Pivotal visit ahead this weekend for Florida with elite DL LJ McCray

Midway through the month of September, Florida sits at No. 3 nationally in the On3 Industry Football Team Recruiting Rankings. The Gators have put together one of their best classes in recent memory, headlined by a pair of five-stars in quarterback DJ Lagway and safety Xavier Filsaime.

Billy Napier and Co. have already landed 21 commitments this cycle, but they have their eyes locked in on a few more between now and the December early signing period. And it’d be hard to argue there’s a more important target for the Gators that Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland four-star defensive lineman LJ McCray.

The 6-foot-6, 275-pounder is one of the nation’s premier big men on the defensive side of the ball, and the Gators are right in the thick of things. He will be back in Gainesville this weekend for another visit, and according to On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons, it’s a pivotal one.

“He has a top five with Auburn in there as well, but I think Florida, Florida State, Georgia and Miami all have some level of confidence,” Simmons said Thursday during On3’s Inside Scoop recruiting show. “I think he had a very good trip to Miami for their big win over Texas A&M last weekend. But Florida has been a consistent name on that list.

… Talking to different sources, it’s always Florida State and Florida or Georgia and Florida. It’s always been Florida and somebody else as the biggest competition for LJ McCray. He’s been to Florida over half a dozen times. He’ll be there with his teammate Zay Mincey from Mainland in Daytona Beach. This is big for Florida.”

Gators on-field performance will be a big factor for McCray

After a less-than-stellar 2022 season on the field, the Gators are looking to turn that around a year later. With the Volunteers, who sit just outside the top-10 of the national polls, in town for a major showdown, they have a chance to show what they’re capable of. And seeing improvement and a program on the rise is important for Mincey.

“He knows the coaching staff well, he’s very comfortable there, he knows players there, he feels he can fit there,” Simmons added. “I think the biggest thing for Florida this weekend is their performance on the field against Tennessee. If they can show him improvement, bounce back and be competitive, win an SEC game against a very good program. Going into this visit, I think Florida is up there. I see them and Georgia as the main two at the top. Florida State still has the official visit coming up next month, and then likely a decision with Miami still there as well.”

Mincey has hinted at a commitment at the end of October, making this already important visit likely his last time in Gainesville before a decision is made.

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