Florida redshirt sophomore defensive end LJ McCray has earned national recognition by being named to the 2026 College Football Comeback Player of the Year watch list on Thursday.
McCray, a former five-star prospect from Florida’s 2024 recruiting class, endured a difficult 2025 season. After missing time during fall camp with a knee injury, McCray returned to action but suffered a broken foot against South Florida in Week 2, which knocked him out for the rest of the season.
The defensive lineman’s 2025 season came after a promising freshman campaign in which he appeared in all 13 games without using his redshirt. He finished the season with 13 tackles, including one tackle for loss, while beginning to establish himself within Florida’s defensive front.
Now healthy, McCray has received plenty of praise from his teammates and Florida’s new coaching staff throughout the offseason. He reflected on the challenges of missing nearly an entire season and how the experience helped him mature.
“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 stated during fall camp.
“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.”
McCray will now have an opportunity to turn the offseason work into production during his return season.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: LJ McCray named a Comeback Player of the Year candidate
Reporting by Michael Trim Jr, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Michael Trim Jr, Gators Wire | USA TODAY Network
