The landscape of Maryland football changed drastically over the course of two days Dec. 3-4 with announcements from the Terps’ two leading rushers stating that they will forego the remainder of their college eligibility and declare for the NFL Draft.

Redshirt sophomore Anthony McFarland, who rushed for 1,648 yards and 12 touchdowns in just 20 games played for the Terps, was the first to take the plunge to the pros, followed a day later by his junior teammate Javon Leake, who led Maryland in rushing this season with 736 yards on the ground and is currently tied for fourth in the FBS in yards per carry (7.2) on top of being named the Big Ten return specialist of the year.

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Collectively, the two standout tailbacks combined for more than 37 percent of Maryland’s offensive yards in 2019, something head coach Mike Locksley and his staff will certainly have to address moving forward.

But for as big of impact as McFarland and Leake had for Maryland in their collegiate careers, both runners could have similarly large roles with their future NFL teams because of their versatility and big-play ability.

Taking a closer look at the type of pro prospects McFarland and Leake are, here’s how their draft profile breaks down.

Anthony McFarland | 5-foot-9, 198 pounds

McFarland’s M.O. is speed, speed, and more speed. With lightning-fast quickness and agility, McFarland is a former high school track star whose speed has absolutely translated onto the gridiron.

His speed makes him hard to bring down in the open field, as does his shiftiness and low center of gravity. McFarland’s field vision and burst through holes are among the best between all of the running back prospects in this year’s draft.

McFarland has shown that he has an extra gear when he sees open field and is a home run threat any time he touches the ball. But pro scouts will want to make sure he can hold up in the passing game at the next level.

The DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) product has solid hands and has even been lined up in the slot at times by the Terps, but the area he needs to improve in most is pass protection. McFarland has shown some promise here, but with only 20 career games at the college level, NFL teams will want to make sure he can consistently square up on his blocks when his quarterback drops back to pass.

But McFarland’s lack of college carries will likely work more in his favor than it will against him. When he has played, McFarland has looked like one of the best running back prospects in all of college football. No game was greater evidence of this than when he ran for 298 yards and two touchdowns against then No. 10-ranked Ohio State in 2018.

Many NFL general managers covet low-mileage college runners with immense upside such as McFarland. McFarland’s minimal wear and tear to this point should help him enter the pros with fresh legs, and if he falls into the right situation, his athleticism could make him a high-impact rookie.

McFarland certainly has the potential to be a primary ball carrier at the next level if he can sure-up his pass protection. However, it will be hard for NFL teams to trust him initially in obvious passing situations until he shows improvement in that area. His elusiveness and burst make him an ideal fit for a zone-blocking scheme at the next level, and luckily for McFarland, many NFL teams have moved to this type of running game in recent years.

McFarland is most likely a second-day draft pick, but an impressive combine performance or an NFL GM that has seen enough of his best film — both in college and high school, where he was once considered one of the best running backs in the country — could help him go higher than most initial projections.

Javon Leake | 6-foot, 206 pounds

As the second part of Maryland’s 1-2 punch in the backfield, Leake was a threat to score any time he touched the ball for the Terps. As McFarland battled through a high-ankle sprain most of this season, Leake stepped into a primary role and excelled with the increased role.

Getting it done for Maryland in the running and return games, Leake was the Terps’ most electric player on offense by year’s end and his versatility and explosion are sure to get noticed by some NFL scouts.

A runner who began his career at the bottom of Maryland’s loaded running back depth chart, Leake has shown the work ethic and attitude desired by pro teams as he worked himself into becoming a huge asset to the Terps. Leake played in a limited role throughout his collegiate career, but the North Carolina native was still able to compile 1,143 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns on just 145 career carries. With kickoff and sometimes punt return duties also on his plater, Leake was rarely asked to carry a heavy workload out of the backfield for Maryland. However, with McFarland out of the lineup due to injury, he showed what he can do with a full complement of carries, toting the ball a career-high 23 times for 158 yards and two touchdowns against Indiana Oct. 19.

Leake not only made his presence felt on the ground this season, but he also returned two kickoffs for touchdowns — a 100-yarder at Rutgers and a 97-yarder against Michigan. Leake’s 804 return yards this season led the Big Ten and ranked third in the FBS. He was named the conference’s top returner by the league’s coaches and media.

Leake’s versatility as a runner and returner, as well as his low mileage like McFarland, should help him climb up draft boards this spring. His athleticism, humbleness, and football IQ will likely show during the NFL’s pre-draft process, and he could end up going much earlier than initially projected, which is currently as a third-day pick or undrafted free agent.

As the lesser-known Maryland running back entering the draft, Leake very well could be one of those players who hears his name called on draft day but is met by many non-Maryland football fans saying, “Who?” But every year there are players with immense upside who fit that mold and could break out in the NFL with more opportunity than they received in college. Leake is certainly a strong candidate to fulfill that narrative and should be able to contribute in the pros right away as a return man at the very least.

Pat Donohue
Pat Donohue

Terps Analyst

Pat has been covering sports in the DMV area since 2012. He is a former Washington Redskins beat reporter for PressBoxDC.com and has been covering University of Maryland football and basketball recruiting and daily beats for Rivals.com’s Terrapin Sports Report since 2013. Pat graduated from College Park with his master’s degree in journalism and has received bylines in publications such as USA TODAY Sports, The Philadelphia Inquirer, SB Nation, and Yahoo! Sports. A Philadelphia native, Pat enjoys fishing, golfing, and playing fantasy sports when he’s not covering or watching a game.

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