Florida football recruiting: Five-star defender LJ McCray commits to Gators in huge win over rivals

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Image Credit: UAA

There’s no such thing as the bye week blues this season for the Florida Gators. At least not after five-star defensive lineman LJ McCray (Daytona Beach, FL) announced his commitment to the Gators on Saturday afternoon.

McCray (6-foot-6, 260 pounds), the nation’s No. 6 overall prospect per 247Sports, pledged to Florida out of a stacked offer list including UF’s chief rivals Florida State and Georgia, as well as Miami and Auburn. He is rated as a four-star prospect slotted No. 106 overall in the 247Sports Composite.

The addition of McCray is another massive recruiting win for Gators head coach Billy Napier, who continues to build a tremendous Class of 2024.

Though McCray’s commitment does not push Florida higher than the No. 3 spot it has long held in the 247Sports team rankings, it does give the Gators a third five-star pledge this cycle. The only programs with three or more such commitments are Georgia (No. 1) and Ohio State (No. 2).

McCray is now the highest-rated player in Florida’s class edging five-stars quarterback DJ Lagway (Willis, TX) and cornerback Xavier Filsaime (McKinney, TX), who are respectively ranked No. 16 and No. 32 overall. He is also the highest-rated defensive line recruit for the Gators since Ronald Powell, Sharrif Floyd and Dominique Easley, who were three of the top four players in the Class of 2010, though he might end up being the most impactful such player since Carlos Dunlap.

Napier is in the midst of developing Florida’s highest-ranked and highest-rated high school recruiting class in 14 years.