Scouting Report: Gators DL Commit LJ McCray

Florida secured an elite talent for its defensive line of the future in LJ McCray on Saturday. All Gators assessed McCray's film to understand what kind of player UF is getting.

During the 2024 recruiting cycle, Billy Napier and his Gators' coaching staff continue to show the college football world that they can recruit with the top teams in the country, such as Georgia, Alabama, Florida State, and Ohio State, during the 2024 recruiting cycle. 

The latest display of that recruiting prowess comes in the form of blue-chip Daytona Mainland (Fla.) defensive lineman LJ McCray's commitment to Florida.

McCray narrowed his list of schools down to five prior to his announcement Saturday afternoon, as Georgia, Auburn, Florida State, and Miami made the cut along with the Gators. 

There was a ton of smoke early in the week suggesting the presumed favorite for much of his recruitment, Florida, had lost momentum and that the race was down to Georgia and Florida State. However, when the smoke cleared on Saturday, it was the Gators that won out for the elite trench monster.

All Gators went to the film room to analyze and evaluate McCray's mid-season highlights from his senior season to get a better look at the skill set he brings to the table. 

Scouting Report: Gators DL Commit LJ McCray

Standing at a shade over 6-foot-6, 267 pounds, with 34.5-inch arms, the first thing that jumps out about McCray is his impressive frame. The talented defensive lineman has continued to fill out over the course of his prep career and still has room to grow. McCray could easily support another 30+ pounds which would allow him to play every position on the line of scrimmage for the Gators' defense.

McCray plays the majority of his snaps at the high school level on the edge due to his high-level athleticism but is someone who can slide inside on obvious passing downs to provide pressure in the quarterback’s face when need be. 

Week 1 🧟‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/xcv33gj3tB

— LJ McCray (@LJMcCray11) August 26, 2023

McCray shows good first-step quickness and advanced hand usage for someone his age, as he employs a strong initial punch, violent rush moves and his long reach to easily disengage from blockers to make a play. 

When rushing the passer, McCray has shown a willingness to use several different moves and counters, so that the offensive lineman can’t lock in on just one. These moves include a straight speed and bull rush, swim, spin, and push-pull, all of which he utilizes with great success. He does a good job of getting his hands up and into the passing lane when he knows he won’t get the quarterback in time. 

In the run game at defensive end, McCray does a good job of setting the edge and maintaining outside leverage in order to stretch the play out when necessary. When playing inside, he does a great job of holding his position at the point of attack and separating from the opposing offensive lineman, typically shedding that block to make a tackle. 

It’s easy to understand why 247Sports, On3 Sports, and ESPN all placed the talented defensive lineman inside the top 25 players nationally in their latest rankings updates. McCray has a college-ready game that should only continue to improve as he is coached up on the subtle nuances that will refine his skill set. He shows excellent position versatility, and though I believe he does have the ability to make an immediate impact at the college level, he has by no means reached his full potential. 

As McCray continues to fill out his frame and work on improving his technique, he will be able to reach what I see as a massive ceiling in his time in Gainesville.

Through the six games that McCray has played this season with stats available, he has amassed 36 total tackles, 15 for loss, seven sacks, two passes defended, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. 

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