LJ McCray commits to Florida: Gators land 5-star defensive lineman

Billy Napier and Florida added to their top 3 recruiting class on Saturday

We finally know where the highly-coveted LJ McCray will suit up to play college football.

The five-star defensive lineman from Mainland (Florida) announced his commitment to Florida on Saturday, choosing the Gators over Florida State, Georgia and more.

McCray had recently set his decision date and cut his list down to five colleges: Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami and Auburn.

In the end, head coach Billy Napier and the Florida Gators won a recruiting battle which had reporters and fans alike watching closely until the final second.

McCray is the nation's No. 4 defensive lineman and No. 24 overall recruit in the class of 2024, per the On3 industry ranking. Both On3 and 247Sports consider McCray a top-10 recruit nationally in the senior class.

The elite defensive lineman is the third five-star commit for Florida in the 2024 recruiting cycle, joining quarterback DJ Lagway (Willis, Tex.) and safety Xavier Filsaime (McKinney, Tex.).

The Gators have the No. 3 recruiting class in the country for 2024, trailing only Georgia and Ohio State.

McCray made 47 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and three sacks as a junior last year. He also had 14 catches, two of which went for touchdowns.

(Feature photo by NADIA ZOMORODIAN/NEWS-JOURNAL/USA TODAY NETWORK)

-- Zach Shugan | zshugan@gmail.com | @SBLiveFL