Earle junior receiver Joseph McVay’s raw athleticism has the attention of numerous colleges around the country, and he is expected to add to his list of about 15 scholarship offers.
“Being from Earle, we don’t necessarily have the best facilities,” Earle coach Albert Coleman said. “He makes do with the weights we do have. He really is a freak of nature. I’ve seen him run as fast as he’s needed to run and jump as high he needs to jump to get the job done.”
McVay, 6-1, 187 pounds, has offers from Penn State, South Carolina, Colorado State, Texas A&M, Purdue, Vanderbilt and other schools. He startled recently when he high jumped 6-6, hurdling the bar.
He used his speed and leaping ability to record 69 catches for 1,573 yards and 22 touchdowns as a junior.
“You look at his highlight tape and he was in several situations when he was surrounded by multiple defenders and was literally able to make a plant on a dime and just cut it up and thread the needle up the lane and beat everybody to the end zone,” Coleman said. “He has an unbelievable shiftiness about him.
“He’s already so special, but he’s going to be a monster of a receiver for someone.”
McVay also runs a leg in the 4x100- and 4x200-meter relays, and runs the open 100 and 200 meters. Coleman said McVay has issues coming out of the blocks, but is working to resolve that.
“Last week was the first time he ran the 200. He ran like a low 23-something [seconds],” Coleman said. “I think his best time [in the 100 meters] was an 11.18.”
Coleman bragged on McVay’s humble attitude.
“He’s as humble as a kid as you’re going to get,” Coleman said. “I’m proud of the man he’s turning into. The pressure and hype hasn’t deterred and or changed him. The only thing he said is he just wants to work to get better.
“A school is going to get an asset because like I said we don’t have the facilities and we don’t have a wide receivers coach. We don’t have a great strength and conditioning program. Once he’s in something like that, the sky is the limit. He’s a diamond in the rough.”
McVay is on Arkansas’ radar.
“He's an in-state athlete. I think every kid in Arkansas dreams of playing for the Razorbacks,” Coleman said. “I haven’t had that conversation with him about his top teams and where he wants to go, but I do know he’s from Arkansas and his folks are Razorback fans.”