McCray to see several schools

D'Angelo McCray is moving on.

One of the nation's top defensive line prospects, the Jacksonville (Fla.) Andrew Jackson prospect made a verbal commitment to Florida early in the process, but backed out of his pledge to the Gators in July. He has since been focusing on a handful of programs that are in the running for his services and has been setting up several visits.

"I'm going to visit Florida State, Illinois, USC, South Carolina and Ole Miss," he said. "I'm also going to Georgia Tech when they play Notre Dame (Sept. 2), but that won't be an official."

McCray plans to take only two of his five official visits during the season.

McCray's visit to Illinois will be the weekend of Oct. 7, which will be homecoming in Champaign. The Fighting Illini will play host to Indiana. The following weekend, Oct. 14, McCray will travel to Los Angeles to see Southern California play host to Arizona State.

"I have a bye week one of those weeks," he said. "Then we have a Thursday night game another one of those weeks, so I should be able to fit it in."

He will make an unofficial visit to Tallahassee, Fla., the weekend of Nov. 25, to watch Florida State play host to Florida and hopes to make it to Columbia, S.C., the weekend of Sept. 9, to watch South Carolina play host to Georgia.

Previous reports put him in Gainesville, Fla., to watch the Gators play host to Central Florida the weekend of Sept. 9. McCray said he had no plans to visit Florida again at this time.

He will visit the Seminoles, Gamecocks and Ole Miss officially after the season.

"That's what it's looking like right now," McCray said.

Two teams currently stand out in terms of their pursuit of McCray, but all of his finalists are coming after him,

"Probably Florida State and South Carolina are recruiting me the hardest," he said. "But all of them really are even. All of those schools are really even."

In addition to planning visits, McCray has been thinking about what is important to him with regards to a college decision.

"Earlier I was thinking about playing time," McCray said. "But I don't really care about playing time. I just want to go somewhere where I like the position coach and where I can play for whoever I can get along with the best."

McCray, who could potentially play any position on the offensive or defensive line, also said he had no preference as to where specifically he was used and that it's not how much he is used, but rather how early.

"I'll play offensive line if it will help the team," he said. "Whatever will get me on the field early."

McCray previously had expressed an interest in playing college football with running back Troy Pollard, his high school teammate and the nation's No. 50 prospect at his position. While McCray is still highly interested in playing with Pollard, he admits that it may not happen.

"I'm not really counting on it, but I would like that," McCray said. "Most people think wherever he goes I'm going, but it's not like that. If it's a fit for me, it's probably not a fit for him and vice versa."

McCray has an idea of when he will announce his decision.

"If I make the All-Star game, I may do it there," he said. "If not, it will be a Signing Day decision."

McCray is the No. 4 strongside defensive end prospect nationally according to Rivals.com.