Leon McQuay III of Seffner (Fla.) Armwood High School is rated as one of the better defensive backs in the country. He is a consensus four-star recruit and holds more than 20 offers.
And on Sunday at the Orlando NFTC, McQuay backed up that ranking with an impressive performance, earning the defensive back MVP award and an invite to Nike's "The Opening," an all-star event held in July at the Nike facilities in Oregon. McQuay spoke with SB Nation after the event.
"It was great competition. I don't really know the names (of the top players faced in one-on-ones)," said McQuay. "The off coverage was tough," McQuay said, speaking of the coverage technique used in one-on-ones. " "I know I can press, but off coverage was tough," McQuay said.
Turning to recruiting, McQuay is not in a rush to make a decision. "Florida, Vanderbilt, USC, Stanford, and Notre Dame," McQuay answered when asked to list some of his top offers. "But I don't really have a top list," he added.
McQuay said that he has already visited Florida and Vanderbilt. He plans to visit some schools after spring football practice, but doesn't have any definite plans at this time. He doesn't know exactly when he will make a decision, but said that it would "probably be during his senior season."
At 6'2" and 184 pounds, McQuay looks like a tall cornerback prospect. But he has the frame to fill out and reach 200 pounds, allowing him to be an excellent coverage safety who is not a liability against the run. I expect Alabama and Florida State to heavily pursue McQuay as well.