DeMatha Running Back Anthony McFarland Commits To Maryland Now On Play

Anthony McFarland is taking his talents to College Park. In a commitment announcement that took two hours and three modes of transportation, the DeMatha running back committed to play college football at Maryland on Friday. Bleacher Report streamed his (drawn out) announcement on Snapchat. 

When he told viewers, “Come take this journey with me,” as he left DeMatha, McFarland certainly meant it. He took a black Chevy Suburban from the Hyattsville, Md., school to a nearby Metro station, and rode the train to Reagan National Airport in the District.“

I gotta go catch a flight,” he said after stepping of the Suburban at the airport.Inside the terminal he flashed boarding passes for flights to both Miami and Tuscaloosa, Ala., before walking through security and chowing down on & pizza.

After the flight took off, he announced his commitment to the Terrapins, petting mascot Testudo on the nose. “Go Terps,” he said to the camera. “This wasn’t an easy decision,” he wrote in a subsequent snap. “It’s been an honor.” McFarland missed his senior season with a broken fibula, but that didn’t stop college football programs pursuing the top-60 tailback. 

He led DeMatha in rushing as a sophomore with 1,124 yards on 111 carries. Last year, he compiled more than 900 combined rushing and receiving yards on the team’s march to the WCAC title.He chose between Maryland, Miami and Alabama. 

“I got two paths I can take: stay home or new home?” he said on Snapchat from the back of a black Chevy Suburban.Stags Coach Elijah Brooks called McFarland the team’s “home run hitter” this preseason and planned to showcase him in the backfield, from the slot and on defense this fall.

Instead, McFarland went down in a scrimmage against Pallotti and underwent preseason surgery. DeMatha turned to Khory Spruill in the backfield, who rushed for 868 yards and 8 touchdowns on 186 carries. The Stags won their fourth straight conference championship.

The Terrapins had six players on last season’s roster from DeMatha, and Maryland Coach DJ Durkin continues to bolster the short pipeline from Hyattsville to College Park. Stags offensive lineman Marcus Minor is also committed to Maryland and is expected to sign with the Terps on Wednesday. As McFarland’s former Stags teammate DJ Turner put it minutes after McFarland’s Announcemen.