McCray keeps Rebs 'in the hunt'

D' Angelo McCray (DL, Jacksonville, FL) - One of the nation's top defensive linemen - D'Angelo McCray - came to Ole Miss on an official visit this weekend and left Oxford with a good taste in his mouth. Read about it inside.

"My visit to Ole Miss was cool, better than I thought it would be," said D'Angelo McCray, who is ranked the number 3 defensive linemen in the country and a five-star recruit by Scout.com. "I hung out with my boys, Mike Hicks and Jamal Harvey, who I was teammates with at Andrew Jackson HS. We had a good time."

McCray, who will turn 18 in February of 2007, said he enjoyed the Ole Miss atmosphere.

"I can see why Jamal and Mike like it there. The atmosphere is really nice. I was told the facilities were nice, but they were better than I expected when I saw them and toured them," he stated. "The coaches I met and the other players I met were cool too. They are all on the same page."

McCray said Ole Miss weighed him in at 290 pounds and measured him at 6-4.

"I'm a little bigger than I thought I was," he laughed. "I only got to play in seven games my senior year becasue I tore a meniscus, so I guess I put on a few pounds."

In those seven games, McCray registered "about 40 tackles, 8 or 9 sacks and 12 tackles for loss," but he was more proud of his tight end exploits.

"I know I won't be a tight end in college, but I like playing that position. I caught nine balls for 200 yards and 3 TDs before I got hurt," McCray stated.

McCray met with Rebel Coach Ed Orgeron this morning in a one-on-one meeting and said that went fine, too.

"Coach O was great when we met. It went real good. He didn't try to pressure me. He just showed me how I could help the program and told me to make my decision on which school fit me the best," D'Angelo stated.

So, where does D'Angelo stand with his recruitment now?

"I have one more visit to take - Florida State next weekend. Then I will make my decision between FSU, Illinois and Ole Miss," he answered.

McCray would not discuss a "lean" on his decision at this time because he will make his announcement on ESPN December 14th, but he did give us a little insight.

"Ole Miss is definitely in the hunt," he said quickly.

McCray bench presses 340 pounds and cleans 295. All-State in Florida has not come out yet, but he has already made All-Conference, All-District and Al-Region.

He expounded on his strengths as a DL.

"I get off blocks quickly and I have a nose for the ball," he closed. "I will have to work on using my hands when I get to college and I will need to get stronger, but I've got time for all that. Like I said, I'm only 17."

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