season, he played in 11 games and finished the season with completing 158 out of 272 passing attempts for 2,257 yards, six interceptions and 16 touchdowns. For his performance on the 2022 season, Grainger was named an all Sun-Belt honorable mention.
During the 2023 season, Grainger was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week after his performance during the Week 3 game against Charlotte where he completed 27 out of 33 passing attempts for 466 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 23 yards and a touchdown.