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Florida great Brandon Spikes recruiting top in-state prospect for Gators

On3 imageby:Joe Spears07/24/23

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LJ McCray
Photo by Chad Simmons/On3

Brandon Spikes cemented his legacy as a Florida great following his four-year stretch playing for the Gators from 2006-2009. Now he seems to be looking for that next great defensive player to make a name for themself in Gainesville.

Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland four-star defensive lineman LJ McCray may just be that guy.

Florida put a tweet out on Sunday showing a video of what life is like for players on campus that Spikes quote tweeted with “@LJMcCray11 cmon and eat big dawg”. McCray responded with an emoji of a goat.

Florida currently is the favorite to land a pledge from McCray according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). The Gators sit with a 32.6% chance to land him while Florida State is at 20.5% and Auburn’s at 14.1%. Georgia and Miami both have an 8.9% chance to pick up a pledge from McRay.

Landing a commitment from McCray would be a huge win for Billy Napier. They currently have the third-ranked class in the 2024 cycle.

The 6-foot-6.5, 260-pound defensive lineman is the No. 46 overall prospect and No. 9 defensive lineman in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 7 player in Florida.

According to the Industry Comparison, On3 ranks McCray higher than the other major recruiting outlets. Per the 2024 On300, McCray is ranked as the No. 34 player in the country, the No. 7 defensive lineman and No. 6 player in Florida.

McCray has visited Florida several times throughout his recruitment. He does not plan to announce a commitment decision until after he officially visits Florida State the weekend of Oct. 7.

“I mean, they’re in a different situation in that Coach Napier is in Year 2 and what he’s building — he’s definitely building something there,” McCray told On3. “Just being around him and seeing how detailed he is about everything. And how everything is perfected. You know why he does everything. He’s super articulate. And just the recruiting class. They’re recruiting pretty good guys. Me talking to the guys that have committed there, they’re definitely pretty cool people. Down-to-earth people. So you’re not just recruiting anybody.”

Spikes the perfect mentor for McCray

If there was ever a former Florida defensive standout for McCray to be recruited by and learn from, it would Spikes.

After playing some during his freshman year and watching the Gators win a national title that season, Spikes came into his own as a sophomore. That season he recorded 131 tackles and 16 tackles loss.

Spikes would go on to finish his college career with 307 total tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and six interceptions. He was a two-time BCS National Champion, a three-time SEC first-team selection, a two-time consensus All-American. The New England Patriots selected him in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft.

In a seven-year NFL career, Spikes recorded 349 total tackles, forced six fumbles and had two interceptions.