McFarlane staying busy
Athlete Devante McFarlane of Dix Hills (N.Y.) Half Hollow Hills West managed to turn a number of heads during the recent Badger Sports 7-on-7 tournament in New Jersey. Now McFarlane is preparing for another event, as he is eager to prove that he is one of the top athletes in the region.
"I thought that was a really good 7-on-7 and you can tell that they put a lot of work and effort into getting that camp to its full effect," said McFarlane. "It went well for me. I did well and learned some things as a football player. I'm hoping to get a lot of exposure from that camp."
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McFarlane, 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, will continue his camp tour this Saturday, when he attends the NUC/Rivals.com Five-Star Academy in the Garden State.
"I can't wait for Saturday," said McFarlane. "I've been training ever since my football season and I feel I'm ready for Saturday to compete against the best of the best."
McFarlane has several goals in mind on Saturday.
"I hope to prove that there are good players that come out of the state of New York, especially Long Island, and that I'm one of the best out there," said McFarlane. "I also want to prove that I can play with anyone from any region."
While he waits for his first offer, interest continues to mount for McFarlane.
"A number of schools are highly interested," said McFarlane. "UCF, Miami, Penn State, Syracuse, Rutgers, Connecticut, USF, Georgia Tech, Colorado, Duke, Tulane, Tulsa and Buffalo are the schools that are showing a lot of interest."
Thus far, McFarlane has visited Syracuse this year for a junior day.
"I met all of the coaches and they loved me," said McFarlane. "The head coach from Syracuse was supposed to come to my school, but a blizzard came that day."
One of the intriguing parts of McFarlane's game is his versatility.
"I'm mostly getting recruited as a defensive back, but also as a running back and wide receiver, so I'm an athlete," said McFarlane. "I like wide receiver, but I like defensive back too. So wherever they put me is okay."
During his junior season McFarlane saw time at quarterback, wide receiver, running back, outside linebacker, safety, and also returned kickoffs and punts. While he did not remember his exact statistics, he totaled 10 touchdowns and over 1,000 all-purpose yards.
"I think the season went well," said McFarlane. "I made some crazy plays and also some game changing plays. I think I could of did better though."