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Deante McCray was preparing to suit up for Western Kentucky’s Boca Raton Bowl appearance when Florida State football first contacted him about joining the Seminoles.
The 3-star transfer had entered the NCAA transfer portal on Dec. 8, over a week before the bowl game, and he said the Seminoles reached out to him before kickoff of his final game with the Hilltoppers.
That message changed McCray’s portal plans as he traveled from Boca Raton to Tallahassee to visit the program the day after the bowl game. On Dec. 20, two days after the bowl game, he committed to FSU.
“Honestly, that was crazy. I was scheduled to go to a couple of schools actually,” McCray said. “How it happened, I was on the field during warmups during my bowl game, then Florida State hit me up interested. I told them I’ll get back with you after the game, I got to stay focused and locked in.”
“It was a crazy experience. My mom was with me, initially, we were going to Texas A&M and I was thinking about it, Florida State would make the most sense for me. … I just felt like it was the best opportunity.”
McCray, a Jacksonville native who played at Sandalwood High School, said competing at a program in Flordia’s “Big Three” is the dream for every kid who plays high school football in Florida.
While his initial high school recruitment led him to Western Kentucky, McCray said he always wanted to be a part of FSU’s program.
“It’s a blessing. Being a Florida kid you always want to go to the big three in college, which is Florida State, Florida and Miami,” McCray said. “I always wanted to be a Seminole, so it’s an honor to be here.”
McCray had success at Western Kentucky, posting 99 tackles, 3.5 sacks during his career. He earned All-Conference USA freshman honors in 2023, and All-Conference honorable mention honors in 2024.
He said the coaching staff at Western…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/fsu-footballs-deante-mccray-explains-110227161.html
Author : Tallahassee Democrat
Publish date : 2025-02-07 11:02:00
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