Nation’s No. 4 WR Locks in Official Visits with Major College Football Teams

The decision by one of the highest-rated wide receivers in high school to reclassify from the 2028 class to 2027 has resulted in an arms race for some of the most elite college football programs to pick up their recruitment in recent weeks.

Four-star IMG Academy (Fla.) wide receiver Eric McFarland is getting considerable interest from several programs, and now he’s poised to take official visits to three schools to get a closer look, according to Rivals.

McFarland said he has met with coaches nearly every day in the first month of 2026, with two Big Ten programs and an insurgent SEC contender separating from the pack.

Who is in the picture?

Ohio State has already hosted McFarland back in January, and the wide receiver is set to visit with the school again in the middle of April and also mentioned June 12 as a date he’ll be in Columbus.

Right now, the Buckeyes rank among college football’s best 2027 recruiting classes, placing third in the country according to 247Sports, and appears to be an early favorite for McFarland.

That group is buoyed by the commitment of Jamier Brown, the four-star prospect rated as the second-best player at the position nationally.

“Coach [Ryan] Day is there and we have a great relationship,” McFarland said of Ohio State’s coach.

“I’ve been talking more with Coach Hankton, too,” referring to new Buckeyes wide receiver coach Cortez Hankton, who replaced Brian Hartline in the same position.

Trojans in the conversation

USC ranks inside the top 25 of the national recruiting rankings, and will welcome McFarland back to campus following a January visit again on March 7, also noting June 5 as a day he’ll return to Los Angeles.

“They’ve come on hard. They develop receivers and I like what they’re doing,” McFarland said of the Trojans and their offense.

SEC hopeful enters the mix

Sitting second nationally in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings and already with 10 commitments, Texas A&M is making a play to be the best class in 2027, and is showing interest in the wide receiver.

McFarland has plans to be in College Station to meet personally with the Aggies program on May 29 after an initial visit for January was called off because of weather.

Other schools are involved

McFarland has shown an interest in other SEC programs like Georgia, LSU, and Kentucky, while national title runner-up Miami also has his attention.

Georgia ranks eighth in the updated 2027 college football recruiting rankings, with just three-star Aden Starling the sole wide receiver so far committed to the class.

LSU has two pledges to its 2027 efforts, edge rusher Jaiden Bryant and quarterback Peyton Houston, but no wide receivers in its 30th ranked class.

Kentucky and first-year coach Will Stein have three prospects committed in 2027, and Miami sits in the No. 19 position on the 247Sports big board.

One wide receiver, four-star Hollywood (Fla.) No. 31 ranked wideout Ah’Mari Stevens, is currently pledged to the Hurricanes.

Another SEC hopeful is in the mix, as McFarland said he will visit Tennessee after taking in USC on his spring break.

The Volunteers rank 20th nationally in recruiting in 2027, but are yet to sign a wide receiver.

How McFarland rates as a recruit

McFarland has long been considered one of the blue-chip wide receivers in the country, and his switching to the 2027 cycle hasn’t changed that assessment.

The consensus four-star prospect is considered the No. 4 wide receiver in the nation and the third-best player in Florida, according to an average of the national recruiting services.

That average places him as the No. 24 ranked overall prospect in the 2027 recruiting class regardless of position.

What the experts think

While the wide receiver is keeping his options open, one school appears to stick out.

Ohio State currently ranks well ahead of every other contender with a 94.1 percent chance to earn McFarland’s commitment, according to the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine.

When will he decide?

McFarland said he is likely to announce his commitment later in the summer.

“I want to get the ball, move around, and make plays,” he said, via Rivals.

“I want to go somewhere where they put me in a position to make plays. Family is big for me, too. I want it to feel like family.”

Now it’s up to some of the biggest names in college football to prove to one of the best wide receivers in the class that they can fit the bill.

(Rivals)

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