Recruiting: New state champion LJ McCray "still locked in" with Gators
TALLAHASSEE — Moments after Mainland’s 21-19 win over St. Augustine in the Class 3S state championship Thursday night, Buccaneers five-star defensive lineman LJ McCray found the person holding the medals, grabbed one and put it around his neck.
He took pictures with it around his neck and in his mouth. The 6-foot-6, 260-pound McCray, a Florida commit, was enjoying the view from the top of the mountain.
“I’m a champ,” McCray said. “You can’t take that away from me. I just won state. We went last year. It’s crazy because we went last year in football … we lost by two points. We go to states in basketball, we lose again. That kind of makes it taste a little better, just because it took a long time to get here. It wasn’t easy.”
It was a stellar effort for the Buccaneers’ defense as they limited St. Augustine’s high-powered offense to just one touchdown, 12 first downs and 204 total yards of offense.
McCray had three tackles. While that’s not an eye-popping number, it’s largely a byproduct of the Yellow Jackets trying to run away from him most of the game.
“They’re pretty smart,” McCray said.
As far as his recruiting goes, McCray reiterated his commitment to the Gators but admitted he hasn’t thought too much abouti it the past few weeks.
“I’m still locked in,” he said. “For the last two weeks, with everything that’s going on with recruiting, I’ve been trying to win a state championship. I’ve done that. It’s time to focus on what’s going on in recruiting.”
McCray committed to Florida on Oct. 21, picking the Gators over Auburn, Florida State, Georgia and Miami. He said at this point, there’s not much the schools can do to sway his opinion.
“They (the Gators) have been doing a great job now,” McCray said. “I don’t think they should change anything now.
“Every in-state school, I’ve been there 1,000 times. I don’t think there’s one thing they can do. It’s just all about me and what I’m feeling.”
McCray said the recent firing of Gators co-defensive coordinator Sean Spencer caught him by surprise but won’t play a big role in his decision.
Florida is coming off a 5-7 record in Billy Napier’s second year, but McCray embraces the idea of helping rebuild a program.
“At Mainland, coach Roland’s first year, we weren’t pretty good,” McCray said. “We were 5-6, I think. Next year, we go to states. This year, again, we come to states and win it. So, it’s all about the process of building. That’s pretty cool. It makes it taste better for sure.”
Zavier Mincey ready to host head coaches
Mainland cornerback Zay Mincey won’t be making his decision official until the All-American Bowl on Jan. 6, but he will be quietly signing a National Letter of Intent on Dec. 20, the first day of the early singing period.
He said all four of his top schools — Alabama, Florida, Florida State and Miami — remain firmly in contention.
“Now we're over with football so I can really lock in and make a decision,” Mincey said.
Mincey said he’s expecting to have in-home visits this coming week with Miami (Tuesday), Florida (Wednesday) and Alabama (Thursday). He isn’t sure when Florida State will be doing an in-home visit.
Recruiting notes
Mainland senior linebacker Rodney Hill (Tulane commit) had six tackles, one sack, 1.5 tackles for loss and rushed for 28 yards and a touchdown.
St. Augustine junior wide receiver Carl Jenkins caught four passes for 72 yards and a touchdown — a 52-yard play in the fourth quarter. Jenkins has offers from several Power 5 programs, including Arkansas, Louisville, Texas A&M, UCF, Wake Forest, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
St. Augustine junior quarterback Locklan Hewlett (Wake Forest commit) completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown and an interception.
St. Augustine junior wide receiver Trenton Jones caught four passes for 39 yards and returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Recruiting: New state champion LJ McCray "still locked in" with Gators
