5-Star DL Finalizing his Gators pledge, LJ McCray signs with Florida…

Florida’s Gainsville — On Wednesday, Early National Signing Day, standout in-state defender LJ McCray announced that he had officially committed to Florida by signing his National Letter of Intent with the Gators.

McCray’s signing was revealed after reports surfaced of Florida’s planned hiring of Tulane assistant Gerald Chatman to fill its vacant defensive line coaching position.

The five-star trench player, who is ranked as the No. 8 defensive lineman and No. 35 overall prospect in the cycle, is a native of Daytona Beach, Florida. He is the second-highest-rated commit for the Gators.

He just got a huge boost after an extremely successful senior year at Mainland High School. Over the course of three years and 35 games, he finished his prep career with 133 tackles, 62 tackles for loss, 18 sacks, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, five pass breakups, and one interception.

The 6-foot-6, 265-pound defensive end prospect — who has seen time at nearly every spot in the trenches for the Buccaneers — endured a busy recruitment process, pursued by a bevy of the nation’s top programs before his Oct. 21 commitment to UF.

The considerable interest from the high-level institutions came for good reason, given the impressive strength, length and functional athleticism he sports to make a frequent impact on opposing teams in the backfield.

McCray’s potential to command a role in the Florida defense as a true freshman is encapsulated in his ability to use his long limbs and grip strength to latch onto ball carriers moving into other holes against the run. McCray continues to develop as a pass rusher, accounting for 13 sacks as a senior.

He will presumably play in the edge rushers coach Mike Peterson’s lineup as a rotational F-end.

In the face of late pushes from a few programs on the rise, most notably Florida State and Auburn, McCray stuck to his commitment to the Gators. Despite the fact that his planned 11:00 a.m. signing ceremony was postponed by several hours, he finally completed the transaction on Wednesday.