LJ McCray needs to turn his freakish athleticism into on-field production for Florida

LJ McCray has always been an athletic freak, but now it's time for the former five-star prospect to carry those superior physical traits onto the football field.

McCray was one of two Florida Gators named on Bruce Feldman's list of 101 athletic freaks in college football. The edge rusher from Daytona Beach came in at No. 33. Another edge rusher, Jayden Woods, was No. 5, and that checks out.

But whereas Woods has already shown the potential and upside on the football field, we're still waiting to see if McCray's production can catch up to his potential. 

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Feldman writes: 

"The 6-7, 270-pounder improved his top-end speed from 18.5 mph to 20.31 mph and added 21 pounds of lean muscle mass, according to Florida strength coach Rusty Whitt. He also power cleaned 365 pounds, which, for a guy as tall as McCray, is extremely impressive."

LJ McCray is a physical freak, but will he be a better football player?

McCray isn't the first former five-star prospect to have these questions about him after a couple of lackluster years. Last year, McCray's season ended almost as soon as it started, playing just a few snaps in the South Florida game before a foot injury put him on the shelf for the rest of the season.

This is McCray's third year and something has to give. His production comes down to a decent game against FCS opponent Samford and a half sack against UCF when he was a true freshman in 2024. I think some fans were a little surprised that McCray didn't enter the transfer portal when the coaching change was made, but the hope is that Jon Sumrall's intense style of coaching will be what he needs.

READ MORE: These Gators went from afterthoughts to must-play options after a strong spring

There's going to be a fight to get in the defensive line rotation and Sumrall believes that he has a deep group to work with.

"You've got Cam James, and you've got Emmanuel Oyebadejo and you've got LJ McCray. I'm like, all right, we've got a chance over there. There are a lot of guys in that room that I think can play winning football," Sumrall said during the spring. 

This is the time for McCray to show Sumrall that he can be one of those guys. If it doesn't happen in 2026, it's probably not going to happen in Gainesville because Sumrall isn't going to wait around any longer. He'll recruit over him and McCray will likely move on to another program. 

So, yes, McCray looks amazing coming off the bus. He can run fast. He can throw up a bunch of weight, and he has all the tools that make you think he can be a special football player. Everyone is rooting for McCray, but he has to deliver.

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