After early scare Gators sign 5-star defensive lineman to LOI

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Florida has signed elite defensive lineman LJ McCray on Wednesday despite reports that he would hold out.

McCray is the defensive crown jewel of the class, especially with five-star safety Xavier Filsaime flipping to Texas. He appeared locked in with the Gators for months, but the firing of defensive line coach Sean Spencer put things into question with the early signing period looming.

Both Auburn and Florida State made strong pushes for McCray, and reports surfaced earlier in the day that he would not be signing. With that said, locking up McCray is a massive win for Billy Napier and Co.

Florida still needs to hire a defensive coordinator, but the job should be easy to fill with McCray in tow.

5-Star, No. 1 Defensive Lineman in the state of Florida is staying HOME!!! Coming soon to a backfield near you.

Welcome to The Swamp, @LJMcCray11!#2THESW4MP pic.twitter.com/5u0fjskQZ0

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 20, 2023

There’s a real chance for McCray to make an immediate impact in Gainesville. He can afford to put on more weight at 6-foot-6-inches and 260 pounds, which will make him bigger than most SEC offensive linemen. The ceiling is high here, but Florida needs to have the right coach develop him into the best pass rusher he can be.

McCray is ranked No. 35 overall and No. 8 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 23 and 4, respectively.

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By: David Rosenberg
Title: After early scare Gators sign 5-star defensive lineman to LOI
Sourced From: gatorswire.usatoday.com/2023/12/20/florida-football-recruiting-lj-mccray-signs/
Published Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2023 00:03:48 +0000

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