Bees' McCray could play right away at DE for Hokies

Zack McCray’s outlook changed significantly the moment he heard Jason Worilds had declared for the NFL draft.

When Worilds decided in January to leave Virginia Tech after his junior season, it opened a large hole for the Hokies at defensive end. And it created a major opportunity for McCray to possibly play right away.

McCray, a 6-foot-5, 235-pound Brookville senior and one of the prizes of Tech’s 2010 football recruiting class, could be an impact player sooner than even he expected. And he expected to play early, one of the reasons he chose the Hokies over the likes of Alabama and LSU.

“It kind of blew my mind, because I didn’t think that was going to happen,” McCray said of Worilds’ decision to declare for the draft. “I at least thought I would go in there and maybe redshirt a year and learn behind Jason.

“Then he declared for the draft, and I got a call, ’Zack, you’ve got to be ready to come in here and compete for a position as soon as you get here.’ That’s what I’ve been doing, trying to prepare and work hard so I can come in and compete.”

McCray, who signed his letter of intent Wednesday, said many people, from his future teammates to Hokies coach Frank Beamer, have told him to be ready to battle for playing time when he arrives for fall camp.

“We want him to be prepared and come in here and challenge for some playing time at defensive end,” Beamer said. “We think he can.

“Physically, he’s got the credentials there. Then after that, it’s just a matter of getting strong and getting some knowl-edge. He’ll have that opportunity, and I could see (McCray playing early) possibly happening.”

Tech lost both of its starting defensive ends from last year’s team. In addition to Worilds, the Hokies also bid adieu to Nekos Brown, who graduated after a strong senior season.

When spring practice begins March 31, Tech will have only three defensive ends with game experience — junior con-verted tight end Chris Drager (31 career games), senior Steven Friday (24) and sophomore Isaiah Hamlette (six career snaps).

Next in line is a group of inexperienced redshirt freshmen, which includes J.R. Collins, Duan Perez-Means and James Gayle.

Then there are 2010 recruits McCray, the eighth-best defensive end prospect in the country according to Rivals.com, Derrick Hopkins and Justin Taylor.

McCray said he’s working extra hard in the weight room, and he’s been studying Virginia Tech’s 2009 game film in hopes of coming into fall camp a step ahead of the competition.

“In the weight room, it’s just a whole other level,” McCray said. “When I go lifting, I have workout books, and I look at that, but now that I know there’s a chance I might be playing, there’s a lot more weight on the bars.”

McCray only played two full high school seasons at defensive end, but that was all college recruiters needed to see.

He made a cameo appearance at defensive end at the tail end of his sophomore season with the Bees, and from watching that little bit of game tape, West Virginia and Wake Forest offered him scholarships to play end.

Then came his junior season, during which he racked up 20 sacks in helping lead Brookville to the Group AA, Division 3, championship game.

After his junior year, the scholarship offers really started rolling in.

In the end, McCray chose the Hokies because he saw a chance to play defensive end, not tight end or linebacker like some other schools were talking, and he saw an opportunity to possibly play early.

“He’s a no-brainer. Everybody in the country wanted him,” Tech defensive line coach Charley Wiles said. “All the tools that he has and abilities that he has, and then you couple it with what kind of person he is and those intangibles — he’s dependable, reliable, a very character kid.

“He’s going to make everybody better in our program. He’s just going to have an outstanding career, there’s no doubt in my mind about it.”

There’s just something about McCray that screams success.

“I’ll be shocked if he’s not a guy who has a heck of a career here,” Wiles said.