Decided to Fly: Isaiah McDuffie
By Quinn Kelly
Isaiah McDuffie
From: Buffalo, NY
High School: Bennett High School
Position: OLB
Ht/Wt: 6’2” 200
Twitter: @isaiahmcduffie_
Ratings:
ESPN Rating: 73, 3 star
247 Rating: 85, 3 star
Rivals Rating: 3 star
Highlight Tape:
High School Stats:
McDuffie joins the Eagles on the heels of a MONSTER senior season. The Buffalo native had 111 tackles in his final high school campaign, making seven of them for loss, three being sacks, and adding five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and an interception to his totals. So again, MONSTER season for McDuffie. That’s not even mentioning the fact that he also served as Bennett High’s running back, rushing for over 1500 yards and 21 touchdowns last year. He was named the MVP of his division by the Buffalo News and came out ranked by Rivals as the fourth best player in New York and by Scout.com as the second best OLB in New York. Oh, and by the way, he holds his school record for tackles in a single season, and it isn’t for those aforementioned 111 tackles this past year. No, it would be for his 161 tackles in his junior season; the same year USA Today named him the New York Defensive player of the year.
Addazio’s Take:
“Isaiah McDuffie, the linebacker from Bennett, New York … He’s a sam backer, excellent speed, excellent agility. Was a great running back in high school. Rushed for over 1,600 yards. He is a big, fast, physical athlete, and he’s a hell of a player.”
McDuffie on Commitment:
“I chose Boston College because of the rich tradition of the program. Also, the academics are top of the line. Boston is a great city, too. I just can’t wait to get on campus and get started.”
Our Take:
Isaiah McDuffie could prove to be a steal for the Eagles. Regarded already as a pretty solid player, Brian Dohn of Scout.com believes that McDuffie would have been “heavily recruited if he was not isolated in Buffalo.” Dohn perhaps should have qualified with more heavily recruited, as McDuffie did hold nine scholarship offers as it was. There certainly were more offers to be had for the 6’2” linebacker, so credit to Addazio & Co. for going off the beaten path to pick up quality recruits. Credit further to them for nabbing McDuffie away from Syracuse (where he was once committed) and Quick Lane Bowl foe Maryland, Penn State, and national semifinalist Washington (who all also offered McDuffie). McDuffie is a very athletic linebacker and has shown great quickness and ability to change direction. The biggest hurdle for McDuffie will be putting on some muscle this offseason. If he can do that while maintaining his speed and athleticism, he may be a season away from being a Connor Strachan type linebacker on the outside.