Anthony McFarland Jr. Releases Top 5: Which School Best Fits 4-Star APB?

The recruiting battle for 4-star all-purpose back Anthony McFarland Jr. will come down to the SEC and the ACC.

McFarland announced his top five Wednesday evening via Twitter, and Miami, Maryland, Alabama, Tennessee and Florida made the cut for the Hyattsville, Maryland, standout. McFarland trimmed his list from 29 offers.

Consider this recruiting race an important one, even though McFarland will miss his senior season because of injury. During an August scrimmage, McFarland suffered a broken left fibula and had surgery to sideline him for the year.

McFarland's return to football, however, will be just in time for him to prepare for the college level, and one school will get a solid competitor who showed his worth as a versatile offensive threat in July at The Opening in Beaverton, Oregon. Ranked as the nation's No. 3 all-purpose back, McFarland is a solid rusher and a reliable pass-catching option out of the backfield as well as at the slot receiver position.

Of the five finalists, Alabama and Maryland are the schools without an athlete classified as an all-purpose back in their respective 2017 classes. All five schools have running backs committed.

A slight shock in McFarland's announcement was the omission of Georgia. The Bulldogs were, at one time, high on McFarland's list, and prognosticators had the Bulldogs leading the pack in his 247Sports "crystal ball" predictions.

The main question: Can the Terrapins land another local product?

This is a race that Maryland hopes to not only triumph against SEC recruiting powerhouses, but also keep the in-state athlete close to home. McFarland attends DeMatha Catholic, which is literally blocks away from the university campus. Having a player like McFarland would strengthen the Terrapins' top-20 class and also give the team a keystone skill-position recruit on the offensive side of the ball.

Alabama is a school to watch primarily because McFarland has said on multiple occasions that he wants to win wherever he goes. Few teams have done what the Crimson Tide have on the field in Nick Saban's term as head coach. With 5-star Najee Harris—the nation's top-ranked 2017 recruit—and 4-star Brian Robinson serving as power backs, McFarland could be a change-of-pace back for Alabama.

Keep an eye on Miami, as well, as McFarland's recruitment continues. The Hurricanes have a top-10 nationally ranked class that is loaded with skill-position players. Teaming McFarland up with 4-star running back Robert Burns could make for an exciting combination, as both athletes can be used in multiple offensive packages.

Tennessee and Florida are SEC contenders that may be the dark horses of the race. McFarland would be Tennessee's highest-ranked offensive pledge and most likely would be packaged with 4-star running back Ty Chandler. If you look at the Volunteers' class, it's loaded with talented defensive players. Another offensive threat would be welcomed.

McFarland would be the highest-ranked commit overall for Florida's 2017 class if he chose to play for head coach Jim McElwain. Florida could use a running back to complement 4-star Adarius Lemons. Plus, the Gators only have one wide receiver pledge in Daquon Green, which means they will be looking for athletes to play the slot.

Back in February, McFarland revealed to Bleacher Report a few valuable X-factors that will play into his ultimate decision.

"I'm looking, most definitely, to see which schools play their freshmen," he said. "Of course, I'm looking at a good education, too. I just want to go where I feel good about going to an institution. Where will I feel like I am at home? That's what I want to know. To me, it's not just about football; it's everything around football."

If these qualities remain the same, don't be surprised if the race comes down to Maryland, Miami and Alabama. He's made multiple visits to the programs and is comfortable at all three. McFarland also has an official visit set to Alabama for the weekend of Nov. 26.

McFarland is the top-ranked uncommitted player nationally at his position. Expect this race to be close.

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles