Tag: lj mccray

Four-star defensive lineman LJ McCray to visit Auburn

He is one of Auburn’s top remaining targets in the 2024 recruiting cycle.

Auburn missed out on four-star defensive lineman [autotag]LJ McCray[/autotag] when he announced his commitment to the Florida Gators back in October but they have not stopped recruiting him.

That decision is paying off as he announced to a group of reporters on Thursday that he would be taking a visit to Auburn this weekend.

“Those guys have not faded since the commitment,” he said. “Coach (Jeremy) Garrett has been in there day one since I got the offer. I have a pretty good relationship with him.”

McCray is the No. 54 overall player and No. 10 defensive lineman in the 247Sports composite. The Daytona Beach native is also the No. 9 player from Florida.

Auburn’s 2024 recruiting class is nearly complete but McCray is one of several elite prospects that [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and Co. are trying to flip ahead of the early signing period. The Tigers have already pried four-star edge rusher [autotag]Jamonta Waller[/autotag] away from Florida and are also pursuing [autotag]Amaris Williams[/autotag], another four-star defensive lineman currently pledged to the Gators.

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Five-star Florida defensive lineman commit talks coaching changes

Despite some coaching changes that directly affect him, Florida five-star defensive lineman commit LJ McCray says he’s still locked in.

Florida has lost several defensive linemen to the transfer portal and in the recruiting game following the dismissal of position coach Sean “Chaos” Spencer, but the Gators recently got some reassurance that a crucial piece of the recruiting class should stay put.

On Friday, five-star Mainland defensive lineman LJ McCray spoke to Gators Online’s Corey Bender and said that Spencer’s departure hasn’t changed his mind about Florida.

Right now, McCray is focused on winning a state title. He admitted to Bender that he hadn’t even had time to think about Spencer’s dismissal, but that’s more about being locked in on the playoff push.

“I’m glad I can compartmentalize and make sure the main goal is the main goal,” McCray said. “Really, that’s where my head has been. I’m trying to win states. Even with the coaching change, I’ve been locked in. I got a goal in mind.”

The good news is that outside linebackers coach Mike Peterson will likely serve as McCray’s position coach, so losing Spencer is more like losing a secondary coach with a large amount of influence. He’s close with most of the staff, though. Defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong was out to see his state semifinal game last week.

McCray is a five-star recruit ranked inside the top 10, according to both 247Sports and On3, but ESPN and Rivals have him listed as a four-star talent. Rivals has him as low as No. 250 nationally while ESPN has him inside the top 25.

The On3 industry ranking, which uses a weighted average of all four major services, puts McCray at No. 27 overall and No. 4 among defensive linemen in the class of 2024.

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Florida’s recent 5-star DL commit has one of ESPN’s top highlights

ESPN’s Blake Baumgartner put together his five top plays from the prep ranks last week and included McCray and his standout performance.

Florida football scored a huge coup on the recruiting trail last weekend when five-star defensive lineman [autotag]LJ McCray[/autotag] committed to Billy Napier and the Gators.

ESPN’s Blake Baumgartner put together his five top plays from the prep ranks last week and included a pair of Gators commits, led off by McCray and his standout performance for Daytona Beach (Florida) Mainland.

“McCray, the No. 23 overall prospect in the 2024 class, is hours away from coming off the board, with the sixth-best defensive end in the cycle planning to announce his commitment Saturday afternoon,” Baumgartner noted.

“With Georgia, Florida State, Florida, Miami and Auburn all in play for McCray’s commitment, he helped Mainland High School’s (Florida) 22-0 win against Osceola High School (Florida) on Thursday. Led by McCray, the Buccaneers’ defense hasn’t been scored upon since Sept. 22 as the team has pitched three straight shutouts.”

McCray is rated four stars and ranked No. 107 overall and No. 17 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite. The On3 industry ranking has him rated at five stars and ranked at Nos. 25 and 5, respectively.

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LJ McCray, one of top DLs in 2024, commits to Florida

The Florida Gators football team got the commitment of LJ McCray, ranked by most recruiting sites as a top-25 DL in the class of 2024.

The Florida Gators added to the defensive depth of its 2024 recruiting class with its newest recruit, a player who risen to star level in the eyes of many analysts.

LJ McCray, ranked as a four-star player on the 247Sports Composite but No. 6 overall on the 247Sports’ own rankings, announced his commitment to Florida on Saturday. on the recruiting outlet’s YouTube show. He chose Florida over Auburn, Georgia, Miami and Florida State.

While the program got a player ranked four stars, the Gators are hopeful McCray will live up to the expectations of some industry leaders who rank him even higher than that. In addition to 247Sports’ lofty top-10 ranking, On3 ranked him as the No. 8 player in the country and No. 1 defensive lineman.

ESPN has been bullish on McCray, raising him from No. 293 to No. 23 overall in its most recent update for the 2024 cycle.

The only major outlet to have McCray outside the top-25 is Rivals, which has him at No. 249. We will see if he makes a jump in the next update to these rankings.

By getting the commitment of the in-state defensive lineman, Florida got the win not only by nabbing the Mainland High School (Daytona Beach, Fla.) but by keeping him away from the rest of his top five, which consisted of two other programs in Florida and two SEC foes.

other two Florida schools in his top five and two SEC foes.

McCray is the Gators’ 22nd commit in the class of 2024 and third five-tar player, joining quarterback DJ Lagway (ranked No. 16 overall by 247Sports) and cornerback Xavier Filsaime (No. 32 overall). The recruiting class is absolutely stacked on the defensive end, with other four-stay players including linemen Amaris Williams and Nasir Johnson, edge rusher Jamonta Waller, linebackers Myles Graham, Aaron Chiles and Adarius Hayes, and cornerback Wardell Mack.

Twitter reacts to Florida football’s 5-star DE commitment

Take a look at the collective reaction to Florida’s massive coup on the recruiting front on Saturday. 

Five-star defensive lineman LJ McCray committed to the Orange and Blue over Georgia, Florida State and Miami, among others, on Saturday, adding to an already impressive 2024 recruiting class put together by second-year head coach Billy Napier.

While the Gators are still well in the midst of a rebuild, the addition of the 6-foot-6-inch, 260-pound defender is a huge get for a program that has fallen behind its Southeastern Conference peers in recent years.

McCray is rated four stars and ranked No. 106 overall and No. 16 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite. The On3 industry ranking has him rated at five stars and ranked at Nos. 24 and 4, respectively.

Take a look below at the collective reaction on Twitter by both the team and the Gator Nation at large to Florida’s massive coup on the recruiting front on Saturday.

Five-star DL LJ McCray commits to Florida over Auburn, Georgia

Auburn was a finalist for one of the top defensive lineman in the country but was unable to beat out the in-state Gators.

Auburn was hoping to land their third five-star commitment of the 2024 recruiting class on Saturday but it wasn’t meant to be as defensive lineman [autotag]LJ McCray[/autotag] committed to the Florida Gators.

The Daytona Beach, Florida native picked the Gators over Auburn, Georgia, Florida State and Miami.

McCray was one of Auburn’s top targets in the cycle and he took several visits to the Plains, including one to watch Auburn take on Georgia in Jordan-Hare Stadium earlier this season.

While missing out on McCray stings, they do have commitments from three defensive linemen in four-star prospects TJ Lindsey and Malik Blocton as well as three-star Dimitry Nicolas.

[autotag]Jeremy Garrett[/autotag] also has Auburn pushing to flip elite defensive lineman [autotag]Jeremiah Beamen[/autotag] from Alabama and land JUCO prospect [autotag]Brien Taylor[/autotag].

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Five-star defensive lineman LJ McCray commits to Florida

Florida’s elite 2024 recruiting class just got even better. Billy Napier has landed a five-star defensive lineman ranked in the top 10 by 247Sports and On3.

The Florida Gators added a major piece to an already elite 2024 recruiting class on Saturday.

Five-star defensive lineman [autotag]LJ McCray[/autotag] committed to the Orange and Blue over Georgia, Florida State and Miami, among others.

“First I would like to thank God for blessing me with these abilities, and opportunities and surrounding me with great people said,” Mccray said on a live stream broadcasted by 247Sports. “I would like to thank my mom, dad and sister for going through this process with me and always being there. Thank you for every coach and every trainer that has helped me become who I am today.

“Lastly, I’d like to thank all of the universities that have been relentlessly recruiting me for the past few months. With that being said, I’ll be choosing the University of Florida.”

McCray attends in-state Mainland High School, located in Daytona Beach. He’s been a big riser in the rankings this year and has worked his way into five-star territory.

Both 247Sports and On3 rank McCray inside the top 10 among class of 2024 recruits, and the latter believes he’s the best defensive lineman in the class. ESPN is a bit less bullish on him at No. 23 overall, but it’s Rivals’ No. 249 ranking that’s holding him back from a spot in the top 10 in the consensus rankings.

Still, adding a 6-foot-6, 275-pound lineman ranked anywhere in the top 300 is going to help a team, let alone ranked No. 6 nationally by the industry leader. Adding McCray vaults Florida to the No. 3 spot on both 247Sports and On3’s team recruiting rankings.

It’s clear that Billy Napier has built a recruiting juggernaut at Florida with this latest addition, but he’ll need to win the hardware to back up all his staff has done on the trail.

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Five-star 2024 DL recruit keeping cards close to vest ahead of decision

This five-star DL will make his decision between five collegiate destinations on Saturday.

The clock is ticking as five-star defensive lineman [autotag]LJ McCray[/autotag] prepares to make his decision on Saturday as to which school he will commit his superlative talents.

The 6-foot-6-inch, 260-pound trench warrior has the Auburn Tigers, Florida State Seminoles, Georgia Bulldogs, Miami Hurricanes and the Florida Gators as his preferred collegiate destinations. Only one will emerge with his word. The senior from Daytona Beach (Florida) Mainland has kept things quiet heading into his big day.

“I’ve just been writing all the pros and cons of every school,” McCray told 247Sports last week. “I think based on doing that it makes it harder. Writing it down and reading it, things I didn’t think one school had, it’s making it a little harder.”

Now, after having faced the finish line, the coveted defender has opened his eyes to the gravity of the situation.

“I feel like this week has definitely been a wake-up call to see how much everyone truly appreciates me and wants me,” McCray said after Mainland’s win over Osceola on Thursday night.

“I just have been self-reflecting to see where would I be the most happy outside of football. Where’s my heart at? Where have I wanted to go? Different things. A couple (have started to separate from the pack), but then again I go back and think about the things I love about another school. I just know I have no bad decision for sure.”

However, he does not have a time set for his decision and appears to looking to surprise everyone when he makes his announcement.

“I have been asking myself this whole week if I should call the coaches and let them know. I feel like what I am feeling is letting everyone know Saturday and just giving coaches the call afterward type of thing. I definitely owe them, because they have put a lot of effort into recruiting me for sure.”

McCray is rated four stars and ranked No. 106 overall and No. 16 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite. The On3 industry ranking has him rated at five stars and ranked at Nos. 24 and 4, respectively. On3’s recruiting prediction machine has Florida out front with a 36.8% chance of signing him, followed by FSU (25.5%), Miami (13.2%) and Georgia (11.1%).

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5-star LJ McCray sets commitment date

Five-star defensive line recruit LJ McCray has UGA football in his top schools

Five-star defensive lineman LJ McCray is nearing a commitment. McCray is the No. 6 recruit in the class of 2024, per 247Sports. McCray has been one of the top rising recruits in the nation.

The elite defensive line recruit will decide where he plays college football on Oct. 21. McCray is ranked as the No. 2 defensive line recruit in nation and the No. 3 player in Florida.

The five-star defensive lineman plays high school football for Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida.

McCray will decide among Georgia, Florida, Miami, Florida State and Auburn. The 6-foot-6, 260-pound defensive lineman also plays tight end. The five-star visited Florida State for the Virginia Tech game.

Georgia football possesses the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class in the 2024 recruiting cycle.

Five-star DL LJ McCray sets official commitment date

Auburn is one of five schools that McCray will choose from next week.

One of Auburn’s top targets has set an official commitment date.

[autotag]LJ McCray[/autotag], a five-star defensive lineman from Daytona Beach, Florida, will announce his college commitment on Saturday, Oct. 21 he tells Hayes Fawcett of On3. Auburn is among one of his top choices, and will have to battle Florida, Florida State, Georgia, and Miami for his pledge.

McCray told Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports that the relationship he has built with defensive line coach [autotag]Jeremy Garrett[/autotag] is one of the main reasons why Auburn made the final cut. He echoed that point to Fawcett.

“The university of Auburn stands out to me because of their close family feel around the staff and the relationship I have with Coach (Jeremy) Garret,” McCray said. “Coach Garret is a super detailed coach/person who I feel can develop me on and off the field. I also like the city of Auburn and the people in it.”

How much of a chance does Auburn have? According to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine, the Tigers are behind all of his other favorites, with Florida leading the way with a 37.4% chance to land his commitment. He tells Fawcett that the he likes Gainesville’s proximity to his hometown of Daytona Beach, as well as the bond he has created with head coach Billy Napier.

McCray is a five-star defensive lineman according to both 247Sports and On3. He is the No. 6 overall player for the 2024 class, and is the No. 2 defensive lineman.

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