Idaho prospect getting attention

Cody McCarthy has a part-time job and is saving his money mainly for summer camps across the country so he can prove to college coaches he's good enough to play high-level college football.

That's sometimes tough for players in Idaho but the 6-foot-1, 220-pound inside linebacker from Boise Bishop Kelly wants to do everything he can to get noticed by programs everywhere.

Washington State and Army have offered McCarthy so far but his list of interested schools is extensive. It includes Washington, Arizona State, Oregon State, Oregon, North Carolina, Boise State, Texas Tech, Utah, Idaho, Idaho State, Montana and Montana State.

"I've been talking to a lot of schools right now," McCarthy said. "My coach is getting a lot of phone calls every day. It's pretty exciting but it's got its ups and downs. It's exciting in a way to get all the calls but it's also nerve-wracking because you don't know what they're going to say or exactly what's going on.

"I'm going to be very busy. I'm going to travel as much as my finances allow. I got a job right now, I'm working, on top of school I'm working to raise money so I can go do these things and expand my future.

"Being from Idaho people think you're just an Idaho hillbilly. We don't have the numbers and that hurts me a little bit but I'm going to do everything I can to get out there and show people what I have."

Washington State certainly has its advantages for McCarthy since his aunt played volleyball there and he's been around the campus all his life. He admitted location will play a factor in his decision-making process so Pullman makes sense in some ways.

"It's a pretty good deal," McCarthy said. "They have good things going for them up there. I'm very honored to have an offer from them. I'm from Northern Idaho and my aunt was an All-American volleyball player at WSU so I've been up there since a young age. I kind of grew up on the campus.

"Location is pretty big for me. I'm still trying to weigh my options and talk to my family and see what comes up. I'm not going to rush this process. It's a very important process to me and my family."

Don't count out Army, either. He said the combination of the football program and being involved with the military lifestyle intrigues him and it's definitely under strong consideration.

"That's a realistic thing," McCarthy said. "No. 1 before I'm a football player I'm an American citizen and there's nothing more honorable than serving your country."