Jamarkus McFarland
Encyclopedia
Jamarkus McFarland is an American football
defensive tackle. He currently attends the University of Oklahoma
in his junior year. McFarland is considered one of the best defensive tackle prospects of his class.
in Texas, where he accounted for 53 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and four quarterback sack
s in 2008. He was a 2008 first team all-class by Texas Football, a second team Texas all-state selection and also named Texas Academic all-state. He also was named district 15-5A Defensive MVP as a junior in 2007.
As a senior, McFarland was a USA Today
and Parade
All-American. He also played in the 2009 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
. Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com
, McFarland was listed as the No. 6 defensive tackle prospect in the nation, as well as the third-best run stuffer among defensive tackles. He was ranked third among the nation defensive tackles in the nation by Scout.com
, who graded him as a five-star recruit.
McFarland picked Oklahoma over Texas
, LSU
and Southern California
. His recruitment was the topic of a New York Times story, which included a passage describing a lavish party with free alcohol and drugs and topless women hosted by Texas boosters in Dallas.
in 2009. However, he saw some action in seven games as backup defensive tackle. He had a career-high two tackles in three games, and a career-high 1.5 sacks against Texas A&M. McFarland was named an All-Big 12 freshman by ESPN.com
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive tackle. He currently attends the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
in his junior year. McFarland is considered one of the best defensive tackle prospects of his class.
High school career
McFarland attended Lufkin High SchoolLufkin High School
Lufkin High School is a public secondary school located in Angelina County, Texas . It serves the Lufkin area as part of the Lufkin Independent School District. The current Lufkin High School was formed in 1970 by consolidation of Lufkin High School and Dunbar High School, the formerly...
in Texas, where he accounted for 53 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and four quarterback sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s in 2008. He was a 2008 first team all-class by Texas Football, a second team Texas all-state selection and also named Texas Academic all-state. He also was named district 15-5A Defensive MVP as a junior in 2007.
As a senior, McFarland was a USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
and Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
All-American. He also played in the 2009 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
. Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
, McFarland was listed as the No. 6 defensive tackle prospect in the nation, as well as the third-best run stuffer among defensive tackles. He was ranked third among the nation defensive tackles in the nation by Scout.com
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...
, who graded him as a five-star recruit.
McFarland picked Oklahoma over Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, LSU
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
and Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. His recruitment was the topic of a New York Times story, which included a passage describing a lavish party with free alcohol and drugs and topless women hosted by Texas boosters in Dallas.
College career
Because of the Sooners' depth at defensive tackle, McFarland was expected to redshirtRedshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
in 2009. However, he saw some action in seven games as backup defensive tackle. He had a career-high two tackles in three games, and a career-high 1.5 sacks against Texas A&M. McFarland was named an All-Big 12 freshman by ESPN.com
ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
.