Q&A With Head Coach of Pitt WR Target Demetrice McCray

Among the most highly anticipated names on the Pitt Panthers' official visitors list ahead in June is Demetrice McCray.

Out of Orlando, the 2026 wide receiver is entering his senior season in the fall after recording 36 catches for 894 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024. Boston College, Illinois, Kansas State, Louisville, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, Purdue, West Virginia, and many others took note and extended offers.

To learn more about the big-time playmaker, On SI connected with The First Academy head coach Jeff Conaway on Friday, May 2.

That conversation is laid out below.

For Pitt fans reading this who may be familiar with Demetrice McCray but only on the surface, what should they know about him?

“Demetrice reminds me of a Deebo Samuel for the 49ers in that he is extremely versatile, strong, powerful, explosive kid that could play inside, outside receiver, could line up at running back, could play wildcat quarterback, definitely could play in the secondary or outside linebacker, because he's well put together.

“He's 6-1, 190 pounds, has got a good frame on him, strong kid. Like I said, can do a lot of different things, and so I think, overall, that's really his strength. That's really his strength is his versatility.”

CONGRATULATIONS to our @bighitslive WEEK 2 OFFENSIVE “DUDE” of the WEEK, @DemetriceMccr13, from @Royals__FB‼️

The 3⭐️ 2026 ATH had a massive game vs Edgewater with 6 catches for 176 yards & 2 TDs, including the GAME WINNER with a minute left, in a STUNNING 28-24 Comeback WIN‼️ pic.twitter.com/HuSeARsipE
— Central Florida HS Scoreboard (@HSFB_Scoreboard) September 12, 2024

Receivers aren't pigeonholed as much these days with the way the game has changed. A slot receiver isn't literally confined to the slot, he moves around, and so on. Putting that aside, though, if we're talking field, boundary, slot, generally speaking, where does Demetrice fit best in terms of his style of play?

“We love to use him to the field to get him in space. Typically, the way that we look at it, when we're trying to get him in space, we utilize him in the field. When we're trying to get matchups, we might utilize him a little bit more on the boundary.

“He does a great job when he has the football in his hands. He's hard to tackle. He is a physical kid, runs the football very physically.

“So, in my opinion, he's a space guy. When we do put him to the field, he's a matchup problem. When we put him into the boundary and when we start moving him around, and not only by formations but with motions and shifts, he really does become a mismatch.

“(He's) one of those offensive players that I believe a lot of defensive coordinators, they want to know where he's at and why he's there all the time.”

Outside of his skill set and position fit, when it comes to the locker room, off the field, as a teammate, what can you tell us about Demetrice?

“He is a loving young man, and he doesn't say just a whole lot. He's relatively a quiet kid. He's got three little sisters that he takes care of. Dad is not in the picture, and so he has really been a brother, but he's also been dad to those three little girls.

“He knows how to love well. What I love about him is just his heart. He's a kid that'll give me a big hug and tell me that he loves me, and you don't get that all the time from 17, 18-year old kids playing football.

“He does play basketball as well. He's a very athletic basketball player. He played basketball for our team this year, and he's the guy on the team (where) they're going to alley-oop him from an inbounds play. Just watching him go out there and play the game of basketball above the rim was a lot of fun for us this year. Runs track a little bit. Just a fun kid.

“He has been forced to grow up quickly, and got baptized here at our school last year, gave his life to the Lord and got baptized.

“He really is a young man that I feel like is going to be successful. He's going to do some things that maybe his dad didn't accomplish. He's going to set those standards and expectations high, and he's going to go and meet him.”

Well, it sounds like he's one of the most special players you've coached, and not based solely on his talent. Is that about right?

"He is. He is very special. And Pitt actually had two of their coaches here today. They're on him big, and he's got an official visit set up in June to go to Pitt."

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt