LJ McCray isn't taking anything for granted heading into a pivotal season at Florida

All the signs are there for LJ McCray to have a big season for the Florida Gators in 2026 and the former five-star recruit was recently named to the watch list for the Comeback Player of the Year, which should add to the anticipation to see him back on the field.

The Comeback Player of the Year award has been around since 2018, and it was created to recognize college football student-athletes for overcoming injury, illness, or other circumstances. There is usually more than one player that receives the award when the announcement is made at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.

One of last year's winners was Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown, who had a standout year with South Florida in 2025 and will be staring down McCray and the rest of the Gators defensive line at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 19.

Former 5-star EDGE LJ McCray is in a prove-it year with Florida

If it was simply about physical tools, McCray is among the most toolsy, enticing players in the country. He's listed at 6-foot-7 and around 270 pounds. He reportedly can hit a top speed of nearly 20 miles an hour. He's got the kind of athleticism that NFL teams look for in top-10 draft picks.

As one of the top-rated players in the Class of 2024, McCray stepped into Gainesville with crazy expectations and most fans expected immediate production. Instead, McCray performed like a freshman who was learning his way and showed some flashes. 

Then the injury came in 2025. McCray played four snaps and that was it. The Gators went 4-8, fired Billy Napier and a player that was once looked at as potentially the next Jevon Kearse, had become a forgotten man. It's a tough break for anyone, but especially someone that had such lofty expectations and has gotten shuttered in the background and written off as part of the Napier failed experiment. 

To McCray's credit, he seems to understand what's happened and hasn't let the disappointment bring him down. 

"I think it might have been needed for my development," McCray said to Ryan Roddy on the Gators official athletic website. "To even be mature, to get to this point and understand how much football really means to me. I think that was my first time ever missing a season of football, so it opened my eyes a lot. I had to grow up and mature and realize how bad I really wanted it."

In today's college football world, players of McCray's status usually leave with the outgoing coach and look for a fresh start. McCray is hanging around with the belief that this fresh start could happen in Gainesville under a new coaching staff. He's been making big gains with the brand-new conditioning program and seems legitimately motivated to make it work with the Gators.

McCray will get plenty of snaps in the first two weeks, and he'll have a chance to build some confidence for the brutal SEC schedule. If McCray is truly ready for a comeback season, the Gators will be happy to witness it. 

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