After early scare Gators sign 5-star defensive lineman to LOI

Despite reports that he would hold off on signing, five-star defensive lineman LJ McCray has sent in his national letter of intent to Florida.

Florida has signed elite defensive lineman [autotag]LJ McCray[/autotag] on Wednesday despite reports that he would hold out.

McCray is the defensive crown jewel of the class, especially with five-star safety Xavier Filsaime flipping to Texas. He appeared locked in with the Gators for months, but the firing of defensive line coach Sean Spencer put his status into question with the early signing period looming.

Both Auburn and Florida State made strong pushes for McCray, and reports surfaced earlier Wednesday that he would not be sign immediately. Given the reports, locking up McCray is a massive win for Billy Napier and Co.

Florida still needs to hire a defensive coordinator, but the job should be easy to fill with McCray in tow.

There’s a real chance for McCray to make an immediate impact in Gainesville. He can afford to put on more weight at 6 feet, 6 inches and 260 pounds, which will make him bigger than most SEC offensive linemen. The ceiling is high here, but Florida needs to have the right coach develop him into the best pass rusher he can be.

McCray is ranked No. 35 overall and No. 8 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite. The On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 23 and 4, respectively.

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