LJ McCray’s 2025 season was derailed by injuries. A knee injury sidelined him for most of fall camp and the season opener. He returned in Florida’s Week 2 matchup against USF, only to play just four snaps before breaking his foot and missing the rest of the season.
The injury presented a new challenge for McCray, both mentally and physically, but it also gave him a different perspective on football. For the first time in his career, he was forced to watch an entire season from the sideline, allowing him to mature and realize just how much the game meant to him.
“It definitely hurt me a lot. I mean, no one wants that to ever happen, and I put my head down to work to get back, and then for that to happen, four plays in, hurt me a lot,” McCray said. “But I think it might have been needed for my development. 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.”
The frustration eventually turned into motivation. Watching his team practice and play without him was difficult, but it fueled McCray’s desire to get back on the field. Being around the team without being able to contribute gave him a greater sense of urgency to return and be there for his teammates.
“Maybe two weeks after, like, I’m really seeing my team out there, like, I really want to play with them,” McCray said. “I’m coming to the game. I’m sitting in meetings, sitting through practice, that was my first time ever experiencing that. I think that really put a chip on my shoulder for me to get back and be strong for my team.”
McCray is back on the football field and looks more explosive than ever. He looks like an entirely different player entering his third year. The 6-foot-6, 277-pound edge rusher added 21 pounds of lean muscle while increasing his top speed from 18.50 mph to 20.31 mph. McCray also power cleaned 365 pounds, an impressive feat for someone of his stature.
He credits much of his physical transformation to Director of Football Performance Rusty Whitt and Florida’s revamped strength and conditioning program.
“I definitely feel way different, way stronger, more sturdy, more agile,” McCray said. “I think Coach Whitt has done a great job as well, training room, I think they’ve just been doing a great job, helping me get through it, and making me stronger and getting even better than I was before.”
The Daytona Beach, Florida, native was recently named to Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List, coming in at No. 33 among the rankings of college football’s top athletes.
“I think that’s just a testament to the work I’ve been putting in. I mean, I stayed down, put my head down. Now it’s time for people to see it,” McCray said.
McCray came into college as a five-star recruit and the No. 1 defensive lineman in the 2024 recruiting class. While it would be easy to feel pressure from those expectations, he isn’t worried about living up to them. He’s focused on putting his best foot forward and continuing to improve.
“I think I’m just going out there to be the best I can,” McCray said. “Pressure is a privilege, and it’s a privilege to be in the position I’m in.”