Four-star class of 2017 running back-receiver Anthony McFarland announced on Friday that he is committed to play football at Maryland, over Miami and Alabama.
4-star Anthony McFarland commits to Maryland after airplane fake-out on Snapchat
Kids these days.
He played in high school at DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville, Md., just minutes from Maryland’s campus.
McFarland’s commitment was a long and drawn-out one. It was first announced that he would be verbally committing at 10 a.m. ET, and that it would be done through Bleacher Report’s Snapchat account. What came next was a series of snaps that drew the entire commitment process out for hours.
First, he took a car and later a train to talk about the schools he was considering.
Next, he was seen what appeared to be outside of an airport, where he informed us he “needed to catch a flight.” He then was seen holding two tickets, to Tuscaloosa and Miami.
We then had some fun footage of McFarland going through security and eating some pizza. Next: He’s on a plane!
Next on the story was him taking off from Arlington, Va. After that, a snap of McFarland in a car (again) saying that his commitment was coming next.
Then, we saw him rubbing the nose of Testudo, a bronze statue of Maryland’s mascot. Rubbing his nose is considered good luck.
Here’s Testudo Times on the pick-up for Maryland.
He’s been one of Maryland’s most sought-after targets throughout the Class of 2017. McFarland can play both as a running back and a slot receiver, and should give offensive coordinator a bevy of options to go along with what’s already some electrifying backfield talent. Ty Johnson returns for his junior year after averaging 8.9 yards per carry, and shifty freshman Lorenzo Harrison might be returning to the team after his suspension for his role in that airsoft gun incident.
McFarland goes to school just down the road from Maryland at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville. His teammate, five-star defensive end Chase Young, committed to Ohio State in July. Blue-chip DeMatha offensive lineman Marcus Minor committed to Maryland in August.
McFarland is the No. 100 prospect in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite, and the No. 3 “all-purpose back.” He’s Maryland’s No. 2 player, only behind five-star Ohio State defensive end pledge Chase Young.
What exactly McFarland’s college career will hold is unclear. He missed almost all of his senior season with a torn ACL, but he figures to be ready for action by next season. The more pressing question about McFarland is where he’ll play.
He was long regarded primarily as a running back, but he’s a good route-runner who’s also gotten plenty of looks as a slot receiver. He told SB Nation last summer that he’d play anywhere, even if that meant lining up as a gunner on the punting unit.
Maryland wanted McFarland to be a centerpiece of a surprisingly strong class that’s centered on local prospects, including a four-star offensive tackle, Marcus Minor, who was his high school teammate.
