Spring Game Highlights: Pitt Football Commit Demetrice McCray

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Panthers on SI
By Kevin Sinclair | Last updated May 19, 2025 3:00 PM ET

IG: Royals_fb

After committing to the Pitt Panthers two weeks ago, soon-to-be senior receiver Demetrice McCray was making plays in preseason action.

The three-star Pitt pledge and The First Academy (Orlando, Fla.) took on Lake Mary High School in a Thursday night spring game.

McCray is just one ranked prospect among many in his program. The Royals are led by four-star interior offensive linemen Chancellor Barclay (2026 Clemson commit) and Reed Ramsier (2027), four-star safety Devin Jackson (2026), and high-three-star cornerbacks Danny Odem (2026) and David Coleman Jr. (2027) among others.

In fact, collectively, the aforementioned athletes make up roughly half of the Power Four-bound talent The First Academy features this year.

It's why the Royals had no problem handling Lake Mary last week, a varsity squad led by four-star Notre Dame quarterback commit Noah Grubbs and four-star 2027 defensive line recruit Santana Harvey.

BRL Films on YouTube compiled highlights from the spring contest, including multiple receptions from the three-star Pitt Panthers commit.

First, at the 2:21 mark, McCray is first targeted on a quick screen, fending off contact to pick up a few extra yards along the sideline.

Shortly thereafter, at the 4:02 mark, McCray elevated overtop a defensive back roughly 30 yards from scrimmage, snatching the ball out of the air around midfield. Quickly gathering his feet after the catch, initially squaring off with the defender, McCray juked and powered his way to an additional 25 yards after the catch.

The Meat Shop @DemetriceMccr13 is open in Seminole county! Making a beautiful adjustment to a ball and showing why he is one of the wideouts in the state! #Dioko pic.twitter.com/5uL7iZVb1Z
— The First Academy Football (@Royals__FB) May 16, 2025

At the 5:44 mark, working toward the sideline in the right flat, a ball is thrown high and behind. However, McCray made an outstanding adjustment, notching the sprawling catch, and scampering for more than 20 yards thereafter.

Later in the preseason matchup, an exciting play at the 8:18 mark, rising junior Omyry Hickson Jr. danced and juked and accelerated his way through the Lake Mary defense on a 43-yard touchdown. McCray came through with a key and physical block within the final 20-yards, creating enough space for his teammate to cruise into the end zone.

Finally, before he came off the field for the night, McCray broke off a route when his quarterback was under pressure and forced out of the pocket. Although the coverage was initially well-placed, the Pitt commit managed to work his way back toward the sideline where he made his fourth and final catch of the night, surpassing 100 receiving yards on Thursday.

The First Academy came out on top with a 37-3 preseason win.

McCray appears to be a nice score for Panthers offensive coordinator Kade Bell and his staff.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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