Senior defensive lineman on Florida State's 2026 roster.
6′4″ · 291 lb · Jacksonville, FL · Sandalwood
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
sacks · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 2 tackles, at Alabama
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior defensive lineman on Florida State's 2026 roster.
Deante McCray
Wins his gap play after play. Two head coaches in five seasons, at two different programs. 2024 brought the first one: All-Conference USA. The receipt: 2 tackles against Alabama — Week 3, 2026.
5 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
The role got bigger.
Career arc
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-CONFERENCE USA
All-Conference USA mention (2024)
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Mike Norvell.
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Florida State | 5 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Florida State | 25 | 8 | 4.5 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Western Kentucky | 55 | 24 | 2.5 | 2.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Western Kentucky | 36 | 16 | 4.5 | 2.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Western Kentucky | 3 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 124 | 51 | 13.5 | 5.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
Game by game
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 34-17vs New Mexico State | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 2 tackles |
| Wk 1 | L 24-27vs SMU | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 2 tackles |
| Wk 3 | L 36-50@ Alabama | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Total | 5 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 34–17
1 tackles for loss · 2 tackles · 1 solo tackles
With A. Daniels — 202 yds · 1 TD · 1 INT · QBR 72.0 · 30 rush yds (8 car) · 1 TD · S. Singleton — 42 rush yds (9 car) · 1 TD
Since week 1: +3 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Road1g | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Mike Norvell
Pass share
40.5%
79 pass / 116 run
Plays / game
65.0
3 games
Team sack rate
8.8%
91 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Player standing · 2025
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Production · CFB Index Score
Three-star recruit. Now #386 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-ACC
Based on 2025: #68 of 73 ACC DLs
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Play style
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
CFB Index positional classification
Player DNA
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Dylan Horton’s 2021 season.
Matches Dylan on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Merhauti Xepera's senior season at Fresno State (2025).
Matches Merhauti on
Player DNA
ACCOLADES: 2025: FSU Team Honors - Defense Newcomer of the Year...graduated from Florida State with sociology degree in Spring 2026 2024: All-Conference USA Honorable Mention 2023: Conference USA All-Freshman Team 2025 (Redshirt Junior): Played 12 games with two starts against Miami and…
12 more on the roster · Florida State team page