I do not recall ever hearing that in HS McCauley was used primarily on D. I do recall people saying that college scouts thought he could be a great Safety.
McCauley was the ideal RB to fit with Dooley. He was pure grit, pure tough, like a steel mill worker, though he was a middle class suburb kid.
On recruiting threads, we've discussed how certain states that used to be major producers (like PA) now produce little. NJ now overwhelms PA, and NJ talent is less than NC talent. NY used to be a good - not great - producer of football talent. Now, NY HS football is very weak. Per capita, as weak as it gets.
Those losses in HS football talent in PA and NY are main reasons that Pitt and Syracuse have such hard rows to hoe to get back over the hump consistently.