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Sophomore EDGE rusher LJ McCray will miss time with a lower-body injury he suffered last week during fall camp practice, Gators On3’s Zach Abolverdi reports.
When McCray did not participate in practice last Thursday, his absence sparked questions about what was wrong. After being a non-participant during Saturday’s scrimmage and Monday’s practice, news broke Monday night about his then-disclosed injury.
BREAKING: Florida EDGE LJ McCray is sidelined with a lower body injury he sustained in practice last week, multiple sources tell @GatorsOnline.
His injury is not major and he has a timeline to return.
DETAILS: https://t.co/e8QPDXOfgG pic.twitter.com/i4Xc2vyon3
— Zach Abolverdi (@ZachAbolverdi) August 11, 2025
Abolverdi reports that McCray injured himself in a pile-up sometime last week, and the team has listed him as week-to-week. They do not consider the injury major or season-ending, and he will not need surgery during recovery.
With the Gators’ first game against Long Island University on Aug. 30, it is unclear if the Daytona native will be ready by then.
As a freshman, McCray played in all 13 games, made 13 tackles—three solo and 10 assisted—and tied for second on the team with five quarterback hurries. Tyler Miles, UF’s director of strength and conditioning, has raved about McCray’s offseason body transformation.
“Honestly, he probably had one of the best offseasons out of anybody. He gained like 40 pounds in each one of his lifts, PR’d by 40 pounds. You can see it now in his arms. He’s more thicker with more muscle,” Miles said via Swamp247 Graham Hall. “He had a phenomenal offseason.”
The Gators expect McCray to move to the JACK position this year following Jack Pyburn’s transfer to LSU this offseason. While he won’t start, as that will go to senior George Gumbs Jr., McCray will work his way into the bigger role, where he should be able to take that year two jump.
This article will be updated when new information is released.
