Illini Get First Commit of Bret Bielema Era: 3-star 2021 TB Joshua McCray

Joshua McCray, a 2021 three-star tailback from Enterprise (Ala.) High School, announced his verbal pledge to the Illini Tuesday morning on Twitter.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Bret Bielema has received his first prospect verbal commitment since being named the new head football coach at Illinois.

Joshua McCray, a 2021 three-star tailback from Enterprise (Ala.) High School, announced his verbal pledge to the Illini Tuesday morning on Twitter. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound tailback has lined up all over the field in the unique triple-option offense at Enterprise and has been described by his high school head coach Rick Darlington as “slash” to represent the different positions he’s played in his prep career.

This past summer, McCray was named to the Sports Illustrated All-American watch list after finishing the year with 604 rushing yards and seven touchdowns to go with 103 yards and another touchdown receiving. On defense as a safety in 2019, McCray totaled 39 tackles, six pass breakups, two tackles-for-loss and a team-leading four interceptions with another touchdown. In the 2020 season where he led Enterprise to a 7-4 record and a Class 7A playoff berth, McCray concentrated on offense as a three-down tailback.

McCray’s style of play easily translates to what Bielema’s offenses at Wisconsin and Arkansas expected at the tailback position as Sports Illustrated Director of Football Recruiting John Garcia describes McCray as a “rugged runner with solid athleticism and movement skills.”

“McCray is a build-up speed type who can crash with tilt downhill, is strong to bang inside with good contact balance to drag tacklers, has solid ability to execute a single cut and go and can punch through the second level if he’s allowed to get his lower-half churning,” Garcia said. “He is a big back who has a bit of an old school feel to his run style. His size and strength make him a candidate to work as a three-down runner, as he can factor in the screen game. McCray also has solid ball skills from his experience as a sophomore as a primary receiver.”

McCray held scholarship offers from six Southeastern Conference programs (Arkansas, Kentucky, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Tennessee) and a late offer from Washington State before Illini began its recruitment after Bielema accepted the head coaching job. Illinois offered McCray on Dec. 30 and less than six days later, McCray became the Illini’s first verbal pledge of the Bielema era.

According to 247Sports.com, Illinois was the first Power Five Conference school to give McCray play offense at a position that Bielema’s style of play has valued at every of his previous stops in college football - tailback.

In 2018 and 2019, McCray earned Alabama Sports Writers Association second-team all-state honors as an athlete and is expected to receive all-state honors again in 2020.

McCray is a late addition to the Illini’s 2021 recruiting class that had 14 early signees but the Alabama native is the first running back committed to the class. If McCray arrives on the Illinois campus in the fall, he’ll be expected to be one of six scholarship tailbacks on the Illini roster along with junior Mike Epstein, sophomore Chase Brown, sophomore Jakari Norwood, redshirt freshman Nick Fedanzo and freshman Reggie Love.