Tag: lj mccray

2024 Florida defensive lineman includes Vols in top-11 schools

Tennessee is a top-11 team for a 2024 top-100 defensive lineman from Florida.

Four-star defensive lineman LJ McCray announced his top-11 schools on Saturday.

Tennessee, Auburn, Georgia, Florida, Georgia Tech, Penn State, LSU, Miami, Clemson, Florida State and Alabama are McCray’s top-11 schools.

The 6-foot-6.5, 260-pound defensive lineman is from Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida.

McCray is the No. 94 overall prospect in the class of 2024. He ranks as the No. 12 defensive lineman and No. 15 player in Florida, according to On3 Sports industry rankings.

He finished his junior season with 44 tackles, 17 tackles for a loss, three sacks and two fumble recoveries. McCray also played on offense, recording 14 receptions, 159 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

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In-state 4-star defensive lineman includes Gators among top 11 schools

The Gators have a lot of competition for this coveted in-state blue-chipper from Daytona Beach.

Four-star defensive lineman LJ McCray out of Daytona Beach (Florida) Mainland released his list of top 11 preferred schools on Saturday on his personal Twitter account — a list that includes Florida football.

Also included were the Auburn Tigers, Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Florida State Seminoles, Clemson Tigers, Miami Hurricanes, LSU Tigers, Penn State Nittany Lions and Tennessee Volunteers.

The 6-foot-6-inch, 260-pound lineman obviously has a lot of options to choose from, but Billy Napier and Co. have been pounding the pavement when it comes to his recruitment, including an extra effort from defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong, tight ends coach Russ Callaway and defensive backs coach Corey Raymond.

“It’s definitely appreciated, showing that it’s real what they’re talking about,” McCray told Swamp247, “like, they really want me, so I appreciate them taking the time to come around here.”

The rising high school senior has made several unofficial visits to Gainesville in the past but the possibility of setting an OV for this summer is still up in the air. The NCAA recently passed a rule that allows prospects to visit more than five schools officially, which could open up some room for the Orange and Blue to sneak in.

McCray is ranked No. 133 overall and No. 15 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 94 and 2, respectively. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine gives the Gators a 33.9% chance of signing him, while Florida State (20.1%), the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (9.5%) and South Florida Bulls (7.5%) follow behind.

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Florida 4-star DL Lawal McCray gets Michigan State football offer

MSU has offered a top 100 Florida 4-star

Michigan State has dipped into the Sunshine State to offer their latest defensive line target. Lawal ‘LJ’ McCray received an offer from the Spartans on Thursday morning.

McCray is a Daytona Beach native, attending Mainland High School. He is a 6-foot-6, 260 pound defensive lineman that ranks as the No. 90 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class according to 247Sports.

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LSU offers top 100 defensive lineman from Daytona Beach

LSU’s coaching staff took a trip from the Bayou to the beach to try to steal away a blue-chip prospect from the Gators’ maw.

LSU’s coaching staff took a trip from the Bayou to the beach to try to steal away a top 100 defensive lineman from the Gators’ maw.

[autotag]LJ McCray[/autotag] is a four-star, 6-foot-5, 250-pound defensive lineman in the class of 2024 that is ranked as one of the top 100 players in the country.

He is from Daytona Beach, Florida where he plays for Mainland High School.

There are currently no Crystal Ball Projections for him but Florida is a 37% favorite per On3.

Film Analysis: McCray is a very powerful bull rusher that explodes off the ball and terrorizes opposing quarterbacks in the backfield.

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Alabama offers 2024 DL LJ McCray from Florida

LJ McCray was recently offered by the Alabama coaching staff. He is the son of long-time Bethune Cookman assistant coach Lawal McCray.

Alabama has recruited the Panhandle state for quite a while. One of the latest Florida prospects to receive an offer from the Crimson Tide is 2024 defensive end LJ McCray.

Interestingly enough, his father, Lawal McCray has been an assistant at Bethune-Cookman for around a decade. Despite LJ receiving extensive interest from power-five programs, the Wildcats decided to extend an offer to him.

Florida has a 38.5% likelihood to land McCray, according to On3’s RPM. However, it is still early on in his recruitment. Things can change over time as McCray will likely attract even more interest from other power-five programs as his senior season unfolds.

Roll Tide Wire breaks down LJ McCray’s recruiting profile.

Florida hosting a ton of blue-chip talent in final January recruiting weekend

The Gators are hosting one final recruiting weekend before the February dead period goes into effect.

The college football recruiting dead period begins on Monday and lasts all the way through February, so Florida is closing out January by hosting a ton of blue-chip recruits on Saturday for the final Junior Day of the month.

Several prospects have confirmed their plans to attend the event, and it’s safe to say that this is the biggest recruiting weekend of the month for the program. To make that even more clear, five-star quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] will be in town to help recruit for his future school.

Perhaps the biggest name in town not under commitment will be five-star running back [autotag]Jerrick Gibson[/autotag], who is ranked No. 11 overall in the class of 2024 on the On3 consensus and No. 10 on the 247Sports composite. Florida is an attractive landing spot for any running back with Billy Napier at the helm, and landing the top back in the class would be huge for the Gators.

On defense, linebacker/edge rusher [autotag]Adarius Hayes[/autotag] might be the top name set to visit at No. 55 overall on the On3 consensus. Lagway will be in his ear this weekend, and Hayes is already sweet on Florida. He won’t be the only top-100 defender in town, though. Florida State defensive back commit [autotag]Jordan Pride[/autotag] (No. 80) and undecided edge rusher [autotag]KingJoseph Edwards[/autotag] (No. 37) are also planning on visiting the Swamp this weekend.

A slew of four-star recruits from the class of 2024 will be in town as well. Linebacker [autotag]Qua Birdsong[/autotag] (No. 157), offensive tackle [autotag]Blake Frazier[/autotag] (No. 273), athlete [autotag]Lawayne McCoy[/autotag] (No. 298) and safety [autotag]Zavier Mincey[/autotag] (No. 333) are slated to stop by. Offensive tackle [autotag]Barry Walker[/autotag] (No. 383), defensive linemen [autotag]Dimitry Nicolas[/autotag] (No. 355) and [autotag]LJ McCray[/autotag] (No. 401) and offensive tackle [autotag]Nyier Daniels[/autotag] (No. 541) round out the three-stars on the On3 consensus visiting, and more could join as the day goes on.

Interior offensive lineman [autotag]Santana Alo-Tupuola[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Semaj Jackson[/autotag] are three-star recruits by 247Sports’ individual measure but have no On3 consensus ranking yet. Jackson is ranked No. 679 overall on the 247Sports composite.

Finally, from the class of 2025, quarterback Tramel Jones, wide receiver Koby Howard (Sunday), defensive lineman Myron Charles, edge rushers [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Dylon Worthen[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Ethan Prichard[/autotag] are expected in town.

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