RONDALE MOORE, ADRIAN MARTINEZ AND OTHER BIG TEN PLAYERS DISCUSS RECRUITING INTEREST FROM OHIO STATE, WHY THEY CHOSE THE SCHOOLS THEY DID
ANTHONY MCFARLAND, RB, MARYLAND
Like Moore, McFarland had a huge game against Ohio State’s much-maligned defense last year – running for 298 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries as Maryland pushed Ohio State to overtime in a near-upset – and he also received a scholarship offer from the Buckeyes when he was in high school.
A teammate of Ohio State defensive end Chase Young at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, McFarland received an offer from the Buckeyes in 2014, when he was just a sophomore and ranked as one of the top overall prospects in his class.
Ohio State didn’t end up pursuing McFarland aggressively, however, as J.K. Dobbins ultimately emerged as the Buckeyes’ top running back target for the class of 2017.
“They did for a little bit, for a while, my sophomore year,” McFarland said when asked how much Ohio State recruited him. “Then I think they just stopped. I think they just really stopped recruiting me.”
Even if Ohio State had made a stronger push for McFarland, it might not have ultimately made a difference, as he chose to stay in his home state and play for Maryland – after also strongly considering Miami – in order to be close to his family.
“My family always said, they don’t care where I go, they wanted what was best for me, but they always kept it real with me and said they’re not going to be able to come to a lot of games,” McFarland said. “And what kid wants to be somewhere and you see everybody else with their parents and you’re not with your parents? I’m a family person, so that’s the reason why I stayed home the most.”
McFarland said Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford expressed regret for not making a bigger effort to recruit him, however, after his big game against the Buckeyes in November.
“He came to me, put his arms around me and said, ‘I don’t know how we didn’t recruit you more.’ And I was just like, ‘Well, I’m here now, no point in you saying that,’” McFarland recalled. “But it’s all good. I got much love and respect for Ohio State, and the way they do things, the way they win, their tradition.”
Entire article:
https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...scuss-recruiting-interest-from-ohio-state-why
Interesting read as to why he didn't pick Ohio State.