by Recruiting Guru » Sat Dec 27, 2003 11:08 pm
That's true, McCray is headed to the secondary, and according to the coaches I've talked to, he has a chance to be exceptional, not just good.
First of all, he's a very smart, versatile guy who has played a number of positions, and who has played many roles within a single position (i.e. dropping into deep coverage from his LB spot -- almost like an extra safety). He runs very well and absolutely loves to hit people. Second, when he gets thicker and stronger, he's going to have receivers looking for him before they go over the middle. As it is, he's still pretty thin, and is one of the hardest hitters we've seen all year. He keeps his shoulders low and explodes into ball carriers, using his lower-body strength to drive through players. He's a very sure, fundamentally sound tackler.
Third, his understanding of defensive football is well ahead of that shown by many players coming out of high school, and therefore, he makes excellent reads and quick decisions and reactions. The LaMarque coaches have him do so many things within their defense that he should make the adjustment to the college game pretty rapidly.