Anthony McFarland made shock waves when he committed to Maryland. Those shock waves continued on the field. In 23 games with the Terrapins, McFarland rushed for 1,648 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the fourth round of this year’s NFL Draft.
The Steelers have been searching for a long-term solution since Le’Veon Bell departed for the New York Jets last year. If one asks former USC great Reggie Bush, the Steelers may have found that solution in McFarland. In fact, Bush thinks McFarland could be better than Bell after all.
“I think he has the ability to be just as good as Le’Veon Bell, if not better,” Bush said while appearing on FOX’s Football Now.
That’s some high praise for McFarland, especially coming from such a legendary college running back in Bush. In six seasons with the Steelers, Bell garnered the reputation as the best all-around running back in the NFL. He made three Pro Bowls and was a two-time All-Pro.
But McFarland does present an incredible knack to break just about any touch he has as exemplified by a collegiate career-high 298 yards as a freshman against Ohio State. In that game he had runs of 52, 75 and 81 yards. He averaged 6.7 yards per carry throughout his career at Maryland. While seldom used in the passing game, McFarland has the hands, speed and route skills to be an effective receiver out of the backfield, much like Bell.
“The kid can flat-out fly,” Bush added. “He’s explosive. He is a game-breaking type of player.”
McFarland doesn’t have the same size of Bell at 5-foot-8, 208 pounds. Additionally, he had to overcome injuries dating back to high school that included a high-ankle sprain that hampered him last season. Yet, he is still explosive and showcased his blazing speed with a 4.44 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.
McFarland joins a backfield in Pittsburgh that consists of James Conner, Benny Snell and Jaylen Samuels.
