Maryland running back Anthony McFarland Jr. drafted by Pittsburgh Steelers

The first Terp is off the board in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Running back Anthony McFarland Jr. was selected 124th overall in the fourth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers Saturday.

The selection marks the first time since 1987 that Maryland football running backs were picked in back-to-back drafts, with Ty Johnson drafted by the Detroit Lions last year.

McFarland decided to leave College Park after his sophomore season after taking a redshirt year in 2017. He was a four-star recruit out high school and made his impression on scouts as a freshman, earning Second Team All-Big Ten honors after rushing for 1,022 yards on 125 attempts while averaging 8.2 yards per carry. He also had four touchdowns.

He dealt with an ankle injury this past season, but he managed to rush for 614 yards and eight touchdowns on 125 attempts. And he ended his Maryland career with an average 6.7 yards per carry, which ranks third in program history. McFarland’s six games of 100 or more yards sits at ninth-best in program history.

The Hyattsville, Maryland, native ran a 4.44 second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, which was the fourth-fastest time by a running back. He’ll look to take advantage of that speed at the next level, now joining a position room highlighted by James Conner — who becomes a free agent in 2021.

The DeMatha product now reunites Matt Canada, who served as the Terps’ interim head coach in 2018 and is now Pittsburgh’s quarterback coach.