ORONO, Maine — As far as University of Maine graduate student strong safety Jeremiah McGill is concerned, there is no debate when it comes to which is the country’s best football state.
“No question, it’s Florida, specifically south Florida,” said the Miami native with a grin.
McGill attended Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School in Hollywood, Florida, and two of his teammates were Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr.
Smith is a junior and has been an All-American and the Big Ten Receiver of the Year in each of his first two seasons. Jackson, a fifth-year senior, is one of the Buckeyes’ captains this fall.
“I played with a lot of big-name guys. It’s always been something we’ve been accustomed to,” said McGill, a transfer from Football Bowl Subdivision team the University of Massachusetts who is making a name for himself in Orono.
FBS schools have significantly more resources than Football Championship Subdivision schools like UMaine.
Through UMaine’s first four games, McGill has been involved in 26 tackles, which is third-most on the team behind linebackers Sam Oppenheimer (43) and Noah Carpenter (28). His 17 unassisted tackles are second behind Oppenheimer’s 29.
He also has one tackle for lost yards, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery.
And he had been bothered by a nagging ankle injury he suffered in the second game of the season, a 55-3 loss to Football Bowl Subdivision team Appalachian State.
UMaine head coach Jordan Stevens said McGill has been a welcome addition to the team.
“He has an incredible work ethic,” Stevens said. “He reminds me of (former wide receiver) Joey Gillette. Joey didn’t say a word his first three months he was here but, within a month, he had gained the respect of all of his teammates.
“That’s very similar to Jeremiah. From the summer workouts to training camp, he has practiced the hardest of anyone on our team. And it’s not just my opinion, we have data to show that. Based on GPS tracking, he is running full speed every single day.”
McGill played in 35 games at UMass and was involved in 65 tackles. He also had two interceptions. He had 29 tackles a year ago and his 17 unassisted tackles were tied for sixth most on the team.
“I love playing with him,” Carpenter said. “He makes me feel confident on the field. I have a veteran guy behind me. He’s a very good communicator, and he makes me play faster. He flies around and is always around the ball. He is always swarming. His mindset is to attack. He is one of the hardest working people on the football field that I’ve ever seen.”
McGill’s physicality and tackling prowess are a product of his youth and high school days.
“The main thing is I always grew up playing football for coaches who were hard on us,” explained the 6-foot, 195-pound McGill. “I was always taught to be physical. My mindset has always been to stick my nose in and not being scared to tackle.”
He has been happy with his season to date and is quick to credit his coaches and teammates for his success.
“It starts up front with the defensive line. (Defensive coordinator Umberto) Di Meo puts us in good position to make plays and everyone around me helps me get to those plays,” McGill said.
His said his transition has been smooth “because the coaches at UMass and Maine have a good relationship and they play a similar defense.”
When he entered the transfer portal, UMaine offered him a scholarship, but he had another offer.
When that fell through, UMaine stayed on him and he took advantage of it.
“Those opportunities don’t come around too often,” McGill said.
“He has been a huge pickup,” said UMaine offensive tackle and co-captain Anthony Iliano. “Ever since he got here, he made his presence felt. He’s an older guy with a lot of experience around this game and he is always sprinting to the ball. He is always making plays or playing fast. He takes care of what he needs to take care of.”
McGill and the Black Bears have a vital Coastal Athletic Association game in North Carolina against Elon at 2 p.m. Saturday. UMaine is 1-3 overall but is coming off a strong showing in a 22-16 loss to FBS team Boston College. UMaine is 1-0 in the conference.
Elon is 3-1 overall, 1-1 in the conference.
“I feel confident in the team,” McGill said. “As long as we continue to trust our process, trust everything the coaches tell us to do and everything they are teaching us, the sky is the limit.”